US History US History Old West Unit (1865-1890)Old West Unit (1865-1890)

KnightKnight

Presidents During the Old Presidents During the Old West West

Rutherford B. Hayes 1877-1881

James Garfield 1881

Chester A. Arthur 1881-1885

Grover Cleveland 1885-1889

Frontier ExperienceFrontier Experience

► Following Civil War Following Civil War (1865) land west of (1865) land west of Mississippi River Mississippi River was settled mostly was settled mostly by Native Americansby Native Americans

► Great Plains-Great Plains- the the grassland extending grassland extending through the west-through the west-central portion of central portion of the United Statesthe United States

View Settlers Expand the Land Video

Family Life on PlainsFamily Life on Plains

► Native AmericansNative Americans Men hunted buffalo, Men hunted buffalo,

women skinned and women skinned and prepared hides, cooked prepared hides, cooked food, cared for childrenfood, cared for children

Groups were led by Groups were led by counselscounsels

► ExodustersExodusters African Americans who African Americans who

left the South following left the South following the Civil War (1865) to the Civil War (1865) to come to the West for a come to the West for a better lifebetter life

Native Americans and the Frontier Video

Family life on PlainsFamily life on Plains

► White/Black Settlers White/Black Settlers from Eastern USfrom Eastern US First brought west First brought west

after discovery of after discovery of gold and silvergold and silver

Mining camps and Mining camps and frontier towns frontier towns sprang upsprang up

Land was available, Land was available, claimed Indians had claimed Indians had not “improved” it.not “improved” it.

View Gold Rush Video

Boomtowns

Family Life on the PlainsFamily Life on the Plains

► Homestead Act 1862Homestead Act 1862 160 acres of land. Free if 160 acres of land. Free if

they could cultivate it they could cultivate it and make improvements and make improvements after 5 yearsafter 5 years

Over 600,000 families Over 600,000 families took land from 1862 to took land from 1862 to 19001900

Peaked in Oklahoma Peaked in Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889 Land Rush of 1889 (Sooners/Boomers)(Sooners/Boomers)

Many settlers built Many settlers built homes out of sod homes out of sod “soddies”-lack of wood“soddies”-lack of wood

Women worked as hard Women worked as hard as men on Frontier and as men on Frontier and life was extremely hardlife was extremely hard

View Homestead Act video

View Land as Opportunity video

Family Life on the PlainsFamily Life on the Plains

► InventionsInventions that that improved life on plainsimproved life on plains Barbed wireBarbed wire -prevented -prevented

animals from wandering animals from wandering offoff

ReaperReaper -sped up -sped up harvestingharvesting

Steel plowSteel plow -made -made planting more efficientplanting more efficient

Steel windmillSteel windmill -brought -brought up underground water up underground water for irrigationfor irrigation

View Agriculture advancements on Plains video

John Deere

American Cowboy and Cattle American Cowboy and Cattle BoomBoom

► American Cowboys American Cowboys borrowed many customs borrowed many customs from Mexican vaquerofrom Mexican vaquero (Chaps, spurs, hat, etc)(Chaps, spurs, hat, etc)

► Long DriveLong Drive -moving cattle -moving cattle from distant ranges to from distant ranges to busy railroad centers that busy railroad centers that shipped the cattle to shipped the cattle to marketmarket

► Cattle industry helped Cattle industry helped encourage settlement out encourage settlement out west. Cattle boom ended west. Cattle boom ended because of barbed wire and because of barbed wire and eventually the railroadseventually the railroads

View Cattleman video

Cattle Stockyards in Chicago 1876

Bonanza FarmsBonanza Farms

► Bonanza FarmsBonanza Farms -large -large farms in the West farms in the West and Midwest that and Midwest that were controlled by were controlled by large businesses and large businesses and run by hundreds of run by hundreds of workers. Specialized workers. Specialized in 1 or 2 crops. in 1 or 2 crops. Drought of 1890’s Drought of 1890’s had devastating had devastating impactimpact

Railroad’s Impact on the Railroad’s Impact on the WestWest

► Government provided free land Government provided free land and gave money to encourage and gave money to encourage Railroads (RR) to expand WestRailroads (RR) to expand West

► Transcontinental RRTranscontinental RR was built was built by Union Pacific and Central by Union Pacific and Central Pacific RRs, from Nebraska to Pacific RRs, from Nebraska to California. Met at Promontory California. Met at Promontory Point, Utah in 1869.Point, Utah in 1869.

