Social Developments: Regional Divisions in The West Flashcards
Why did many miners and farmers move to the West?
Because there was lots of fertile and mineral-rich land
Why did lots of miners go to to California in 1849?
Because of the 1849 California Gold Rush
Why did lots of miners go to the Black Hills in Dakota in 1874?
Because gold was discovered there
Why did lots of Hunters move further West?
Because there were millions of bison to kill
What was divides were created between USA Western travellers and Native Americans?
They violated many treaties the US Government made with Native Americans
What treaty did the Western invaders of the Black Hills violate with the Native Americans?
1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie
What did the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie say?
The Black Hills in Dakota were allowed to be Native American Reservation Lands
What happened with many settlements in the West when the inhabitants found other areas of rich land?
The old cities were completely abandoned
Name a city which was completely abandoned in The West and why
Virginia City in Nevada, as minerals were found elsewhere
Name an important railroad for the West which stretched from Minnesota to the Seattle Pacific Coast and when it was completed
The Great Northern, completed in 1893
When was the Southern Pacific Railroad complete? How far did it stretch?
The Southern Pacific Railroad stretching from New Orleans to San Francisco
What was the scale of Railroads in The West by 1900?
They accounted for half of all railroads in the USA.
How many hectares of land was given by the federal government to railroad businesses? What does this possibly show?
70 million hectares, potentially showing more federal government corruption
How many additional hectares of land did State Governments give and how much money did they invest in railroads?
Gave an additional 19 million hectares and invested $200 million
How much was unowned land sold for which was on the side of railroad networks per acre?
$1.25 per acre
What did most settlers in the West depend on for their Income?
Crops
What was an issue with growing crops in terms of water?
There were often droughts
What insects posed a risk to farmers? How far into the ground could they go?
Locust swarms, which could destroy crops up to 15cm deep in the ground
What issue did farmers face with monopolies?
Monopolies charged high freight costs and farmers had no other option to transport crops
Name 2 pieces of technology that improved the efficiency of farming
Reapers and Threshers
What farming method was developed to help farmers with Droughts?
Dry Farming
When was Steel Barbed Wire invented and what did it help with?
1873, helped to properly fence off land
How many wheat bushels were produced in 1867 and how many in 1900?
210 million in 1867, Over 600 million in 1900
How much did the price of a corn bushel go down by in cents from 1867-73?
Went down by 45 cents
What two things did Farmers start to join in the 1880s and 90s and why?
Unions and the Populist Party, because they opposed big business exploitation
What did farmers want there to be a larger circulation of in the US Economy and why?
Silver, so inflation could occur and their debts could be reduced
What act did the government pass to help farmers in 1890? What was significant about this?
Passed the 1890 Sherman Silver Act, significant as the federal government had listened to the farmers
What did the 1890 Sherman Silver Act allow for?
4.5 million additional ounces of silver allowed to be bought by the USA every month
What political party developed due to the rising opposition against big businesses?
The Populist Party
What was the scale of the Populist Party by 1892? Who was the Presidential candidate?
James B Weaver won 1 million votes in the 1892 election
