Westward Expansion

Lecture Notes

“Manifest Destiny”

• The growing belief held by Americans during the 1840’s that it was their “God given right” to expand into the West. – Expand through Mexican and Native American territory – Obvious and inevitable

• Mexican-American War: 1845 – Texas annexation. Mexico ceded the New Mexico and California

territories to the United States – Made westward expansion easier

• “Go west, young man!” – California gold rush

Settlers Push Westward

• Diverse group of migrants– “Exodusters” moved from the South to Kansas– German, Irish, Dutch, Scandinavian, Russian– Many took land from Hispanic farmers

• Congress passed the Homestead Act in 1862

– Promoted by newspapers • Pacific Railway Act (1862)

Manifest Destiny essential questions:

• What is the relationship between Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion?

• Why did people support Manifest Destiny? How did it lead to the growth of the West?

• What were some political, economic and social reasons for Manifest Destiny?

• How did Manifest Destiny affect different groups of people?

Cultural Clashes pgs. 380-387

On a separate sheet of paper, answer and be prepared to discuss the following questions:1. What were the characteristics of the Plains Indians

culture?2. How did the culture of white settlers differ from

that of the Plains Indians? Why do these differences matter?

3. Why did settlers continue to push west? 4. Was assimilation beneficial or harmful to Native

Americans? Justify your answer.

Clashing ValuesWhites• Individual interest• Economy based on

profit• Nature should be

conquered

Native Americans• Community welfare• Economy based on

subsistence• Live in harmony with

nature

Federal Indian Policy

• White migration devastated the Native American population– relocation from settlement, railroads– disease (smallpox, cholera, measles)

• Federal government set aside land for reservations– treaties were altered, not honored

Warfare and Dispossession

• Smaller tribes accepted terms of treaties, larger ones resisted– warfare engulfed the plains from 1850s to 1880s

• Second Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)– led to temporary peace– railroads continued to be built on “Indian lands”– white hunters killed 4 million buffalo from 1872-74

Assimilation

• Government sought to change Native Americans’ way of life– forced to accept government orders, “or

starve”

• White activists sought to destroy Indian culture–missionaries attempted to convert to

Christianity– boarding schools were established to

discourage traditional ways of life

The Dawes Act (1887)

1. What did the Dawes Act do to tribal land? How does this conflict with many Native American cultures?

2. How did the Dawes Act try to abolish tribal governments?

3. What problems did Native Americans face once granted their allotted land?

Wounded Knee Massacre (1890)

• Sioux faced continuing hardships• starvation, disease, restrictions on

movement

• Ghost Dance movement spread, caused concern among American military leaders• Sitting Bull was killed during a raid

in December 1890

– Army killed over 300 Sioux at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota on December 29

The Sioux

• White miners began settling in the Black Hills in 1874 when gold was discovered– the Sioux, under Sitting Bull,

refused to leave

• Battle of Little Bighorn (1876)– Sioux defeated Gen. George

Armstrong Custer• U.S. Army pursued the Sioux,

defeated them in 1877

The West of Life and Legend

• The “Wild West” was romanticized in literature – Kit Carson, Mark

Twain, “Buffalo Bill”• In reality, the West was

dominated by corporations, not “rugged individuals”– Cowboys worked long

hours, performed difficult work

Cowboys and the Cattle Frontier

• Demand for cattle increased– Abilene, KS became a

“cattle center”– Other “cow towns”

developed, many became large cities

• Ranches emerged across the West, cattle industry became corporate– Myth of the “cowboy”

Challenges of the Plains

• Life in the West was challenging– settlers lived in sod homes– women’s work was demanding– settlers were isolated– churches provided a sense of

community• Morrill Land Grant Acts (1862,

1890) financed agricultural colleges– small farmers had difficulty

competing with bonanza farms, fell into debt

New Farms, New Markets

• Farming for homesteaders was difficult– “dry farming” techniques (wheat)

• Technology changed farming– barbed wire protected livestock– grain elevators, plows, machinery– railroads provided transport for products

• Oklahoma Land Rush (1889)– “boomers” and “sooners” claimed 2 million acres

of land in “Indian Territory”

Farmers Unite

• Price of farm products plummeted– Overproduction, decline

in foreign demand– Farmers pushed for

increased money supply• Oliver Kelley formed the

Grange in 1867– worked to pass laws

fixing maximum freight rates

The Panic of 1893

• Depression began in 1893, following Grover Cleveland’s reelection

• Cleveland rejected government action to solve social or economic problems– high unemployment,

starvation, homelessness– the functions of the

government “do not include the support of the people”

The Populist Party

• Populists met in 1892 to organize national party

• Developed the Omaha Platform– govt. ownership of railroads, telegraph and

telephone systems– national currency issued by the government (not

banks)– bimetallism– graduated income tax– popular election of senators (17th amendment)

• James Weaver nominated for president, won over a million votes

Free Silver

• Depression continued, silver became the main issue in the country

• Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan in 1896– adopted many Populist

policies (bimetallism)– Populists reluctantly

supported Democratic ticket

1896: Republicans Triumphant

• Republicans nominate William McKinley– millions of dollars contributed

by business interests

• Bryan campaigned across the country, speaking to millions– “Cross of Gold” speech

• McKinley’s campaign successfully orchestrated by industrialist Mark Hanna– McKinley wins, running a “Front

Porch” campaign