Life On The Western Frontier Flashcards
What was manifest destiny?
-where god chose Americans to populate lane from Atlantic seaboard to Pacific Ocean. To spread Christian and republican views
-(a radical doctrine of white supremacy)
-justified expansion for USA (1840-1850)
What were the federal territories ?
-founded in Washington and by population in vast open spaces with settlers
We’re subject to laws of the USA
-if they reached 60,000 inhabitants they could apply to be a state, allowing them authority to make laws
What was the homestead act?
(1862)
Encouraged settlement
Release claims of land in 160 acre plots.
We’re available to farmers for free if they farmed on it for 5 years
(First claim in 1863)
(They filed claims to land offices, where they paid $10 to claim temporary and $2 commissions to land act
What were the consequences of the homestead act?
Attracted:
• newly arrived immigrants
• farmers wanting land
• single women
• former slaves
•poo poeple
•unemployed
•persecuted poeple
•ex us soldiers
Followed by timber culture act (1873) that added an extra 166 acres on claim if they planted trees on 40 acres
—and desert and land act (1877) which added extra 640 acres of land at $1.25. Some irrigated
It developed bonanza farms, by 1880 more than 3000 farms
What was the significance of railroad in the west of america?
-(1862) pacific railroad act passed where two companies were authorized to build a transcontinental railroad
That built eastwards from California ( central pacific)
Built westward from Nebraska
(Union specific)
-it ran through native land. Disrupting buffalo
Lines Met in Utah in 1869
1870 Carried 15,000 passengers and in 1892 carried 1 million passengers
What was the second gold rush?
In (1874) prospectors found gold in black hills Dakota. So in (1875) larger gold deposits were found in dead wood gulch. Forming new town ‘deadwood’
[ ignored native Americans rule on black hills in treaty of fort Laramie (1868) ]
In what ways ways were native Americans lives impacted?
-westward expansion
-the great Sioux war
- Reservation policy
How did westward expansion impact native Americans lives?
-government sold land to settlers on Great Plains, causing native Americans to be pushed of their land.
-created hostility by Sioux & Cheyenne
-so army stations were set up to allow wagons to go through native land safety
What was the great Sioux war?
in response to second gold rush,
US governmant offered $6 million for black hills land to plain Indians. But they refused
-then forced Indians onto reservation by 31 January and if not, they were a threat. Resulting in wiping out native Americans from black hill
(Had battles like battle of Little Bighorn)
How did reservation policies impact native Americans?
-implemented in USA as independence would make then more self determined than reliant on government
-Removed buffalo hunting grounds and , tribal lifte, ENCOURAGED education and religious conversions
-Land was not good for cultivating, so struggled to be farmers, cause starvation
-Dependant in food, clothes, shelters
-Some Native American agents were corrupt and used reservations for own gain
What were 5 wars that took place against native Americans?
-sand creek massacre (1864) in Colorado
-black hills war (1876) includ.. battle little big horn. Won by natives but eventually suppressed
-geronomio war (1881-1886) war against Mexicans from them killing his family
-(1890) wounded knee massacre, crush rebellion army
How were some key individuals in the Native American wars treated?
• sitting bull: (1890) was killed for resisting arrest for causing ghost dance rebellion [war leader in black hill war]
• Geronimo: Apache chief, attended 1904 world affairs at St Louis. 1886 made peace with Mexicans
• general Nelson miles: supervised defeat of ghost dance, colonial at 26
• chief Joseph: part of (1877) Nez Perce war, he and warriors fought across 5 northwest states, but force surrender by general mikes
What was the battle of wounded knee massacre?
-(1890) Lakota Sioux fled reservation with army in pursuit, following sitting bull arrest
-7th cavalry fired at Sioux, 200 women and children dead after doing ghost dance
-created from mutual distrust and misunderstandings
What is the Dawes act?
(1887)
-broke up reservation land into small units held by individuals
-family initially receive 160 acres (went to 80 in 1891)
-single male adults can have 80 acres
-if natives accepted act, they were granted citizenship after 25 years
[imposed during agricultural depression]
[natives not experienced with private land holdings, so they sold it and became poor]
What was the procces of Americanisation?
Native Americans assimilating to white American lifestyle
-natives learnt English, farming and became Christian’s
-attended boarding schools, learning American skills and attitudes
-(1899) $2.5 million spent each year on 148 boarding schools and 225 day schools
(Supported by Indian rights association)
