Americans Move West

Why Americans Move West

Why Americans Move West

• Economic• Land• Railroads/Employment• Cattle

Economic

Economic

• Gold Rush: Settlers find gold in California.– Prospectors

• Comstock Lode: 1859. Nevada– Henry Comstock: Found largest silver mine in

North America.

• Locations: Montana, Idaho, Colorado, South Dakota [Black Hills Mountains]

Economic

Economic

• Boom Towns: New towns created because of Gold & Silver mines– Miners + Merchants + Permanent Structures=

Boom Town!

Boom Town

• Settlers Find GOLD or SILVER• Miners move in and set up camps• Merchants move in and build buildings• BOOM TOWN• Gold & Silver runs out• Miners move to next spot• Merchants move with miners• GHOST TOWN

Economic

Economic

• Problems with Boom Towns:– Pollution– Destruction of Forests & Land– Conflict with Native-Americans [land]– Discrimination [Immigrants]– Lawless Towns: NO real law enforcement• Vigilantes: Self-appointed law enforcement officials

Land

Land

• Indian Land: Most of the land the new settlers were moving onto, was occupied by Native-Americans.

• Oklahoma: “Sooners” won land races for pieces of Indian Territory in West.

• Kansas: African-American farmers [Exodusters] moved to land in the West offered to them by the government.

Employment

• Railroads: Used Immigrant labor to build railroads– Chinese– Irish– African-Americans– Mexican-Americans

Railroads

• Transcontinental Railroad: 1863. Stretched across the United States– Union Pacific: Started in Omaha, Nebraska

heading West– Central Pacific: Started in Sacramento, California

heading East– Subsidy: Government money

Railroads

• Transcontinental Railroad: 1863. Stretched across the United States– Union Pacific: Started in Omaha, Nebraska

heading West– Central Pacific: Started in Sacramento, California

heading East– Subsidy: Government money

Railroads

Railroads

• Promontory Point: 1869. Utah where the two railroads meet.– Leland Stanford: President of Central Pacific

hammered the “Golden Spike” to connect the two railroads.

Railroads

• Boom Towns: Also appeared with Railroads. – Train Stations + Merchants + Settlers = Boom

Towns [Rail Towns]

Cattle

• Cattle Kingdom: Longhorn Cattle grazed across land in the South & Midwest

• Cattle Drives: Cow Hands would “drive” the cattle North to Kansas/Missouri– Drives could be dangerous– Chisholm Trail: Jesse Chisholm [Cherokee

Indian]

Cattle

• Cattle Kingdom: Longhorn Cattle grazed across land in the South & Midwest

• Cattle Drives: Cow Hands would “drive” the cattle North to Kansas/Missouri– Drives could be dangerous– Chisholm Trail: Jesse Chisholm [Cherokee

Indian]

Cattle

• Cow Towns: Towns created around cows, like Boom Towns.– Abilene, Kansas

Cattle

• Cowboys: Paid a $1 a day– Vaqueros [Spanish cowboys]– Lariat [rope]– Sombrero [hat]– Chaparrerras [Chaps]

Farmers

• Sodbusters: New farmers– Sod Houses: Homes built out of grass [sod]

• Great Plains Climate: Very Dry. Little Rainfall. Would cause firestorms– Insects: Grasshoppers– Weather: Harsh winters, snow blizzards

Farmers

• Sodbusters: New farmers– Sod Houses: Homes built out of grass [sod]

• Great Plains Climate: Very Dry. Little Rainfall. Would cause firestorms– Insects: Grasshoppers– Weather: Harsh winters, snow blizzards

Farmers

• Supply & Demand• Some farmers struggled to sell crops and

make money.– Default on their loans– Foreclosure on farms

Farmers

• Help for Farmers:• National Grange: 1867. Farmers created a

Cooperative. Farmers “Pool” they money together to buy things wholesale.– Farmers Alliance: 1870s. Black and White

Cooperatives

Farmers

• Populist Party: 1891. Formed by farmers and labor unions. – Change: Income Tax Laws, 8-hr work day, limit

immigration. Use silver to make coin money. –William Jennings Bryan: Populist Party

candidate for President many times.

