settling the west 1865 - 1900. westward expansion manifest destiny us should expand from atlantic to...
TRANSCRIPT
Westward Expansion
Manifest Destiny US should expand from Atlantic
to Pacific First to go were miners,
ranchers, and farmers At the expense of Native
Americans
Expansion (cont) Alaska
Purchased from Russia for $7.2 million or 2.5 cents per acre
Became known as “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox”
Gold discovered in 1890s
Railroads Pacific Railway Act (1862) – construction of
transcontinental railroad Union Pacific
10,000 workers – Civil War vets, Irish Immigrants, farmers, miners, ex-cons
Central Pacific 10,000 Chinese
workers Met at Promontory, Utah
Native Americans
Pushed off their lands in east to reservations on the Great Plains Grassland extending through the west-
central portion of U.S.
Native Americans (cont)
As Natives are pushed further, leads to fighting Sand Creek Massacre, Fetterman’s
Massacre, Little Big Horn (aka Custer’s Last Stand)
Native Americans (cont) Battle of Wounded Knee
After the death of Sitting Bull, army feared an uprising
Troops started rounding up and disarming Sioux Over 300 unarmed Native Americans killed
Marked the end of the Indian Wars
Opening the West
Dawes Act of 1877 Natives assimilated – absorbed into
society as landowners and citizens Reservations broken into allotments or
small plots
Cattle Ranchers
Open Range – a vast area found in the Great Plains that was open to cattle grazing Was perfect for the Texas Longhorn
A hardy descendent from Spanish cattle brought to Mexico
Ranchers (cont)
To meet the demand for beef, cowboys began taking cattle on long drives Cattle trails, such as the
Chisholm Trail, opened up Lasted about 3 months 1 cowboy/250 head Earned about $25/month
Ranchers (cont)
Long Drives ended because of: Barbed wire Ranchers turned to high-grade cattle
Beginnings of Settlement
Homestead Act of 1862 Settler could file for a tract of
public land for $10
Settlement (cont)
Life on the plains was difficult Harsh environment
Summer over 100°F, little rain Winter brought blizzards and extreme cold Prairie fires and swarms of grasshoppers
Settlement (cont)
Farmers called sodbusters No trees, houses called
soddies Many lost homes due to
drought, wind erosion, overuse of the land