The West Transformed

Chapter 17Grade 8

Section 1: Mining and Railroads

1. How did the discovery of gold and silver affect the pattern of western settlement?

2. Who was most likely to strike it rich in a boomtown?

3. How do you think the gold and silver rushes affected the transcontinental railroad?

4. Why do you think the government helped fund the creation of new railroads?

Section 2: Native Americans Struggle to Survive

1. How did life change for Native Americans when miners, settlers and railroads moved west?

2. How did federal officials make Plains nations settle in one place?

3. Why sis Native Americans react violently to living on reservations?

4. Why couldn’t strong leaders like Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and Chief Joseph save their people’s lands?

5. What was the “Long Walk?”6. Why did the government want to stop the Ghost Dance?7. How was the Dawes Act an attempt to help Native Americans?

Why did it fail?8. What effect do you think the efforts of Helen Hunt Jackson,

Susette LaFlesche and Allice Fletcher had on the public and on federal policy?

Section 3: The Cattle Kingdom

1. What caused the rise of the cattle industry?2. How did American cowhands learn many of

their skills?3. How did cow towns create the myth of the Wild

West?4. How did ranchers make a profit?5. Why did demand for beef drop?

Section 4: Farming in the West

1. Who were the homesteaders?2. Why were so few homesteaders successful?3. Why did the railroads encourage farmers?4. Why was it so hard to farm the Plains if the land

was fertile?5. Where were the Native Americans who had once

owned territory?6. What did Plains farmers and cattle ranchers

have in common?