Development of the plains c.1862 - c.1876 Flashcards
What was the Homestead Act? When was it created?
1862 - encouraged settlement of the West by providing 160 acres land as incentive
What was the Timber Culture Act 1873?
gave hmstdrs further 160 acres of land, if 40 acres planted with trees
Who was allowed to claim land from the Homestead & Timber Culture Act?
Unionists - on winning side of ACW
What percentage of people who tried homesteading went back home?
60%
Name one impact of the Homestead Act 1862.
migrants faced extreme weather conditions eg. droughts & prairie fires
What was the transcontinental railroad?
railway line crossing entirety of NA from Atlanic to Pacific Ocean
How was the transcontinental railroad built?
through Pacific Railroad Act 1862
What was the Pacific Railroad Act 1862?
incentivised private companies to build trnscntnntl railroad
Name 3 reasons why Lincoln want to build a trnscntnntal railroad?
promote settlement of West - fufill Manifest Destiny
enforce law & order
trade with Asia & Far East
What impact did the railroad have on settlers & farming?
positive - intergrated western territories into the USA, achieving MD
What impact did the railroad have on Plains Indians?
negative - decline in no. of buffalo, limiting ability having nomadic lifestyle & PI attacked railroad surveyors = conflict with US army
What impact did the railroad have nationally?
mostly positive - connected the east & west of US, also allowed USA trade with Asia
What impact did the railroad have on the cattle industry?
positive - Texas cattlemen could easily transport & sell cattle @ high prices in cities
When were ‘self governing’ windmills invented?
1854
When were steel blades invented?
1870
What was the purpose of ‘self governing’ windmills and steel blades?
pump H2O out of ground -> help farmers irrigate land
What was problem that was overcome by ‘self governing’ windmills and steel blades?
shortage of H2O
What was the advantage of ‘self governing’ windmills and steel blades?
pump H2O out of 30ft deep wells
What was the disadvantage of ‘self governing’ windmills and steel blades?
not pwrfl enough -> pump H2O
Who discovered Turkey Red? Where did it grow well?
Mennonites - Kansas farms
What was the advantage of new crops eg. Turkey Red?
farmers = able to export grain & boost settlement on Plains
What was the problem overcome by growing new crops?
not knowing suitable -> grow on arid envrnmnt
Why was it important for homesteaders to plant trees as part of the Timber Culture Act?
- Trees shelter crops from damage
- provide settlers w resources
How many acres were claimed under the Timber Culture Act, by 1878?
16 million acres
What was a disadvantage of the Timber Culture Act?
Most trees died due to lack of H2O
When was barbed wire invented? By who?
1874 - Joseph Glidden
What was the purpose of barbed wire?
effctlvly prevents crops from animals
What was an advantage of barbed wire?
cheaper than timber
What was disadvantage of barbed wire?
early types broke & costly
When was the Sulky plow invented?
1875
What problem did the sulky plow overcome?
hrsh lnds of tough weeds & prairie grasses
What did John Deere invent? When? What did their purpose?
1837 - sod buster - dealt with tough grass roots
How many sod buster were sold in the first 6 years of their existence?
50,000
What was a disadvantage of sod busters?
walking plough = cheaper & easier -> understand
When was dry farming invented? What was it?
1879 - technique aimed -> conserves H2O in soil by trapping rainH2O under surface
What was an advantage of dry farming?
worked well w wheat
What was a disadvantage of dry farming?
severe droughts in 1890s = stopped bcmng widespread
What problem did dry farming mostly overcome?
lack of rain
When were all metal wind pumps invented?
1880’s
What was the purpose of all metal wind pumps?
-> pump H2O from deep underground
What was an advantage of all metal wind pumps?
larger blades meant that maximum enrgy = convrtd -> pump H2O
What problem did all metal windpumps overcome?
lack of H2O collected from underground
When were improvements made to barbed wire? What were they?
1880s - no longer rusted quickly bc of coating
& new production methods
What were the advantages of the improvements made to barbed wire?
cheap & effective -> protects crops from livestock
Why was claim jumping still a problem?
law & order = often far from mines
Why were racial attacks still a problem?
thousands of Chinese ppl emigrated -> America
black, indian & mexican ppl fcd abuse
Why were shootings still a problem?
some gun fighters bcme v famous & myths srrndg them bcme widespread
Why was cattle rustling still a problem?
young cattle = easy -> steal from open range before being branded
Why were train robberies still a problem?
gangs regularly held up express cars on trains
Why were robberies still a problem?
stage coaches & travellers could be held up in isolated ares