Farmers

• New Technology: – Steel Plows– Windmills– Reapers– Threshers– Binders

• Comstock Lode Leland Stanford• Gold Rush Cattle Kingdom• Vigilantes Jesse Chisholm• Exodusters Vaqueros• Oklahoma Land Race Sodbusters• Railroad Labor National

Grange• Promontory Point Cooperative• Subsidy William

Jennings Bryan• Farmers Alliance

PLAINS INDIANS

Plains Indians

• Location: Great Plains Region– Well-organized religion– Language– Arts & Crafts– Poetry

• Farmers & Hunters– Tamed horses

Plains Indians

Plains Indians

• Buffalo: Tribes migrated with Buffalo• “Galloping Department Store”: Buffalo

gave tribes everything they needed– Food, Clothing & Shelter [Tepees]– Toys & Sleds [travois]– Tools, Thread & Bowstrings

Plains Indians

• Tribal Responsibilities:• Women: – Build and care for Home– Cook meals– Teach Children– Small roles in government

Plains Indians

• Men – Hunt & Trade– Teach hunting skills– Military leaders– Spiritual leaders– Medicine Men

Plains Indians

• Traditions– Sun Dance– Great Spirit

Plains Indians

• Traditions– Sun Dance– Great Spirit

Government Policy

Government Policy

• Reservations: Small pieces of land given to Indians by the U.S. government

• Indian Removal Act: “Trail of Tears,” forced Indians to move further West from Mississippi River

• Homestead Act: U.S. government promised land to new settlers who would stay for 5 years

Government Policy

• Dawes Act: Tried to Americanize the Indians. Force them to become farmers.– Threatened tribal ways– Land was infertile– Hunters, NOT farmers– Reservation Life was terrible

Reservations

• Fort Laramie Treaty: 1851– Wyoming– Receive: Land, money, domestic animals, tools,

etc…

CONFLICT

• Chivington Massacre: 1864– Col. John Chivington attacked local Indian tribe.– After Indians surrendered, Chivington killed over

100 men, women and children.

CONFLICT

• Chivington Massacre: 1864– Col. John Chivington attacked local Indian tribe.– After Indians surrendered, Chivington killed over

100 men, women and children.

CONFLICT

• Red Cloud’s War: 1865– Federal government builds a road through the

Sioux territory– Chief Red Cloud leads Indians to war

CONFLICT

• Red Cloud’s War: 1865– Federal government builds a road through the

Sioux territory– Chief Red Cloud leads Indians to war

CONFLICT

• Sioux War: 1876. Lakota Indians were led by Sitting Bull & Crazy Horse

CONFLICT

• Sioux War: 1876. Lakota Indians were led by Sitting Bull & Crazy Horse

CONFLICT

• Battle of Little Big Horn: 1876– Col. George Custer and all of his soldiers are killed

in an ambush.– Worst defeat for the Americans

CONFLICT

• Battle of Little Big Horn: 1876– Col. George Custer and all of his soldiers are killed

in an ambush.– Worst defeat for the Americans

CONFLICT

• Battle of Wounded Knee: 1890– Chief Big Foot led Sioux in return of Ghost

Dance/Great Spirit– American soldiers killed over 200 Sioux Indians

CONFLICT

• Battle of Wounded Knee: 1890– Chief Big Foot led Sioux in return of Ghost

Dance/Great Spirit– American soldiers killed over 200 Sioux Indians

PEOPLE

PEOPLE

• Geronimo: Famous Indian warrior• Chief Joseph: Leader of the Nez Perces• Wovoka: A prophet. Preached for the return

of the Ghost Dance• Susette La Flesche: Indian reformer• Helen Hunt Jackson: Writer/reformer. Wrote

Century of Dishonor

Manifest Destiny