the american west Flashcards
migration and early settlement.
what encouraged people to migrate west
economic condition/gold rush of 1849/farmland in oregon/the oregon trail/manifest destiny.
economic conditions.
From 1837 to the mid-1840s, there was
an economic crisis in the East and
South. Banks collapsed, and people
lost their jobs, businesses and savings.
Many looked to start a new life in a
new part of the USA.
The Gold Rush of 1849
In 1849, 100,000 people left the East for
California because gold had been
discovered there.
Most of these prospectors did not become
very rich, and often settled as farmers.
California’s population and economy grew,
as the government had hoped. This helped
the USA’s economy recover.
Farmland in Oregon
People were drawn to the excellent farming
land in Oregon (especially with the tough
economic conditions in the East).
The government encouraged people to move
to Oregon in the 1840s. In 1841 they funded
an expedition by John Fremont to map the
Oregon Trail and convince people that the
move was achievable.
The Oregon Trail
the Oregon Trail was a route across
Indian Territory and through the Rocky
Mountains to Oregon.
It was the main route used by migrants
to the West – 400,000 people used it
until it was replaced by the First
Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.
The first migrants to travel the Oregon
Trail with a covered wagon were
missionaries in 1836. They went there to
convert American Indians to Christianity.
In 1843 a group of 900 made the journey
(the “Great Emigration”).
The Process of Migration
The Oregon Trail began at the Missouri River
and ended in Oregon. It was 3200km long and
the journey was a major challenge.
Those who split off to head to California had an
even longer journey.
Challenges
for Migrants
-enough
food and essentials with them
to survive. Most lived on salt
pork.
-Cholera (migrants used the same rivers
for drinking water and going to the
toilet).
-Oxen (used to pull the wagons)
were very slow.
-At least 20,000 people are thought
to have died along the Trail, many
from drowning and accidents.
-It was best not to begin the
journey until April, so that
there would be grass for their
animals to feed on.
Who were The Donner Party
In May 1846 a group of 300 migrants in 60 wagons, led by the Donner brothers, started on the
Oregon Trail. They were well-equipped but had more women, children and elderly people than usual
TDP- july 1846
At Fort Bridger in the
Rocky Mountains, the
group split. Around 80 of
the migrants decided to
try a shortcut described
in a guidebook by
Lansford Hastings. They
didn’t know that
Hastings never actually
tried the route.
TDP- july to nov 1846
The “shortcut” was a mistake:
there was no established
route through and the ground
was rocky and steep. There
were no tested river
crossings, no forts where they
could restock, and often no
grass for the animals. They
argued about whether to go
back.
TDP- nov 1846
Snowstorms
trapped the
group in the
Sierra Nevada
Mountains. The
livestock died,
food ran out and
the migrants
began to starve
to death.
TDP- feb 1847
Rescuers from
California
reached the
Donner Party.
Only half of the
group was alive
and many had
been forced to
eat those who
had died.
The Mormon migration, 1846-7
The Mormons were a religious group who were forced to move from state to state because
other Christians disliked some of their beliefs, e.g. polygamy (having more than one wife).
In 1845 the Mormons were forced to leave Illinois when their leader and founder
Joseph Smith was murdered.
Their new leader Brigham Young believed God wanted them to migrate to Salt Lake
Valley, Utah. It was south of the Oregon Trail and outside US territory at the time.
The journey was very well-planned:
Before they left, Young counted how many people and wagons there were.
Young researched the route by speaking to explorers and trail guides.
To avoid arguments, Young was very strict and everyone had a specific role.
Young planned regular rests along the route, to stop everyone becoming exhausted.
The migrants were divided into smaller groups, so everyone knew what to do if they got split up.
the mormon journey-omaha feb-june 1846
The Mormons were forced to begin their
migration in February, when the weather
was still very cold.
When they reached Omaha it was too
late in the year to begin the trail, so they
waited and spent another harsh winter
at Omaha.
The Mormons’ journey-Great Salt
Lake
April-June
1847
In April 1847 Young led a small advance
party of about 150 Mormons on the
2000km journey to the Salt Lake Valley.
They left the Oregon Trail and took the
route used by the Donner Party.
Just as Young finished the journey,
another wagon train of 1500 Mormons
was setting off from Omaha. Thanks to
the advance party this group had a clear
route to follow.
From 1847-69 70,000 Mormons followed
the Mormon Trail to the Salt Lake Valley.
The Mormons managed to
successfully settle in the Salt
Lake Valley because…
-Young’s group made the journey
easier for the next migrants by
noting water sources, setting up river
crossings and planting vegetables
along the way.
-Everyone obeyed Young. The Church
owned all land and everyone worked
together for the community.
-They built irrigation systems from
freshwater streams so that they could
grow crops.
-New Mormon settlements spread
away from the Valley, to areas with
better water supplies. Each produced
a different product, e.g. timber
White Settlement Farming
Many migrants settled and set up farms
in the West. Oregon and California were
especially good for farming.
By the 1850s people were also settling on
the Great Plains. In 1854, the
government created two new territories,
Kansas and Nebraska, behind the
Permanent Indian Frontier.
why did white settlers face problems
No white people had ever farmed the Plains before
problem 1=Low rainfall
and few rivers
No rivers for
transporting goods
Not enough water
for animals
Frequent droughts
Too dry for many
crops
problem-Few
trees
No timber for
houses and fences
Houses had to be
made of earth
(sod houses)
No wood for
cooking and
heating
problem-Extreme
climate
Crops died in very
hot summers
Tough ground
was hard to
plough
Hailstorms and
lightning fires
Tough living
conditions
problem-Grasshoppers
Swarms would
invade the Plains
They destroyed
crops and grass
Their droppings
polluted water
sources
Plains Indians were suspicious of white people because:
Resources were scarce on the Plains. New settlers threatened their food
supply.
The migrant trails disrupted their buffalo hunting.
The migrants’ oxen ate the grass that was needed for the Indians’ livestock
and hunting.