Key Issue 2: Early Settlers & Moving West Flashcards
What was the common attitude to the Great Plains?
Worthless. The white people did not want it, as the sparse rainfall and extremes of climate made it unsuitable for farming.
Who were the Mountain Men?
- the Mountain Men were the first white people to travel West through the Rocky Mountains and find safe routes through said mountains
- they were trappers; they killed and skinned beavers and sold the fur in the East (fur clothing was fashionable)
- they lived similarly to Indians and so held fairly good relationships with that culture, barre some turbulence
- they told stories about their travels and encouraged more to, in future, attempt the same
Why did people move West?
PUSH FACTORS
- East was becoming overcrowded
- religious and racial persecution
- farming crisis in the East
- 1840s economic crisis
PULL FACTORS
- free, cheap and plentiful land (Homestead Act 1862)
- gold rush
- stories told by Mountain Men
- manifest destiny (important)
What problems were faced when travelling West? What case studies can be used as examples?
- difficult-to-cross terrain
- extreme weather conditions
- disease was common and spread quickly (see the Sagars)
- hostile Natives (white people were violating previously established laws)
- wild animals
Donner Party
- 1846
- they took a shortcut to California through the Rockies but ended up getting trapped in snow in Sierra Nevada
- resorted to cannibalism for survival
Discuss the Gold Rush.
DISCOVERY
- in 1848, James Marshall discovered gold when working at a sawmill, and rushes back home to tell everyone in the East
- by 1849, a strong majority were flocking West to earn profit from gold
PROCESS
- gold mining started via panning, which skimmed the surface for gold
- this surface gold ran out quickly, however, and few could afford machinery
- the reality was that most made only $3 a day, much less than the advertised amount
MINING TOWNS
- mining towns established as places to stay next to gold spots when mining
- mining towns were miserable places:
- there were no houses nor was there a real ‘town’; miners lived in makeshift tents
- they were dirty so disease spread easily and rapidly
- most men spent their earnings on gambling, drinking and prostitution
- most shops held ludicrously high prices because they were the only places that miners could buy from, meaning that sellers could manipulate the prices - a glass of water even went as high $80
- claim-jumping meant some were cheated out of their mining space
- there were no law officials and no government
- ‘miner’s court’ erected - punished claim-jumping with death
What is Manifest Destiny, and why did it encourage people to move West?
- Manifest Destiny was an idea that stated that it was the duty of white Americans to spread their religion and way of life across the whole continent, rather than their thirteen colonies
- not partaking in the movement was said to be against the will of God; as mentioned, it was their duty
How did Mormonism begin, and why was it so controversial?
BEGINNINGS AND BELIEF
- Mormonism began when Joseph Smith claimed to have had a prophetic vision from the angel Moroni in the Spring of 1820
- the angel gave Smith instructions to travel to a nearby hillside to find some engraved, golden plates
- Smith translated these plates in 1830 into the Book of Mormon, where it said that Jesus came to America after coming back to life
CONTROVERSY Many were against them for the following reasons: - practised polygamy - avid in conversion - believed themselves to be God's chosen people (which many believed arrogant and pretentious) - banned caffeine or alcohol - were anti-slavery - did not believe in premarital sex
Where did the Mormons travel to and what were significant events in these places?
Kirtland, Ohio (1931-1837)
- built bank in 1833 but collapsed in 1837 and consequently caused many to lose money - as a result of this, there were driven out of Kirtland
Missouri (1838)
- many slave-owners here
- this is did not fit in with the Mormons’ anti-slavery beliefs
Nauvoo, Illinois (1839-1845)
- here, the Mormons were allowed their own laws
- the created their own army called the Danites
- Joseph Smith announced that he plans to run for president, which scared many
- Smith was arrested and killed in prison in 1844
Who was Brigham Young and what did he do for the Mormons?
WHO
- Brigham Young took over as leader of the Mormons after Smith’s death
- he was very organised and a great leader
WHAT
- Young planned to take them to Great Salt Lake to build a new life there
- in 1845, they left Nauvoo
- Young sent some Mormons a few days before the main journey to plant some crops so the Mormons travelling on the main journey would have something to eat as they travelled (example of Young’s ingenuity as a leader)
What did they do once the Mormons reached Great Salt Lake?
Reached it 24 July 1847.
- terrible, dry conditions but determined to make it work; immediately started construction and farming
- the size of land received by each family was dependant on how many family members there were; it was fair
What was the Mountain Meadow Massacre?
1857: 140 non-Mormons massacred at Mountain Meadows. Believed that the Danites did this without Young’s knowledge as an act of hate
When did Utah become a state?
- Young dies in 1877 and polygamy is taken away in 1890
- Utah becomes a state in 1896
