American West Flashcards
What did the Red Clouds War lead to?
The 2nd Fort Laramie Treaty
What were the terms of the 2nd Fort Laramie Treaty?
Sioux would move to the Great Sioux Reservation which included the Black Hills
Government agreed to close the Bozeman Trail and army forts on Indian territory
What was the impact of the Indians on the 2nd FLT?
Allowed them to keep sacred land
The government had increased control over Indians
Why did the 2nd FLT lead to conflict?
Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse refused to agree with the treaty
Whites were angered that they couldn’t go onto Indian land
What was the role of cowboys originally?
Used to spend around half a year on the cattle trails, looking after the cattle and bringing them to the plains
What was the role of cowboys after ORR was developed?
Cowboys were now required to work all year but only had to fixed barbed wire, inspect the grass and brand cows
This led to less cowboys being needed so many lost jobs
How did cowboys’ leisure time change?
Things that they used to do (e.g. drink, gamble, use prostitutes) were banned
What was the journey of the Mormons?
Decided to go to their ‘promised land’ (Salt Lake Valley)
To avoid travelling in winter, Brigham Young built the Winter Quarters in Omaha
In spring 1847, Yound led a party of 150. Along the way they planted crops, built river crossings and signposted the trail to highlight water and resting places for other groups
When did the first group of Mormons arrive in SLV?
July 1847
How many people followed the Mormon trail between 1847 and 1869?
70000
Why did the US Government try to exterminate the buffalo?
To keep Native Americans under control as they now either had to learn to farm (and ‘civilise’) or rely on the government to give them money
How many buffalo were left by 1885?
25 million -> 200
How did the extermination of the buffalo impact Indian traditions?
Ended their nomadic lifestyle and culture
Used to use almost all parts of buffalo (e.g. hide for tipis or bones for weapons), now there were no buffalo
The spiritual ‘buffalo hunt’ couldn’t happen and warriors couldn’t go on the hunt to improve their skills and become men
When was the Exoduster Movement?
1879
What was the Exoduster Movement?
Westward migration of thousands of African American ex-slaves
Who was the Exoduster Movement led by?
Benjamin Singleton who claimed the was free lands for blacks in Kansas
What effect did the Exoduster Movement have?
Increase of black settlement
In 1879, 43000 ex-slaves headed to Kansas as part of the ‘Exodus’ - where God was leading them to Kansas to help
What were the challenges faced by the Exodusters?
Faced hostility in Kansas from the whites
Some whites opposed the migration
Land was tough and they could not afford equipment
By 1880, the Exoduster Movement was over and many African Americans moved to Nebraska or Oklahoma
When was the Dawes Act?
1887
What was the Dawes Act?
Split up Indian lands into 160 acres per Indian family
What was the impact of the Dawes Act on Indian Life?
Indians struggled to farm as they had no experience
Many began to starve
Since they were split up they could not rely on the tribe
By 1890, Indians had lost 50% of their lands, much tricked away by whites or sold
What was the impact of the Dawes Act on white settlement?
Oklahoma Land Rush in 1889
Eventually, 7 land rushes by 1895 (over 10 million acres of Cherokee and Cheyenne land settled on by whites)
When was the Oregon Trail discovered?
1836
Who discovered the Oregon Trail?
Jed Smith
How long did it take to go West using the Oregon Trail?
6-9 months
What were the ‘push’ factors for people going West?
1837 Economic depression caused:
- Unemployment
- Low wages
- Bankruptcy
Religious persecution
People wanting a new start
What were the ‘pull’ factors for people going West?
Gold rush in California
Good farming conditions in Oregon and California
Freedom from government/persecution
Cheap, available land
Who were the Mormons led by?
First Joseph Smith
Then Brigham Young
Why was there hostility against the Mormons?
Mormons supported polygamy
Mormons were anti-slavery
Blamed for economic depression
How many people were in the Donner Party and how many took the untested shortcut?
300
90
How many mormons arrived in Salt Lake Valley first?
1500
How did Young help the Mormons survive in Salt Lake Valley?
Built irrigation systems
Used missionaries to go East and convince more people to move West
Built new settlement in Las Vegas
When was the California Gold Rush?
