homesteaders Flashcards
what was a homesteader
farmers who took advantage of the free land on offer by the US government on the plains after 1862
why did the homesteaders go west in 1862
the free land; land was too expensive in the east. the railroad; (finished by 1869) made it easier to travel. the advertising; done by the government and the railroad companies. the end of the civil war; freed slaves and ex soldiers
why was life on the plains was hard for homesteaders before 1869
water shortages, extreme lack of resources (food or wood for building), sioux attacks, dirt and disease, isolation, extreme weather; very cold/snowy in winter and very hot in summer, the railroad was completed in 1869, so life was a bit easier after that
what were sod houses made of
dirt bricks/mud, because there wasnt any wood on the plains
how were water shortages solved
windmills were first used in 1874 by daniel halliday, this could pump water from deep under the plains
how did homesteaders solve the problem of growing suitable crops on the plains
russian immigrants introduced turkey red wheat which grew well on the plains as the climate was similar to russia
how did homesteaders stop buffalo or cattle trampling their new crops on the plains
joseph glidden invented barbed wire in 1874 which could be used to fence off crops, this was cheaper than wood
what is the connection between the homesteaders and the native american wars
homesteaders came into conflict with the sioux, they hunted buffalo, put up barbed wire fences, and kept animals such as sheep that disrupted the buffalo. as their numbers increased, there were more sioux attacks. the US government also took a very strict approach to the sioux in the 1870s, 80s and 90s by using the army to force all natives onto the reservations. this was because of the need to protect the increasing number of homesteaders
