Mr. Judd Name___________________

CH. 4 Settling the West Study Guide

Westward Expansion Review (1800-1860’s)What did the United States look like before Westward Expansion? In 1803, Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, purchased 828,000 square miles from France. This was called the Louisiana Purchase and it contained all of present-day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, parts of Minnesota that were south of the Mississippi River, most of North Dakota, nearly all of South Dakota, northeastern New Mexico, northern Texas, the portions of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado east of the Continental Divide, and Louisiana on both sides of the Mississippi River, including the city of New Orleans. Before the Louisiana Purchase, the United States had only 13 states.

Why did President Jefferson make such a huge purchase? The main reason President Jefferson purchased this land is that New Orleans was the main port for trade. This port was used for storing export items (items leaving the United States), and it was used for importing goods from other countries. The United States was under constant threat of having this port taken away as a means of trading, so he thought it would be best for the country if he purchased it.

What did Thomas Jefferson decide to do with the rest of land purchased? Since this was new land to the United States, no one really knew what was out there. President Jefferson organized an expedition to go out and explore the new land in the west. This expedition was lead by Lewis and Clark and it began in 1804. Lewis and Clark kept journals of their exploration and made maps of all of the places they went to. He wanted them to study plant and animal life, Indian tribes, and the river systems. He was especially interested in finding rivers that would lead all the way to the Pacific Ocean. He had hoped he could set up more ports for exporting and importing. Lewis and Clark met Sacagawea, a Shoshone woman, while traveling. She was their guide through a great part of their journey. Lewis and Clark returned home, in 1806, with great stories of discovery. These stories made people excited about new opportunities in the west.

When did people start exploring the new land out west? In 1845, people believed that it was their “God given right and duty” to spread out onto the new land. They called it their “Manifest Destiny.” They believed that the United States should spread all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific. In 1846, the United States went to war with Mexico because they were disputing boundary lines in Texas. This was called the Mexican-American War. In 1848, Mexico signed a treaty with the United States, giving us Texas. The United States also acquired California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming for 15 million dollars.

How did the purchase of California affect the United States economy? In 1848, gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in Coloma, California. News of this discovery spread and over 300,000 people came to California from all over the United States and the world. These gold seekers were called “forty-niners.” San Francisco grew from a group of tents to a boomtown. They built roads, churches, schools, and agriculture began to flourish. Their society became advanced with the creation of laws and government. California became a state in 1850. San Francisco was also a port city, so they were able to import fine goods from other countries.

What new forms of transportation and communication helped contribute to the success of Westward Expansion? *The Pony Express- A mail service, which began around 1860, that provided communication for people from the east coast to the west coast. Young men delivered mail from one side of the country the other side in 10 days, riding, as fast as possible, on a horse. *Railroads- The first transcontinental railroad system in the United States was completed in 1869. It ran from the east coast to the west coast. *Electronic Telegraph- This was one of the first greatest electrical inventions in history. People were able to communicate from far distances using Morse code, which is a system of using dots and dashes to represent letters for words.

The Expansion of the United States, 1783-1853

Questions for Reflection 1. Why did Thomas Jefferson want to make sure the United States had New Orleans? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. What was Lewis and Clark’s purpose for going on an expedition? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 3. How were Lewis and Clark responsible for the fact that people wanted to travel out west? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4. What was the name of Lewis and Clark’s guide? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Matching: Use the word bank to match the descriptions with the correct word.Louisiana Purchase Pony Express 1804Thomas Jefferson forty-niners 1869Sacagawea Manifest Destiny ColomaTexas 18505. President Jefferson bought 828,000 square miles, also known as the ____________________

6. The year California became a state ____________________

7. Early gold seekers were called ____________________

8. The year Lewis and Clark set out on their expedition ____________________

9. Gold was discovered in this California ____________________

10. “God given right and duty” to spread from the east coast to west coast ____________________

11. The Mexican- American war was fought over boundary lines here ____________________

12. Mail service; young men traveled by horse ____________________

13. Year the first transcontinental railroad was established ____________________

14. The Shoshone woman who was Lewis and Clark’s guide ____________________

15. This president made it possible for Western Expansion ____________________

Timeline: Create a timeline of events from the Louisiana Purchase to creation of the transcontinental railroad.

Year Event

Manifest Destiny

American Progress (1872) by John Gast

Symbolism Key: “allegory” - to communicate a message with symbolic figures or actions. Look at the picture and see if you can tell what each image symbolizes.

