Chapter 17: The West Flashcards
Mormons
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints; they were a group of Christians who migrated west to found and practice their religion. They believed Americans were special in the eyes of God and were the new chosen people.
Homestead Act
Passed in 1862; allowed male citizens or those declared to become citizens, to claim lands in the west. They were allowed 160 acres, and if they lived there for 5 years and improved the land, they got to keep it.
Sand Creek Massacre
A massacre of the Cheynne tribe on Sand Creek. 200 men, women, and children were killed by US troops.
Little Big Horn
A hill where the Sioux tribe and their allies, led by Crazy Horse, killed Lt. Col. Custer’s 7th Cavalry after Custer invaded the Black Hills
The ‘Long Walk’
US troops rounded up all Navajo they could find and forced them to walk to the reservation at Bosque Redondo. Provisions were horrible and thousands died on the way.
“I will fight no more forever”
Said by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce. It was a call for Nez Perce and their allies to calm down and lay down their weapons. Chief Joseph used his remaining power and celebrity status to negotiate his people’s relocation onto a reservation.
The “first modern corporation”
Said by Alfred Chandler about the railroad companies in the United States. They were very powerful and owned millions of acres of land across the U.S. They controlled the life lines for much of the country and held the economy in their hands.
‘White City’
Referring to the World’s Fair that was set up in Chicago in 1893. Chicago served as the western gateway and the World Fair was used to show off all the advancements made in the Americas since Columbus 400 years prior.
Vaqueros
The original Mexican cowboy. Cowboys were not as they are seen in movies, they were mostly Black, Mexican, Asian, and some White men. They herded cattle across the west from the ranches in Texas to the factories and railroads in the North.
Dawes General Allotment Act
Passed in 1887, it split up Native American reservations into individual homesteads and split up the tribes. Instead of the tribes owning land individual people did. However, because these were no longer considered reservations, they were now under US law. This lead to the tribes not being able to hold on to sovereignty.
Wovoka
Native American prophet from Northern Paiute in Nevada. Began moving around saying the natives should not hurt anyone or do anyone harm. Instead, they should do the Ghost Dance.
Ghost Dance
This would cause their ancestors to rise from the dead. The ancestors would fix the droughts, send the whites back east, and bring back the buffalo. The whites did not like this and forced the natives to stop the dance. They would use military force and arrested many leaders.
Wounded Knee
A creek where 150 to 300 Lakota men, women, and children were killed by US soldiers who tried to disarm them. The Lakota were being lead by Chief Spotted Elk or “Bigfoot”. The massacre of Wounded Knee broke organized resistance on the Plains.
Dime Novels
Short novels that embellished the lives of people living in America. They helped propagate the idea of the “American West” with cowboys, Indians, and heroes. Much of our popular idea of the west comes from these dime novels which later inspired the spaghetti western.
Buffalo Bill
Born William Frederick Cody, Buffalo Bill was his stage name. He launched and stared in a touring show that brought to life dime novels. He hired real cowboys and Native Americans. But his shows were fake and not a real enactment of the west.
