Westward Expansion

Westward Expansion

Spirit of the WestWhat is the West?

What is the Frontier?

An idea of manifest destiny. It was there to conquer.

Possibilities of a new beginning, fresh start

BarriersGreat American DesertGreat Plains

Rocky Mountains

Arid SouthwestUnder 10 inches of rainfall

AnimalsMillions of buffalo

American Indian Most successful Stages of DevelopmentFur Traders In advance of civilization Prepared way for others

MiningOften first on the scene

Boomtowns Henry Comstock staked claim near Virginia City. Could not find any gold and sold his claim, not realizing that the soil was almost pure silver.

Boomtowns quickly growing towns that arise nearly overnight.

Vigilance committees self appointed Vigilante justice

StatehoodMining led to statehood.

The development of California, Colorado, Arizona, the Dakotas, and Montana.

The rail roads helped bring people.

Types of Mining Placer mining: picks, shovels, and pans.

Sluices

Hydraulic mining Come in after placer miners left Professional

Ranching Long HornAdapted to Texas

Ranching begins Open range

Long Drive To MO, KS, NE, WYMost cattle ended up in Chicago

Cattle Kingdoms Land was FreeHomestead Act only applied to surveyed landHope for sudden wealth Cowboy traditions and rulesRound up, branding, line-riding Became big businessInvestors from overseas and eastern USProblems in Cattle CountryOverstocking By stock companies from East and OverseasBarbed WireClosed the trailsRange warsEnded open-range Bad years 85-87Dry summers and the worst blizzardsThousands of cattle died Settling the PlainsMajor Stephen LongExplored plains almost wholly unfit for cultivation.

Homestead Act $10 fee 160 acre plots (homestead)

With the assurance of land many will flock to the plains.

Farming the Plains Dry-Farming Plant deep Plows, sod drills

Sod BustersPlow, wind erosion, droughtLost homestead

Wheat BeltBig businessBonanza Farms 50,000 acres Biggest wheat exporter Farm hit hard timesDroughtMortgage landTenement farms

Closing the Frontier 1889 last territory for settlement

Frederick Jackson Turner Safety Valve a place for people to get a fresh start the social discontent. The Indian BarrierPlains IndiansNomadic people follow buffalo Physically finest in westSkilled Horsemen (20 arrows to one rifle shot)Fighting for way of life

Sioux Uprising 1862 Minnesota the Dakota Sioux agreed to live on reservations in exchange for annuities (annual payments from government)The payments rarely got to the SiouxPoverty and starvation was a real possibilityAfter the rebellion was suppressed 308 sentenced to deathReduced to 38 by Lincoln

Sand CreekCheyenne-Arapaho Led by Chief Black KettleRaided settlers

Told to Surrender at Ft. Lyon Black Kettle wanted to negotiate peace

Retreated to Sand CreekCol. Chivington attacked and killed the tribe Plan for PeaceIndian Peace CommissionCreate 2 Large Reservations Keep Indians separated from SettlersDoomed from the beginning faced poverty, starvation, and corruption on reservations Settlers and Indians both violated treaties Little Bighorn Black Hills opened for miningLast straw for Sioux

Chief Sitting Bull Amassed warriors at Little Bighorn River

Col. George Custer Attacked without orders 265 men stumbled into 3000 Sioux warriors

Custer was seen as a hero

Fight of Nez Perce Chief Joseph Refused to move to a smaller reservation

Led 700 people 1,600 miles100 warriors defeated 10 units4 months on the runCaught 40 miles from Canada Ordered to move to reservationWounded KneeGhost Dance A ritual to bring back buffalo and make whites disappear Was banned by Government for fear of violence

Federal Troops killed c.200 Lakota

Dawes Act160 acre plots Head of householdIn trust for 25 yearsBecome citizens in 25 yearsRest of reservation land to be sold to settlers and put in a trust for American IndiansGoal Assimilate Indian Schools to civilize Failure Did not change anythingMost did not have the Knowledge Many had no desire

in the end buffalo did more to change American Indians than policy.