1. Angel: 2. Bison:3. Indians: 4. Bear: 5. Small Group of Men:6. Conestoga and Coach: 7. Railroad Trains and Telegraph Wires8. Farmers:

12

3

4

5

6

7

8

Miners and Ranchers

Figure it out with a partner.Look at the title of this map. It shows cattle trails and mines, but we won’t worry about the mines. Just cattle. And railroads. It also doesn’t show a time period, but it most likely represents 1865-1895. First, what is a cattle trail? (Check your textbook if you need to.)Now look at the map key. How does the key show a cattle trail? Draw it below?

How does the key show a railroad? Draw it below.

Now look at the cattle trails on the map itself. The map doesn’t tell you, but the cattle were being driven north. So where did all the trails begin? Why did they all begin around the same place?

Where did all the trails end? Why? (Hint: What does the key mean when it says “Railroad to market”?)

So now the bottom line? Why did all these trails develop, and what was their purpose.

Bonus. What reasons can you think of that the trails might have not been needed after 1900?

California – Gold FeverIn the early 1840s, California was a distant outpost that few Americans had seen. John

Sutter was a Swiss emigrant who had come to California in 1839 with the idea of building a vast empire. At the end of 1847, Sutter sent a group of men, including James Marshall, to build a new sawmill near the river. The sawmill was nearly complete when,

on January 24th 1848, Marshall spotted something shining in the river.

John Sutter

The metal was tested and confirmed as gold. However, Sutter wanted the area to be his empire and did not

want to attract others to the area so it was decided to keep the discovery secret. But it was not long before news of the discovery leaked out. The gold rush that

followed was to make California the richest state.James

MarshallTravelling to California

Via South AmericaSix months of seasickness, rotten food, rancid water and boredom.

Via Panama The quickest option but travellers risked malaria and cholera.

Overland – The California Trail. A 2000 mile walk in sweltering heat with little food or water.

Get rich quick The road to poverty Road to sicknessSam Brannan was a San Francisco merchant who spread news of the discovery throughout San Francisco. He also bought every pickaxe, shovel and pan in the region. A metal pan that had cost 20 cents was sold for 15 dollars. In nine weeks Brannan made 36,000 dollars.

Many overland travellers were not prepared for the harshness of the journey. Supplies ran out very quickly and replacements were expensive. Sugar rose to $1.50 per pint, coffee $1.00 per pint, alcohol $4.00. Many were forced to pay $1, $5 or even $100 for a glass of water. Those without money died.

The routes west became crowded with wagons. Dust was kicked up by those in front, making it difficult to see and breathe. Wagons camped together overnight and dug toilet pits, often close to rivers resulting in polluted water supplies, diarrhoea, illness and death.

Dreams turn to despairBy the middle of 1849 the easy gold was gone. Yet, the 49ers with dreams of riches kept coming. A typical miner spent 10 hours a day in freezing water sifting through the mud with no end result but frustration and depression. Men drowned their sorrows in the saloons and bars. Crime was on the increase and the jails were overcrowded. Some gave up and went back to the east. Others stayed on hoping that tomorrow would be the day. For most of them tomorrow never came…Mining TechnologySee Pgs. 160-161 in the text to fill in the chart. Your choices are quartz, placer, hydraulic, sluice and open- pit (or strip mining).

Type of Mining

Define Drawbacks to this type of mining.

The Cowboy Myth

The Cowboy: Myth or Reality?

1. The cowboy life was glamorous. Myth or Reality 2. Most cowboys had small or medium physical frames. Myth or Reality3. A cowboy would ride his favorite horse all day. Myth or Reality4. Many Texas cowboys were Mexican or African-American. Myth or Reality 5. Most Texas cowboys were older, experienced wranglers. Myth or Reality6. Women could not be cowboys. Myth or Reality7. Cowboys often had to fight off Native Americans. Myth or Reality8. The word “cowboy” was invented in Texas. Myth or Reality

The Long Drive

See http://www.odl.state.ok.us/archives-week/lessons/2004/cowboy-gear.pdf

What was the purpose of the:

1. hat-

2. chaps-

3. boots-

4. spurs-

5. bandana-

6. lariat-

7. pants-

8. quirt-

9. saddlebags-

Native American Battles and Reservations, 1860-1890

See Ch. 4 Section 3 in your textbook to label map and fill in chart.Event Yea

r Brief Summary

Dakota Sioux Uprising

(label on the map above)Sand Creek Massacre

(Label on the map above)

Battle of Little Bighorn

(Label on the map above)Flight of the Nez Perce

(Draw the retreat route ofthe Nez Perce)Tragedy at Wounded Knee

(Label on the map above)

How did the Native Americans use the buffalo (bison)? Use http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/kids/buffalo.html to learn how various parts of the buffalo (including the dung) was used by the Native Americans.

