the american west Flashcards

migration and early settlement.

1
Q

what encouraged people to migrate west

A

economic condition/gold rush of 1849/farmland in oregon/the oregon trail/manifest destiny.

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2
Q

economic conditions.

A

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.

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3
Q

The Gold Rush of 1849

A

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.

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4
Q

Farmland in Oregon

A

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.

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5
Q

The Oregon Trail

A

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”).

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6
Q

The Process of Migration

A

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.

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7
Q

Challenges
for Migrants

A

-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.

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8
Q

Who were The Donner Party

A

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

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9
Q

TDP- july 1846

A

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.

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10
Q

TDP- july to nov 1846

A

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.

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11
Q

TDP- nov 1846

A

Snowstorms
trapped the
group in the
Sierra Nevada
Mountains. The
livestock died,
food ran out and
the migrants
began to starve
to death.

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12
Q

TDP- feb 1847

A

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.

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13
Q

The Mormon migration, 1846-7

A

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.

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14
Q

The journey was very well-planned:

A

 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.

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15
Q

the mormon journey-omaha feb-june 1846

A

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.

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16
Q

The Mormons’ journey-Great Salt
Lake
April-June
1847

A

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.

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17
Q

The Mormons managed to
successfully settle in the Salt
Lake Valley because…

A

-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

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18
Q

White Settlement Farming

A

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.

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19
Q

why did white settlers face problems

A

No white people had ever farmed the Plains before

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20
Q

problem 1=Low rainfall
and few rivers

A

No rivers for
transporting goods
 Not enough water
for animals
 Frequent droughts
 Too dry for many
crops

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21
Q

problem-Few
trees

A

No timber for
houses and fences
 Houses had to be
made of earth
(sod houses)
 No wood for
cooking and
heating

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22
Q

problem-Extreme
climate

A

Crops died in very
hot summers
 Tough ground
was hard to
plough
 Hailstorms and
lightning fires
 Tough living
conditions

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23
Q

problem-Grasshoppers

A

Swarms would
invade the Plains
 They destroyed
crops and grass
 Their droppings
polluted water
sources

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24
Q

Plains Indians were suspicious of white people because:

A

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.

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25
Q

White settlers were suspicious of Plains Indians because:

A

They sometimes got caught up in tribal conflicts, and thought the Indians
were attacking them.
 They thought the Indians were an inferior race who would be wiped out.
 Indians sometimes stole their cows and horses.

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26
Q

The Fort Laramie Treaty (1851)

A

In 1851 the government
organised the Fort Laramie
Treaty to try to solve the
conflict between Plains
Indians and white settlers.
Its aims were to:
 Agree on fixed territories for each tribe
 End conflicts between the tribes
 Guarantee safe access for white migrants across the Plains

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27
Q

In the fornt laramie Treaty (1851), Plains Indians agreed to behave in a certain way in return for protection and
money from the government:

A

plains indians had to- end fighting between tribes
-Allow
migrants to
travel through
their land
safely
-Allow railroad
surveyors to
enter their
land safely
-Allow the
government to
build roads and
army posts on
their land
-Pay
compensation if
their tribe
broke the
treaty
in return the government would-Protect them
from white
settlers
-Pay tribes an
annuity (yearly
payment) of
$50,000

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28
Q

Problems with the 1851 fort laramie Treaty-Choosing council
representatives

A

The government
wanted one chief from
each tribe at the talks,
but Indian society
didn’t work this way.
Just because one chief
had signed the treaty, it
did not mean that every
band would follow it.

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29
Q

Problems with the 1851 fort laramie Treaty-Getting
representatives
from every
tribe

A

Some tribes
didn’t attend.
Many of those
who did were
only there for
the government
food and gifts.

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30
Q

Problems with the 1851 fort laramie Treaty-Agreeing boundaries

A

Plains Indians didn’t
believe in fixed
boundaries and land
ownership. The
agreed boundaries
were not taken
seriously. Some Plains
Indians still hunted in
other tribes’
territories.

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31
Q

Problems with the 1851 fort laramie Treaty-Language barrier

A

The Treaty was in
English, so not all
the tribes
understood it. The
language and
cultural differences
meant that many of
the Indians didn’t
know what they’d
signed.

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32
Q

Significance of the Treaty-It restricted Plains Indians to
fixed areas of land…

A

…thus paving the way for
reservations.

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33
Q

Significance of the Treaty-It allowed white migrants to
cross into Indian Territory…

A

…thus undermining the Permanent
Indian Frontier, and leading to greater
white settlement of the Plains.

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34
Q

Significance of the Treaty-It made Plains Indians
dependent on resources
received from the government…

A

…thus taking away Plains Indians’
independence.

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35
Q

Lawlessness in Early Settlements

A

The American West had laws, but there were
problems in making people obey them.
Until the 1840s, migrant communities were very small
and so there was little lawless behaviour.
However, the California Gold Rush caused mass
migration – in 1846 there were about 8000 nonIndians in California; by 1855 it was 300,000.
Soon the existing California law systems were unable
to cope with the number of people living there

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36
Q

Impact of
the Gold
Rush-violence and
tension

A

There was violence and
tension between the
different ethnicities and
religions in mining camps.

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37
Q

Impact of
the Gold
Rush-‘Claim jumping’

A

‘Claim jumping’ was common,
where men would try to steal
someone else’s claim if it
looked promising

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38
Q

Impact of
the Gold
Rush-Prostitution and alcohol

A

Prostitution and alcohol
in the camps caused
violent fights over
women.

