The Changing & The Changing & Evolving WestEvolving West

http://www.youtube.com/watch?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-BdJSC42OA v=d-BdJSC42OA

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

• Students will understand the reasons Americans moved west of the Mississippi.

• Students will understand the different types of racism that existed in the time period.

• Students will be able to analyze how new technologies helped to shape the country.

• Students will be able to Evaluate different choices native Americans had about assimilation, evacuation, or extermination.

• Students will understand factors that contributed to the decline of Native American culture.

The Homestead Act The Homestead Act

• 1849 massive gold rush causes many to move to California

– Caused country to develop a population gap between Midwest and West Coast

• May 20th 1862- allowed any person to claim a piece of government land as their own.

– Generally 160 acres

– Must live on the land for 5 years

– Show proof of improvements

• House/farming/grazing

• Over course of law, 1.6 million homesteads granted and 270,000,000 acres of land distributed

• Most good land claimed by 1934, but law continued until 1976 on continent, and 1986 in Alaska.

Homestead ActHomestead Act

Homestead ActHomestead Act

Homestead ActHomestead ActSod home of John and Marget Bakken, Milton, N.D., circa 1895. This photograph was the basis for the U.S. Homestead Act, 1862-1962 commemorative stamp.

I. RailroadingI. Railroading

• First Transcontinental Railroado In 1862 Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act and

granted charters to 2 companies Union Pacific—westward from Nebraska Central Pacific—eastward from California

o Congress granted each company the right of way, large amounts of land for every mile of track built (6,400) and lent them enormous amounts of money at low interest

o They met on May 10,1869 at Promontory, Utaho http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=VOn0RFFOr1s&feature=related&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Promontory, UtahPromontory, Utah

I. Railroading (cont.)I. Railroading (cont.)

o A trip from the Atlantic to Pacific coast now only took one week

o Many Chinese immigrants were employed by the Central Pacific, while the Union Pacific workers were of Irish descent

o “Buffalo Bill” aka William Cody— won the right to feed the RR workers—fed them buffalo, but only used the hams

II. Race RelationsII. Race Relations

• Chineseo Chinese immigrants begin move to California in

1840’s (gold rush)o Encouraged to settle early on but soon viewed as

rivals/threats for jobso Work in mines at first, but transition to railroad worko Large part of Central Pacific labor forceo Forced to move to cities when mining and railroad

jobs endo Discriminated against with passage of the Chinese

Exclusion Act in 1882 (bans Chinese immigration for ten years)

II. Race Relations (cont.)II. Race Relations (cont.)

• Hispanico Most territory in Southwest originally owned

by Mexicoo Hispanic landed elites gradually lose power

as U.S. takes overo Hispanic population frequently forced to take

lower wage jobso New wave of Mexican migration when

railroads and mining come to Southwest in late 1800’s

II. Race Relations (cont.)II. Race Relations (cont.)

• African Americanso Economic opportunities open up following Civil War,

but racism still persistento Some African Americans move West to help with

railroadso Exodusters, mass migration of rural Southern blacks

to Kansas and Great Plains to become farmerso Buffalo Soldiers-African American military soldiers in

the West. o Many blacks were financially forced to remain on the

land of their former masters as sharecroppers o Civil liberties restrict by Jim Crow Laws

Buffalo SoldiersBuffalo Soldiers

Buffalo SoldiersBuffalo Soldiers

II. Race Relations (cont.)II. Race Relations (cont.)

• Native Americanso Continual pressure

from Americans in competition for their land

o Results in numerous battles, broken treaties, and attempted “reforms” of Native Americans

III. Ranching & Cattle DrivesIII. Ranching & Cattle Drives

• Cattle kept on open range, vast area of land owned by the government

• Cattle drives to railroads create larger profits (first drives from TX to Sedalia)

• Cause small scale “gang” like warfare between ranchers and cattle drivers.