Skull Hair Hide Meat

Hooves

Brains

Horns

Sinew Stomach Dung

The Homestead Act of 1862

Imagine yourself as a young person in a place where all the land has been taken. You might want to become a farmer, but there is no land available. Then imagine seeing advertisements for land, some for very little money, some for free!!! You face unknowns. What will this land really be like? Will there be enough rainfall to grow your crops? Will you have neighbors? Who will they be? What about the people who are already on the land?

Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act into law on May 20, 1862. The Homestead Act encour-aged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of free public land.The major goal of the Homestead Act of 1862, which took effect on January 1,1863, was to encourage settlement of the west. If homesteaders built a home and improved the property for five years then they had the chance to a "free title" for that quarter section of land. A second goal was to connect the west to the north politically and economically during the Civil War. Remember the Civil War was still raging and there were no southern representatives in Congress when the bill was passed!One of President Lincoln's ideas about this act was to provide land to poor people who wanted to farm or find a new life. Lincoln himself grew up poor, his family moved several times in search of land. The Homestead Act, however, wasn't an end to poverty. Why? Few people could afford to build a farm or acquire the necessary tools, seed and livestock. It wasn't as easy as it looked to be a successful farmer. Most of the land had never been plowed, therefore the soil was hard and the grasses tall!! In addition to these problems some of the land lay in regions that had too little rainfall for ranching or farming. Ranching required four times the amount of land given so if you were going to ranch you had to have money to buy the additional acres for $1.25 per acre. Remember, the Homestead Act involved ALL the territory west of the Mississippi. Those homesteaders who stayed and became successful, did so because of sheer determination and hard work by the entire family.

President Lincoln also pushed for building a railroad across the country. Why? The railroad would connect the west to the north during the Civil War, which would bring people, soldiers, weapons, livestock and supplies. It would also carry immigrants or homesteaders bound for new land. The railroad was faster and easier than a wagon train. It was also more expensive, which was a problem for many homesteaders.One other interesting fact about the Homestead Act was that after 6 months of living on the land, homesteaders were given the option to purchase their land right then, for $1.25 per acre. Most of the land went to cattlemen, miners, lumbermen, and railroads, and speculators. Of some 500 million acres of land dispersed by the General Land Office, between 1862 and 1904, only 80 million acres actually went to homesteaders. However, small farmers did acquire more land under the Homestead Act in the 20th century than in the 19th.

Question: Explain the main purpose of the Homestead Act.

Symbolism Key : 1. Angel: represents America expanding. (America, in this case, represents Democracy,Liberty (Freedom), and God (Christianity)2. Bison: represents dwindling populations to near extinction3. Indians: represent their removal from the lands4. Bear: represents the removal of the wilderness toward a settled and civilized world.5. Small Group of Men: they represent various people who sought a better way of life.(i.e. gold miners)6. Conestoga and Coach: represent Americans moving westward7. Railroad Trains and Telegraph Wires: represent modern technology of high speedtransport and communication.8. Farmers: Represent the Homesteaders- the people who settled and cultivated thelands- especially in the plains.

Cowboy Myths or Reality

1. The cowboy life was glamorous. Myth: It was very difficult working 18-hour days and the long trail rides were sometimes boring.

2. Most cowboys had small or medium physical frames. Truth: Large men were too heavy to ride mustangs.

3. A cowboy would ride his favorite horse all day. Myth: Cowboys would ride a string of horses depending on what task was at hand. For example, a mild horse would be used at night and a quick horse would be used for cattle roping and tending.

4. Many Texas cowboys were Mexican or African-American. Truth: During the Cowboy Era (1866-1886) one sixth of the cowboys were Mexican, and many others were African-American or Native American.

5. Most Texas cowboys were older, experienced wranglers. Myth: Most cowboys were young men who learned on the job.

6. Women could not be cowboys.Myth: Several women owned ranches and ran their own cattle drives, including Amanda Burks and Lizzie Johnson.

7. Cowboys often had to fight off Native Americans. Myth: Cowboys rarely if ever fought Native Americans.

8. The word “cowboy” was invented in Texas. Myth: Actually, the job of a “cowboy” came from the Mexican and Spanish “vaquero.” Many

cowboy words and practices come from the Spanish language and Mexican culture.