History - American West - 1862 to 1876 Flashcards
when was the Homestead Act?
- in 1862
what were the aims of the Homestead Act?
- to encourage the settlement of the West by individual family farmers
what were the terms of the Homestead Act?
- the land was available very cheaply
- most citizens could file a claim for land
- homesteaders had to prove they had worked and lived on the land
- homesteaders weren’t allowed more than one claim
what were the consequences of the Homestead Act?
- over 6 million acres of federal land was homesteaded by 1876
- the promise of free land was an important pull factor for immigration to the USA
- encouraged white settlement in the Plains
what were the limitations of the Homestead Act?
- because of the farming difficulties, there was a high dropout in homesteading
- the government gave 300 million acres to railroad companies who sold it to settlers, which was more influential than the Act itself
- rich landowners found lots of ways to buy up land using the Homestead Act
when was the First Transcontinental Railroad built?
- in 1869
what was the importance of the railroads for the government?
- troops could be moved around to control the Indians
- Americans can keep in touch and create national unity
- helps fulfil the Manifest Destiny
- law officers can reach settlements having problems with law and order
- promotes the settlement of the West
- goods can easily be transported
what was the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862?
- it granted the enormous job of building the first transcontinental railroad to two companies: the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific
how did the government support the railroads?
- $61 million in loans
- 45 million acres of free land for the railroad companies to sell to settlers
- agreed to treaties with the Indians to move them to new reservations
how did railroads promote settlement?
- railroad companies sold plots of land and set up towns
- immigrants were persuaded to “come West” and buy their land
- railroad companies used effective marketing to sell the idea of settling in the West
what was the impact of the Civil War?
- young men resented the US government and its laws
- many young men were traumatised by war and found it hard to fit in
- the South’s economy was very bad so many were left without jobs
what was the impact of the railroads?
- the towns created by railroads grew quickly and there was no local law enforcement
- the “cow towns” had lots of restless cowboys
- trains became a target for train robbers
how was lawlessness tackled?
- cow towns passed laws banning firearms
- sheriffs and marshals enforced laws physically
- gangs of outlaws were hard to control and intimidated people
what was the first cow town?
- Abilene, made by Joseph McCoy
how was Abilene made successful?
- by building stockyards and hotels
- by building a new railroad spur for loading cattle
- by extending the Chisholm Trail up to Abilene, agreeing passage through Indian Territory
- by promoting the new route in Texas
what was the Goodnight-Loving Trail?
- Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving realised there was another market for Texan cattle
- the first trail in 1866, 800 cattle sold for $12,000
- in 1868, Goodnight’s trail extended to Colorado and Wyoming, to the Union Pacific Railroads
- this success meant other cattlemen drove cattle to Wyoming and the cattle ranches began to grow
what was the significance of the trail?
- new markets were recognised in the West
- the Wyoming cattle industry grew
who was John Iliff?
- a man who saw the opportunities to sell meat to booming mining towns in Colorado
- Colorado was not on the railroad so it was hard to get supplies across
- Iliff raised cattle on the Plains and bean to ranch near Denver
- by 1870, he had lots of cattle and a large ranch
- Iliff became Denver’s first millionaire by selling his beef to miners and reservations
what was the significance of John Iliff?
- he was the first to raise cattle on the Plains
- he began the start of ranching on the open range of the Great Plains
what did cowboys wear?
- hats for weather protection
- bandanas for dust protection
- high-heeled boots for sturdiness
- saddles were the most important
who were the cowboys?
- mainly young single men
- very diverse group of people
- many were former soldiers or drifters
- some were criminals on the run
what were the cowboys like?
- they were tough, hard-working and often hard-drinking
- worked long hours
- could be a lonely life
what was life like for cowboys on trails?
- seasonal work
- slept in the open air and cooked on campfires
- in their free time, they could visit saloons and brothels in cow towns
- they rounded up, branded and drove cattle
- dangers included stampeding cattle, wild animals, crossing rivers etc
what was life like for cowboys on ranches?
- work was year round and full time
- slept in bunkhouses and used cookhouses
- wild lifestyles were kept to a minimum and many struggled to adapt to this
- work was similar to the trails but they also checked ranch boundaries and mended fences
- less dangers but wild animals, rustlers and Indian attacks were still a threat
what was the issue of ranchers relying on public land?
- ranching needed a lot of land so cattle could roam about
- federal law stated that everyone could pasture livestock on public land for free
- however, problems came when homesteaders filed claims to turn 160 acre plots into homesteads
how did ranchers try to block homesteaders claiming public land?
- they filed land claims to parts of the range that homesteaders were interested in
- they bought and fenced jut enough land to block off access to other plots
- they took homesteaders to court over land claims, knowing homesteaders couldn’t afford court fees
what was the argument of fencing between homesteaders and ranchers?
- farmers wanted fences to stop cattle roaming onto crops
- ranchers said that cattle had a right to roams
- these arguments ended up in state court cases and tension increased
how did the railroads affect the Plains Indians? (buffalo)
- it disrupted the buffalo migrations because of the noise and tracks (led to the buffalo extermination)
- railroads encouraged settlement of the Plains
- the government persuaded tribes to give up land and to move to reservations
how did the cattle industry affect the Plains Indians?
- the cattle and buffalo competed for the same grass so buffalo herds were put under pressure
- cattle trails often cross Indian lands
how did the 1849 California Gold Rush affect the Plains Indians?
- the whites trespassed on Indian land
- led to the Fort Laramie Treaty (1851)
- led to the Indian Appropriations Act (1851)
how did the 1859 Rocky Mountains Gold Rush affect the Plains Indians?
- the whites trespassed on Indian land
- led to the Fort Wise Treaty (1861)
- led to the Sand Creek Massacre (1864)
how did the 1863 Montana Gold Rush affect the Plains Indians?
- the whites trespassed on Indian land
- led to the Red Cloud’s War (1866-68)
- led to the 2nd Fort Laramie Treaty (1868)
why did Indians move to reservations?
- white American expansion meant there was less land
- the US government promised protection and supplies
- desperate tribes signed treaties
- tribes sided with US government for support
- US army used force
what was the impact of reservations?
- they were smaller so Indians could not survive by hunting and had to rely on the government
- The Bureau of Indian Affairs was corrupt and cheated the tribes
- when conflicts arose, the government used it as an excuse to take more land
what was the President Grant’s Peace Policy 1868?
- new reservation agents were appointed
- the Commissioner of Indian Affairs was an Indian
- a new budget was introduced to improve conditions
what was the cause of the Little Crow’s War of 1862?
- after crops failed on the reservation and the government didn’t fulfil their promises, the Indians faced starvation
what happened during the Little Crow’s War?
- Little Crow and the others attacked the agency that ran the reservation
- they stole food to share
- they burned the agency buildings and killed several US soldiers
what was the result of the Little Crow’s War?
- most Santee had surrendered or been captured
- 38 were executed
- the tribe was moved to a smaller reservation, Crow Creek
what was the cause of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864?
- the Cheyenne tribe were starving after crop failures and the government did not keep their promises
what happened during the Sand Creek Massacre?
- the tribe and their chief Black Kettle attacked wagon trains and stole food
- they didn’t harm travellers
what was the result of the Sand Creek Massacre?
- after 3 years of attacks, Black Kettle negotiated with government officials and the army
- Colonel Chivington led a raid and over 150 Indians were massacred despite surrendering
- both white men and Indians were horrified
what was the Red Cloud’s War between 1866-68?
