How did the discovery of gold and other minerals impact settlement of the frontier in the mid-1800s? The discovery of gold and other minerals did not impact the population of the West. It slightly increased the population, as most gold-seekers left the West when they were unsuccessful in finding gold. It greatly increased the population, as thousands of gold-seekers traveled to the West and settled there. It slightly decreased the population, as thousands of settlers left the West in order to avoid disputes between gold-seekers.