► Impact of RR on WestImpact of RR on West Settled westSettled west Caused cities to growCaused cities to grow Economy grewEconomy grew Encouraged the Encouraged the

development of new development of new inventions/methods inventions/methods (refrigerated RR cars, mail (refrigerated RR cars, mail order catalogs, RR delivered order catalogs, RR delivered mail)mail)

View RR video

Conflicts between Native Conflicts between Native Americans and SettlersAmericans and Settlers

► AssimilationAssimilation-a plan in which -a plan in which Native Americans would give Native Americans would give up their beliefs and way of life up their beliefs and way of life to become a part of the white to become a part of the white or American cultureor American culture Assimilation LawsAssimilation Laws

► Cut hair, speak English, stop Cut hair, speak English, stop practicing their own religion, practicing their own religion, etc. etc.

► Dawes ActDawes Act -1887-gave Indian -1887-gave Indian families 160 acres of land, families 160 acres of land, encouraged them to become encouraged them to become farmers and “Americanize”farmers and “Americanize” Broke up large reservationsBroke up large reservations Created more land for whitesCreated more land for whites

Boarding house to assimilate Native American girls

View Native American video

Conflicts between Native Conflicts between Native Americans and SettlersAmericans and Settlers

► After Civil War, US After Civil War, US government fought war government fought war with Indians over with Indians over Western LandsWestern Lands

► Buffalo Soldier-aBuffalo Soldier-a black black soldier in U.S. Army in soldier in U.S. Army in the Westthe West

► Destruction of buffalo Destruction of buffalo

was major blow to was major blow to

Plains IndiansPlains Indians

way of lifeway of life

View Buffalo Soldier video

View Destruction of Buffalo video

Conflicts between Native Conflicts between Native Americans and SettlersAmericans and Settlers

► Battle of Little Battle of Little Bighorn 1876Bighorn 1876 Large numbers of Large numbers of

Plains Indians were Plains Indians were off reservationsoff reservations

General Custer and General Custer and 77thth Cavalry Cavalry

Last major victory for Last major victory for Plains Indians Plains Indians against U.S. Armyagainst U.S. Army

Caused outrage in Caused outrage in AmericaAmerica

Custer

Sitting Bull

Crazy Horse*

Battle of Little Bighorn

Effects of Battle of Little Bighorn

Conflicts between Native Conflicts between Native Americans and SettlersAmericans and Settlers

► Battle or Massacre at Battle or Massacre at Wounded KneeWounded Knee Ghost DanceGhost Dance Dec. 28, 1890 the 7Dec. 28, 1890 the 7thth

Cavalry rounded up 350 Cavalry rounded up 350 starving and freezing Sioux starving and freezing Sioux & took them to Wounded & took them to Wounded Knee Creek in South DakotaKnee Creek in South Dakota

A shot was fired and U.S. A shot was fired and U.S. army unloaded on mostly army unloaded on mostly women and childrenwomen and children

Killed 300 SiouxKilled 300 Sioux Left bodies to freeze on Left bodies to freeze on

groundground Brought an end to Indian Brought an end to Indian

Wars and to an eraWars and to an era*Quote on page 208*Quote on page 208

View Massacre at Wounded Knee Video

Closing of the WestClosing of the West

► Frederick Jackson Frederick Jackson Turner wrote Turner wrote Frontier Frontier ThesisThesis in 1893-all the in 1893-all the land out west had been land out west had been settled, no more settled, no more unknown land to unknown land to explore. explore. (Is credited with (Is credited with increasing Imperialism increasing Imperialism amongst some in the U.S.-TR)amongst some in the U.S.-TR)

► Helen H. Jackson wrote Helen H. Jackson wrote Century of Dishonor-Century of Dishonor- 1881, about broken 1881, about broken promises/treaties by promises/treaties by American government American government to Indiansto Indians

View life at the end of 1800’s.