1849
How many people went to California because of the gold rush?
100000
What was the population of California by 1855?
300000
When was the American Civil War?
1861-1865
Who was the Civil War between?
Northern (union) and Southern (confederate) states
How did the Civil War end?
North won
60000 died
Millions of ex soldiers who wanted to migrate West to start a new life after the war
Led to abolition of slavery
When was the Homestead Act?
1862
What was the Homestead Act?
Cheap land
For $10 people could claim 160 acres of land which then cost $30 after 5 years to own
When was the Timber Culture Act?
1873
What was the Timber Culture Act?
160 acres of land free if you planted trees on 1/4 of the land
When was the Desert Land Act?
1877
What was the Desert Land Act?
640 acres of land for $1 in desert lands
What were some of the problems of the Plains?
Lack of water
Extreme weather
Lack of trees
Locust swarms
Poor infertile soil
What did the first homesteaders do?
Built sod houses
Used buffalo dung for fuel
Hand built wells for water
When was the first railroad completed?
1869
How did the railroad affect settlement?
Cheap and quick travel that only took a week
Railroad companies offered settlement packages
How did the railroad affect homesteaders?
Could trade crops in East
Less isolated life
Could purchase machinery to help with farms
How did the railroad affect the cattle industry?
The first cow town, Abilene, set up on railroad to transfer beef quicker
How did the railroad affect law and order?
New crimes e.g. train robbery
Law officials could quickly travel and deal with crimes
When was Red Turkey Wheat introduced?
1874
What was Red Turkey Wheat?
Crop that Eastern Europeans brought
Thrived on Plains and could easily be grown and sold for profit
When was dry farming invented?
1879
What was dry farming?
Covering wet soil with dry soil to keep in moisture
When was machinery invented?
1880s
What are examples of invented machinery?
Seed drills to plant multiple seeds
Threshers to speed up harvests
Tractors to help ploughing
When was the exoduster movement?
1879
What was the exoduster movement?
Blacks face racism and poverty even after ending slavery
This leads to migration West which is “free land”
What were the consequences of the exoduster movemement?
By 1879, 43000 ex slaves migrated to Kansas
Many struggled to pay for land even with support from governor
Due to this, many African Americans moved onto Nebraska
When was the Dawes Act?
1887
What was the Dawes Act?
Split up Indian tribal lands into 160 acres per family, with any unclaimed land being sold to whites
Caused Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889
Many Indians cheated out of land by Whites
When was the Oklahoma Land Rush?
1889-1895
What was the Oklahoma Land Rush?
Government opened the border for white settlers to claim unclaimed Indian land. Led to development of Oklahoma (population of 60000 by 1895)
When was the Indian Removal Act and what was it?
1830
Forced 46000 Indians to move from East to Plains
When was the Indian Frontier set up and what was it?
1834
A border to seperate whites and Indians, whites could not settle in Plains
When was the Indian Appropriatians Act and what was it?
1851
First reservation created. Plans to move Indians to specific territory
When was the Fort Laramie Treaty and what was it?
1851
Indians agreed that each Indian tribe would live in a specific territory, they would not attack white settlers and would allow railroads and roads to be built through their lands
Whites agreed that they would give supplies and $50000 to Indians and would not break treaty
What were the consequences of the Fort Laramie Treaty?
Loss of Indian life and freedom
Increased white settlement on Plains by breaking treaty
How were buffalo affected by white settlement?
Cattle ate grass that was originally for buffalo
When was the Pacific Railroad Act passed?
1862
What was the Pacific Railroad Act?
Allowed a railroad to be built that connected the East and West of the US
When was the Transcontinental Railroad finished?
1869
Why were horses important to the Indians?
Helped them to move around easier while carrying their resources and hunting buffalo
Horsemanship was a sign of bravery and were used to charge into battle
Measured wealth in horses and were important for status
When was the Goodnight Loving trail discovered?
1866
What was the Goodnight Loving trail?
A trail that could be used to take cattle from Texas to the Plains as cattle sold for more profit on Plains
When was the Abilene (the 1st cow town) built and by who?
