Land Of The Free Flashcards
When was the Louisiana purchase
1803
What was the Louisiana purchase
- Jefferson wanted to buy New Orleans from France to allow Mississippi passage
- napoleon sold all Louisiana territory for 15 million dollars
- doubled the size of the USA and ended french presence
When was the Lewis and Clark expedition
1804-1806
What did the Lewis and Clark expedition achieve
Facts on animals, plants and Indian cultures.
Showed the possibility of overland travel to the Pacific.
Created great interest in west for potential settlement
Who and when coined the phrase manifest destiny
John o Sullivan in 1845
How many early migrants moved to the west from 1840 to 1860
300,000
When was the gold rush
1849
What was the gold rush
- largest sudden migration to California
- difficult migration, took 8/9 months by land
- boom towns sprung up overnight
- most early miners failed
How long did the Oregon and California trails take to cross
6 to 10 months
What were early migration trails like
Ox Drawj covered wagons across plains
Travelled in convoys
Suffered from lack of water, heat exhaustion, frostbite, disease, cholera, accidents and threat of Indian attack
Why did the Republican Party emerge in the west
To develop the west for free white men with slogan off ‘free soil, free labour, free men’
What was the Missouri compromise of 1820
Allowed Missouri to become a Slave state to keep US states evenly divided between free and slave
When was the transcontinental railroad built
1862
What did the transcontinental railroad do
- Pacific railroad act linked the central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads
- joined east and west of USA
- reduces journey time from 10 months to a week
- transformed movement of people and communication
How were the western plains settled
- government encouraged railroad construction to market the west
- land offices establish and agents sent to the east and Europe
- homestead act 1862
- rise of cattle ranching
What was the homestead act of 1862
Gave 160 acres of land to people for a small fee in order to cultivate
What were the issues of western settlement
- initial flood of settlers unable to sustain themselves
- high cost of buying land and machinery
- drought years affected crops which were dependent on
- collapse of railroad shares led to railroad bankruptcy
- high prices of railroads with discounts given to the wealthy
When was Jefferson president
1801 to 1809
What was the civilisation act 1819
Encouraged the education of native Americans
Gave an annuity to stimulate the process
Native American boarding schools set up where they were taught English lit and forbidden from using own language
What were the 5 civilised tribes
Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek and Seminole
Which president after Jefferson didn’t believe in the civilisation and assimilation of native Americans
President Jackson
When was the Indian removal act
1830
What was the Indian removal act
Land in the east was exchanged for western land putting strong pressure on Indians to move. Cherokee tried to stop this act but were unsuccessful
What was the trial of tears
Forced relocation from 1830 to 1850
25% mortality rate from disease and starvation
What was the impact of American arrival in the west on native Americans
Hunting disrupted by trains
Trains brought disease
Problems of Sioux expansion into their territory
Decline of the buffalo (main driving force of Indian hostility, US government wanted to reduce to control Indians, extinct by 1883)
When and what was the sand creek massacre
1864, US militia brutally murder Indians, mostly women and children
When do Indians retaliate for the sand creek massacre
1864-5
When and what was the battle of Little Bighorn
1876, Custer’s last stand, Indian victory where no white survived
What was life like for Indians on reservations
- has to abandon hunting to become farmers but land was too dry and they were unable to support their families
- some annuities given as payments for lands lost
- agents sent by government to protect Indians but often more interested in benefiting selves
- churches and schools destroyed their culture
What was the Dawes Severalty Act
1887
Divided up land on reservations and gave to individuals rather than tribes
To encourage agriculture and break up reservations
Eliminated Indians as cultural entity
When were all Indians granted citizenship
1924
What was the Indian reorganisation Act
1934, to help tribes regain their lands
What was the American dream of the west
Improvement of family security and independence with gold, land, wealth
Freedom from control of east and the constraints of society
National idea of manifest destiny
What was the reality of life in the west
Land wasn’t free for the taking, poorest couldn’t get
Gold only available to early arrivals if they were lucky
Wealth for some but not all
Lots of isolation especially for women
Failure for many, had to keep trying if they were to eventually succeed
What was life like on the western planes
Initially lived in dugouts as no trees for cabins
Sod houses made from strips of turf from ground
No wood for fuel
Windows were largest expense
New technology of the mechanical reaper transformed farms but was very expensive
Reliant on the railroad
Working an average of 68 hours per week
What was life like for women on the western plains
Difficult for single women to migrate, only teachers or prostitutes
Mass isolation with only a few families per square mile
Had no choice but to be self-reliable, no doctors nearby
Breakdown of gender roles with women having to work in fields and also do housework
Dangers of childbirth
300,000 ran own farm by 1900
What was the murder rate in the west from 1850-60
250 per 100,000
What was violence like on the western plains
Almost constant war fare with native Americans
Conflict over access to minerals/gold/water/land
Conflict between men with values of the western masculinity
Men dominated society with many carrying weapons
Principal crimes of drunkenness, disorderly conduct and prostitution
Role of sheriff and Texas rangers crucial to bringing order
What was the influence of the western image
Frontier hero’s to market the west
Role of film and literature
Image of west appealed to urban workers wanting to regain control of lives and take back masculinity
Showed the importance of hunting and guns as a social activity away from women
West became symbol of freedom and independence
Where did slavery originate
Developed in all British North American colonies in late 17th century
Abolished in the north post revolution
Slavery remained in south
When was the importation of slaves outlawed
1808, but some illegal trade remained
How many people were enslaved
4 million