American West Flashcards
What were some of the barriers to crossing the continent of North America?
Size, mountains, rivers, forests and deserts
Where were most of the white settlers from at the beginning of the 19th century?
Europe
Most of the white settlers settled on the Eastern coast of America, who inhabited the rest?
Indigenous tribes
What were indigenous tribes divided into?
Bands (brotherhoods)
Define nomadic.
Moving around from place to place, not staying in one place for long.
Which two animals did they rely on?
Buffalo and horse
What does Manifest Destiny mean?
The belief that God had given the white Americans this land and he wanted them to take control of continental America.
What was the initial government belief about settlers and indigenous tribes living together?
They believed they could not live together until the indigenous tribes learned to be more ‘civilized’.
What did the 1830 Indian Removal Act do?
It pushed 46,000 indigenous people west of the Mississippi River onto land known as Indian Territory.
What promise was made to indigenous people regarding Indian Territory?
They were promised they would be safe there and that this land would be theirs.
What caused the US government policy to shift regarding indigenous tribes?
Pressure grew from settlers wanting to move west.
What did the 1834 Indian Trade and Intercourse Act establish?
It set up a Permanent Indian Frontier manned by US Army forts.
What did the 1834 Indian Trade and Intercourse Act ban?
It banned the sale of certain goods to tribes on the Plains.
What territories did the US gain in 1848 after the victory over Mexico?
Texas, California, and Oregon.
What was the implication of the US gaining new land in 1848 for Indian Territory?
Indian Territory was now surrounded by US owned land.
What did the 1851 Indian Appropriations Act provide?
It provided the money needed for the later Fort Laramie Treaty.
What was the purpose of the Fort Laramie Treaty?
It was essential in putting Indigenous People onto reservations and reducing their hunting land.
What are Push Factors?
Manifest destiny, economic crisis in the East, persecution in the East
Push factors are conditions that drive people to leave their current location.
What are Pull Factors?
Better more fertile farmland, greater opportunities, less persecution, discovery of gold
Pull factors are conditions that attract people to a new location.
Fill in the blank: One of the Push Factors is _______.
persecution in the East
True or False: Discovery of gold is a Push Factor.
False
Discovery of gold is considered a Pull Factor.
Fill in the blank: Economic crisis in the East is a _______ Factor.
Push
List three Pull Factors.
- Better more fertile farmland
- Greater opportunities
- Discovery of gold
What was the primary mode of transportation before the Oregon Trail was established?
Ship
It was expensive and time-consuming.
In what year was the Oregon Trail first used?
1836
How many people crossed the Plains by 1843?
A thousand people
What was the impact of the Oregon Trail on migration from the East?
Led to a mass migration
What did the US government create to encourage migration along the Oregon Trail?
Guidebooks
How many people had migrated along the Oregon Trail by 1846?
More than 5000 people
What were some challenges faced during the journey on the Oregon Trail?
Difficult journey, risk of buffalo stampedes, extreme weather, crossing rivers and mountains
Fill in the blank: The Oregon Trail was first used in _______.
[1836]
True or False: The Oregon Trail was established to make westward migration easier.
True
What was a significant risk of traveling on the Oregon Trail?
Buffalo stampedes
What geographical features did travelers on the Oregon Trail have to cross?
Rivers and mountains
