Who wrote go west young men?

The phrase "Go West, young man!" is commonly attributed to John B. L. Soule, a journalist who used it in an 1851 editorial in the New York Herald.

However, it's important to note that:

* Soule didn't invent the phrase: Similar sentiments were expressed by others before him.

* The phrase wasn't a literal command: It was a metaphor for westward expansion and the opportunities it offered.

So, while Soule popularized the phrase, it's not entirely accurate to say he "wrote" it. It was a reflection of the zeitgeist of the time.