Americans Move West
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Transcript of Americans Move West
Americans Move West
Why Americans Move West
Why Americans Move West
• Economic• Land• Railroads/Employment• Cattle
Economic
Economic
• Gold Rush: Settlers find gold in California.– Prospectors
• Comstock Lode: 1859. Nevada– Henry Comstock: Found largest silver mine in
North America.
• Locations: Montana, Idaho, Colorado, South Dakota [Black Hills Mountains]
Economic
Economic
• Boom Towns: New towns created because of Gold & Silver mines– Miners + Merchants + Permanent Structures=
Boom Town!
Boom Town
• Settlers Find GOLD or SILVER• Miners move in and set up camps• Merchants move in and build buildings• BOOM TOWN• Gold & Silver runs out• Miners move to next spot• Merchants move with miners• GHOST TOWN
Economic
Economic
• Problems with Boom Towns:– Pollution– Destruction of Forests & Land– Conflict with Native-Americans [land]– Discrimination [Immigrants]– Lawless Towns: NO real law enforcement• Vigilantes: Self-appointed law enforcement officials
Land
Land
• Indian Land: Most of the land the new settlers were moving onto, was occupied by Native-Americans.
• Oklahoma: “Sooners” won land races for pieces of Indian Territory in West.
• Kansas: African-American farmers [Exodusters] moved to land in the West offered to them by the government.
Employment
• Railroads: Used Immigrant labor to build railroads– Chinese– Irish– African-Americans– Mexican-Americans
Railroads
• Transcontinental Railroad: 1863. Stretched across the United States– Union Pacific: Started in Omaha, Nebraska
heading West– Central Pacific: Started in Sacramento, California
heading East– Subsidy: Government money
Railroads
• Transcontinental Railroad: 1863. Stretched across the United States– Union Pacific: Started in Omaha, Nebraska
heading West– Central Pacific: Started in Sacramento, California
heading East– Subsidy: Government money
Railroads
Railroads
• Promontory Point: 1869. Utah where the two railroads meet.– Leland Stanford: President of Central Pacific
hammered the “Golden Spike” to connect the two railroads.
Railroads
• Boom Towns: Also appeared with Railroads. – Train Stations + Merchants + Settlers = Boom
Towns [Rail Towns]
Cattle
• Cattle Kingdom: Longhorn Cattle grazed across land in the South & Midwest
• Cattle Drives: Cow Hands would “drive” the cattle North to Kansas/Missouri– Drives could be dangerous– Chisholm Trail: Jesse Chisholm [Cherokee
Indian]
Cattle
• Cattle Kingdom: Longhorn Cattle grazed across land in the South & Midwest
• Cattle Drives: Cow Hands would “drive” the cattle North to Kansas/Missouri– Drives could be dangerous– Chisholm Trail: Jesse Chisholm [Cherokee
Indian]
Cattle
• Cow Towns: Towns created around cows, like Boom Towns.– Abilene, Kansas
Cattle
• Cowboys: Paid a $1 a day– Vaqueros [Spanish cowboys]– Lariat [rope]– Sombrero [hat]– Chaparrerras [Chaps]
Farmers
• Sodbusters: New farmers– Sod Houses: Homes built out of grass [sod]
• Great Plains Climate: Very Dry. Little Rainfall. Would cause firestorms– Insects: Grasshoppers– Weather: Harsh winters, snow blizzards
Farmers
• Sodbusters: New farmers– Sod Houses: Homes built out of grass [sod]
• Great Plains Climate: Very Dry. Little Rainfall. Would cause firestorms– Insects: Grasshoppers– Weather: Harsh winters, snow blizzards
Farmers
• Supply & Demand• Some farmers struggled to sell crops and
make money.– Default on their loans– Foreclosure on farms
Farmers
• Help for Farmers:• National Grange: 1867. Farmers created a
Cooperative. Farmers “Pool” they money together to buy things wholesale.– Farmers Alliance: 1870s. Black and White
Cooperatives
Farmers
• Populist Party: 1891. Formed by farmers and labor unions. – Change: Income Tax Laws, 8-hr work day, limit
immigration. Use silver to make coin money. –William Jennings Bryan: Populist Party
candidate for President many times.