1867 by Joseph McCoy
Who was John Illif?
The first cattle baron
What were the developments in farming?
Windpump - 1854
Barbed wire - 1874
Plough - 1875
What was the importance of windpumps in farming?
Farmers could now irrigate their land, making it more fertile. Solved the biggest problem in the West which was getting water
What was the importance of barbed wire in farming?
Cheap and easy way to fence off animals/crops
Led to conflict with open range ranchers, causing the Range Wars
What was the importance of ploughs in farming?
Farmers could pull out the tough weeds on the Plains, allowing them to increase the size of their fields by cultivating the soil
When was the Battle of Little Big Horn?
1876
What was the importance of the Battle of Little Big Horn?
Increased white control over Indians - all old treaties ended, Sioux forced onto reservations
Ended Nomadic lifestyle
Made Indians more dependent on the US Government
What did John Illif do to become a cattle baron?
Claimed land in Denver using the Homestead Act to get 16000 acres of land
Sold beef to railroaders and even got into a contract with the US Government
When was Little Crows War?
1862
What happened during Little Crows War?
Tribe unhappy at reservation and attack white settlers, killing 600
Little Crow executed, Sioux moved reservations
When was Black Kettles War?
1864
What happened during Black Kettles War?
Black Kettle agrees to move to reservations but dog soldiers refuse and go to war
Black Kettle mistakenly attacked at Sandcreek and 130 died
What happened during Red Clouds War?
Red Cloud goes to war cause he’s angry at miners crossing into Indian land
Wipe out 150 white soldiers and close trail, winning
When was Grant’s Peace Policy?
1868
What was Grant’s Peace Policy?
President agrees to spend $2 million on imrpoving reservations
Indians who refuse to go to reservations will be killed
When was the Second Indian Appropriations Act?
1870
What was the Second Indian Appropriations Act?
Indians were no longer independent people and whites should make all decisions for them
What were the causes of the Battle of Little Big Horn?
Gold found in black hills and Sioux refuse to sell for $6 million and start to attack miners
Sioux leave reservation in protest after army is sent in and Custer goes after them
What happened during the Battle of Little Big Horn?
Custer splits army into 3 (200 each) and everyone is massacred, Sioux win
When was the Wounded Knee Massacre?
1890
What happened during the Wounded Knee Massacre?
Ghost dance movement spreads as Indians believe it will take away whites and bring back buffalos and dead Indians
Whites see it as a rebellion so kill Sitting Bull
At Wounded Knee, Indians begin ghost dance and the army attacks them, killing 250 people
What were the consequences of the Wounded Knee Massacre?
Was the end of Indian resistance
When was the beef bonanza?
1870s
What happened during the beef bonanza?
Demand for beef grew and prices rose
How did overstocking lead to the downfall of the beef bonanza?
A lot of cows so value of beef dropped
Too much cattle damaged grasslands so cows were skinnier
When was the drought?
1883
When was the Great Die Up?
1986 - 1987
What was the Great Die Up?
Temperatures of -50c in the winter kill 15% of cattle
Surviving cattle is too thin to be sold so many ranchers go bankrupt
What are some examples of early lawlessness in the West?
Racism towards Chinese people
Stealing
Gangs
Gambling/drinking
Why were sherrifs kinda useless?
There wasn’t enough of them - only one marshall per state
Many were corrupt and took bribes
The West was too big to police
What are exmples of ways people tried to take law into their own hands?
Vigilante groups who hunted down criminals
Miners courts set up by miners
Who was Billy the Kid?
Famous gunslinger involved in the Range Wars
Killed 9 people by the age of 17
Killed in 1881
Who was Wyatt Earp?
Hired as a sheriff in Tombstone
How did Wyatt Earp make things worse?
Was himself a criminal
Killed ranchers and lost support, forcing him to leave
What were the Range Wars?
Conflict between ranchers and homesteaders over land and resources
When was the Johnson County War?
1892
What caused the Johnson County War?
Murder of homesteaders Watson and Averill who were accused of cattle rustling
What happened during the Johnson County War?
Cattle barons sent 22 gunmen to kill the small ranchers
Failed but were let off
