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Into the WestInto the West
Moving WestMoving West• Lure
– Imagination, adventure
• Push-Pull factors
–Push• Civil War displaced people
• Land in East expensive
• Freedom
–Pull• Gov’t incentives, own property
• Pacific Railway Acts (1862, 1864)– Gov’t gives RR’s land, causes
movement
• Morrill Land-Grant Act (1862)– Gov’t gives land to states for colleges
• Homestead Act (1862)– Most effective, signed by Lincoln– Small fee buys 160 acres w/
requirements– Created more than 372,000 farms
A look at settlersA look at settlers• White at first• Europeans later
– Germans settle in Great Plains & Midwest
– Scandinavian Lutherans in Iowa, Minn & Dakotas
– Irish, Italians, European Jews & Chinese in west coast communities
– Mexicans in south and midwest– Indians…already there
The The ““Indian Problem….Indian Problem….””• Indians are seen as
a “problem” to settlers
• “in the way” of progress, farming and ranching
• Indians see Americans as invaders and enemies
Treaties with IndiansTreaties with Indians• Initially treaties were to restrict movement
• Gov’t destroys tribes
–Steals land and money
–Violently forces moves
• Trail of Tears
Life in the WestLife in the West
• Movement was very rapid and extreme
• “The time is coming, and fast too, when, in the sense it is now understood, THERE WILL BE NO WEST.” –RR worker
• By late 1800s this was true– No more Indians, unplowed prairie or buffalo
MiningMining• Gold found, Sutter’s Creek CA 1848
– Surge of settlers move west• Pikes Peak, CO• Nevada• Denver• Black Hills, Dakota
– Mining by panning, or placer mining
• By 1850s & 60s all surface gold and silver gone, the people are too!– Ghost towns
Moo…….Moo…….• Cattle ranching
becomes a big industry– Learned from
Mexicans, Americans take culture and dress
• Demand for COW, specifically Texas Longhorns
• Movement of cattle to East by train or cattle drives to “cow towns”
Cowboys….not the football teamCowboys….not the football team• Usually used Chilshom Trail
– Texas to cow town, Abilene KS
• Tough job– 18 hours in saddle– 4-5 hours of sleep– Rough terrain– Indian attacks– Stampedes– Disease– Lonely life…a little weird, but romanticized
heroes
Cowboys….not the football teamCowboys….not the football team
• Decent pay, more $$ North than south (cold)– Expensive uniform…
• Outfit- $77• Pony- $25• Leggings- $5• Saddle- $25• Revolver- $12• Status as unifying hero? PRICELESS
Farming Farming • Despite the romantic appearance in books
and movies- TOUGH!
• Hardships– Building homes- no trees!
• Soddies• Dugouts
– Natural diasters– Insects– money
Farm life…Farm life…• Family roles
– Men• Sodbusting, planting, hoeing, harvesting, threshing,
binding, dragging fields, worked off season
– Women• Raised and schooled kids, cooking, cleaning, made and
washed clothes, preserved food, made butter and soap, raised food crops, raised chickens, milked cows, spun wool to sell, managed money
– Kids• Colleted wood for fuel, helped with farming (boys),
housework (girls), went to work if needed
Frontier Myths & End of FrontierFrontier Myths & End of Frontier• Most are true- West was WILD
• Most towns quickly became tame, or disappeared altogether
• Gov’t preserves land– Yellowstone National Park
• Most of western figures, stories exaggerated
• 1890 US census declares the end of the frontier