III. Ranching & Cattle DrivesIII. Ranching & Cattle Drives

• Branding used to keep cattle separated

• Barbed wire breaks up open range

Cattle DrivesCattle Drives

Cattle DrivesCattle Drives

BrandingBranding

Barbed WireBarbed Wire

IV. MiningIV. Mining

• Major reason for settlement of the mountainous states of the West

• Towns quickly develop after the discovery of gold, silver, copper, or lead

• Boom to bust = very large population to ghost town

• Began with California Gold Rush 1849o Virginia City, Nevada: Discovery of the

Comstock Lode, a large deposit of silver in 1859

Virginia City, Nevada 1867-1868Virginia City, Nevada 1867-1868

Comstock LodeComstock Lode

IV. MiningIV. Mining• Major reason for settlement of the mountainous

states of the West • Towns quickly develop after the discovery of gold,

silver, copper, or lead• Boom to bust = very large population to ghost town

o Virginia City, Nevada: Discovery of the Comstock Lode, a large deposit of silver in 1859

• Mining cities faced large crime, often forming vigilance commissions

• Men were the major settlers, women arrived later • http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=PV547grgDL4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

V. Conflicts Caused by MiningV. Conflicts Caused by Mining

• Pike’s Peak, Colorado: Discovery of gold in 1858 leads to conflict between settlers and Native Americans

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI9GRdvUtkQ&feature=related cannon

V. Conflicts Caused by MiningV. Conflicts Caused by Mining

• Sand Creek Massacreo 100,000 “59ers” push Cheyenne and Arapaho

off their lando Cheyenne agree to move to Sand Creek to

avoid further conflicto Many Cheyenne men leave the small

reservation to find food, causing conflicts with white settlers

V. Conflicts Caused by Mining (cont.)V. Conflicts Caused by Mining (cont.)o Colonel John Chivington attacks a

peaceful Cheyenne camp An attack kills nearly 200 Cheyenne

in November 1864 Chivington orders scalping of men, women, and

children-tried and gets off Cheyenne chief Black Kettle escapes

and attempts negotiations EFFECT – Anger and uprisings

spread in western Native Americans• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0UF71_-HZY • Fingers and ears were cut off the bodies for the jewelry they carried. The body of White Antelope, lying solitarily in the creek

bed, was a prime target. Besides scalping him the soldiers cut off his nose, ears, and testicles-the last for a tobacco pouch ...

•—- Stan Hoig[20

]

Sand CreekSand Creek

Battle at Sand Creek by O. Y. Rookstool

V. Conflicts Caused by Mining (cont.)V. Conflicts Caused by Mining (cont.)

• Washita River Massacreo November 1868- George Armstrong

Custer attacks the Cheyenne to force them onto reservations in OK Custer attacks even though Black Kettle flies white

surrender flag Black Kettle and over 200 Cheyenne are killed EFFECT – Cheyenne moved to reservations and

Custer becomes both famous and infamous

Washita River MassacreWashita River Massacre

Long term effects, not in notesLong term effects, not in notes

• Sand Creek/ Washita River Massacres.

• Battle of the Little Bighorn

• The Ghost Dance

• Massacre at Wounded Knee

The Indian Solution/Manifest The Indian Solution/Manifest Destiny Destiny

• Native Americans became a great problem for the US Government.– Controlled good land– Attacked settlers

• At First, treaties were made with Indian Tribes.– Indians give up some land for guaranteed land elsewhere – Often lower quality

– Often broken • Indians were then relocated to reservations.

– US government often took back good or gold rich reservations

– Indians end up with worst land in US Arizona

Buffalo WarfareBuffalo Warfare

• An end to the Plains Indian way of life came with the depletion of the Buffalo.– Killed by the masses to feed railroad workers– Railroads were often fenced off with Barbed wire,

preventing water migration. – Settlers intentionally killed buffalo in an effort to crush

the Native American way of life.• With their land taken, their food source gone, and their

way of life in ruin, the Native Americans were forced to choose between assimilation, elimination, or relocation

End of the frontier End of the frontier • By 1909, most of the “good” homestead land

was taken. – Much of the open ranges of the west were fenced

off.

• Modernization sets in. – Refrigerated beef train cars

• No need for cattle drives

– Modern cities Like Denver, Phoenix, And Las Vegas end settlement gap.

– Explosion of factory industry and “completion” of the rail road.