Farmers
• New Technology: – Steel Plows– Windmills– Reapers– Threshers– Binders
• Comstock Lode Leland Stanford• Gold Rush Cattle Kingdom• Vigilantes Jesse Chisholm• Exodusters Vaqueros• Oklahoma Land Race Sodbusters• Railroad Labor National
Grange• Promontory Point Cooperative• Subsidy William
Jennings Bryan• Farmers Alliance
PLAINS INDIANS
Plains Indians
• Location: Great Plains Region– Well-organized religion– Language– Arts & Crafts– Poetry
• Farmers & Hunters– Tamed horses
Plains Indians
Plains Indians
• Buffalo: Tribes migrated with Buffalo• “Galloping Department Store”: Buffalo
gave tribes everything they needed– Food, Clothing & Shelter [Tepees]– Toys & Sleds [travois]– Tools, Thread & Bowstrings
Plains Indians
• Tribal Responsibilities:• Women: – Build and care for Home– Cook meals– Teach Children– Small roles in government
Plains Indians
• Men – Hunt & Trade– Teach hunting skills– Military leaders– Spiritual leaders– Medicine Men
Plains Indians
• Traditions– Sun Dance– Great Spirit
Plains Indians
• Traditions– Sun Dance– Great Spirit
Government Policy
Government Policy
• Reservations: Small pieces of land given to Indians by the U.S. government
• Indian Removal Act: “Trail of Tears,” forced Indians to move further West from Mississippi River
• Homestead Act: U.S. government promised land to new settlers who would stay for 5 years
Government Policy
• Dawes Act: Tried to Americanize the Indians. Force them to become farmers.– Threatened tribal ways– Land was infertile– Hunters, NOT farmers– Reservation Life was terrible
Reservations
• Fort Laramie Treaty: 1851– Wyoming– Receive: Land, money, domestic animals, tools,
etc…
CONFLICT
• Chivington Massacre: 1864– Col. John Chivington attacked local Indian tribe.– After Indians surrendered, Chivington killed over
100 men, women and children.
CONFLICT
• Chivington Massacre: 1864– Col. John Chivington attacked local Indian tribe.– After Indians surrendered, Chivington killed over
100 men, women and children.
CONFLICT
• Red Cloud’s War: 1865– Federal government builds a road through the
Sioux territory– Chief Red Cloud leads Indians to war
CONFLICT
• Red Cloud’s War: 1865– Federal government builds a road through the
Sioux territory– Chief Red Cloud leads Indians to war
CONFLICT
• Sioux War: 1876. Lakota Indians were led by Sitting Bull & Crazy Horse
CONFLICT
• Sioux War: 1876. Lakota Indians were led by Sitting Bull & Crazy Horse
CONFLICT
• Battle of Little Big Horn: 1876– Col. George Custer and all of his soldiers are killed
in an ambush.– Worst defeat for the Americans
CONFLICT
• Battle of Little Big Horn: 1876– Col. George Custer and all of his soldiers are killed
in an ambush.– Worst defeat for the Americans
CONFLICT
• Battle of Wounded Knee: 1890– Chief Big Foot led Sioux in return of Ghost
Dance/Great Spirit– American soldiers killed over 200 Sioux Indians
CONFLICT
• Battle of Wounded Knee: 1890– Chief Big Foot led Sioux in return of Ghost
Dance/Great Spirit– American soldiers killed over 200 Sioux Indians
PEOPLE
PEOPLE
• Geronimo: Famous Indian warrior• Chief Joseph: Leader of the Nez Perces• Wovoka: A prophet. Preached for the return
of the Ghost Dance• Susette La Flesche: Indian reformer• Helen Hunt Jackson: Writer/reformer. Wrote
Century of Dishonor
Manifest Destiny