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39
Q

Impact of
the Gold
Rush-‘Salting a claim’

A

‘Salting a claim’: conmen would
scatter a few flakes of gold on a
worthless piece of land and then
con a migrant into buying it.

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40
Q

Impact of
the Gold
Rush-Road agents

A

Road agents were
criminal gangs who
waited outside camps
to rob prospectors.

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41
Q

Gangs

A

By 1850 many prospectors had found what gold they could, and mining companies moved
in to mine the area properly. San Francisco’s population boomed because of -
 former prospectors arriving in search of other jobs
 Chinese migrants arriving following a famine in China
Many could not find work and there was a crime wave in 1851. Rival gangs controlled
areas of the city. Murder, theft and corruption was common.

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42
Q

Racism in the West

A

Chinese miners were only allowed to work old claims
 In California, Chinese miners were taxed more heavily
 White people were encouraged to murder Californian Indians
Racist crimes weren’t dealt with. American Indians, Chinese and
black people weren’t allowed to be court witnesses in California.

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43
Q

Tackling Lawlessness

A

The federal government decided the laws for each territory. (A territory could not become a
state until it had a population of 60,000.) However, these laws were often not very effective.

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44
Q

Tackling Lawlessness-US
Marshal

A

Each territory had a US
Marshal who was in charge of
law enforcement. He could
appoint deputies and order a
posse (group of men) to help
him hunt down criminals.

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45
Q

Tackling Lawlessness-sheriff

A

Communities
could also
elect a sheriff
to keep the
peace in their
county.

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46
Q

Law enforcement was hard because:

A

Territories were huge, which
made them very hard to control.
 Law enforcers were badly paid,
so it was hard to recruit them and
many took bribes.
 Sheriffs had no legal training so
did not always act fairly.

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47
Q

Tackling Lawlessness-Vigilance committees

A

Many people took the law into their own
hands. Groups of vigilantes would capture,
try and punish suspected criminals.
Vigilante committees were effective but
often unfair. A suspect’s guilt was usually
decided before they were captured.
Lynching was common.

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48
Q

Tackling Lawlessness-Settling claim disputes

A

Mining communities would agree
their own set of rules, and set up
their own court and judge.
A recorder was chosen to write
down all the claims made in the
district, and who had made
them.

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49
Q

American Civil War (1861-65)

A

conflict between the northern states (the Union)
and the southern states (who broke away to form the Confederacy).

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50
Q

The Homestead Act (May 1862)

A

encouraged more
people to settle and
farm in the West.
The government
offered 160-acre plots
of land called
homesteads – a house
with enough land to
support a family.

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51
Q

The Homestead Act-details

A

Registering for a homestead plot cost $10, so it
was affordable for ordinary people (e.g. ex-slaves).
 Homesteaders had to live on and work the land themselves, and
there was a limit on how many claims one person could file. The
government didn’t want rich businessmen buying up all the land
for profit.
 As long as they were the head of a family, or single and over-21,
anyone could file a claim for a plot. American Indians could not.
 Once someone had lived on and worked the land for 5 years,
they could buy it outright for $30 (known as “proving up”).

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52
Q

The Homestead Act-Achievements:

A

By 1876, over 6 million acres of government land had
become homesteads.
 Parts of the Plains were settled for the first time.
 In Nebraska, the population grew so much that it
became a state in 1867.
 It encouraged immigration from Europe.

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53
Q

The Homestead Act-Limitations:

A

Only 16% of public land was homesteaded. Far more was sold to railroads or cattle ranchers.
 60% of homesteads were never “proved up”.
 More homesteads were formed by railroad companies and squatting than by the Homestead Act.
 Rich landowners still found ways to abuse the system: e.g. by filing claims in employees’ names.
 Many people filed claims in order to sell it on for a profit afterwards.

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54
Q

homesteaders faced challenges:

A

They needed savings of around $1000 to get started
 They quickly ran out of money during spells of no rain
These problems were made easier by several factors.

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55
Q

Tackling the Problems of Homesteading-Railroads

A

The railroads made homestead life
easier because:
 Homesteaders could visit relatives
more easily
 People could order products
 They created towns where people
could trade and socialise

56
Q

Tackling the Problems of Homesteading-New inventions

A

Windmills (1854) were used
to pump water out of the
ground for crops.
 Barbed wire (1874) was used
to fence off crops from
livestock.
 Sulky ploughs (1875) were
able to plough the tough
Plains ground.

57
Q

Tackling the Problems of Homesteading-New crops

A

A religious group called the Mennonites
found that “Turkey Red” wheat grew well in
Kansas, leading to excellent grain exports.
They had emigrated in 1873 from Russia,
where they had farmed similarly tough land.

58
Q

The Timber Culture Act (1873)

A

Homesteaders could claim a further 160 acres of
land if they agreed to plant trees on a quarter of it.
Trees were important because they acted as a wind
break and provided timber for building and fuel.By 1878, 16m acres of land had been
claimed under this act. However, in
most cases the trees died because there
wasn’t enough water. People also
claimed land only to sell it on for profit.

59
Q

The Pacific Railroad Act (July 1862)

A

The Pacific Railroad Act encouraged transcontinental railroad building. The
government wanted to connect the agricultural West to the big northern cities.
 The Union Pacific started in Nebraska and built west;
 The Central Pacific started in California and built east.
The two ends met at Promontory Point, Utah, in May 1869.

60
Q

The Pacific Railroad Act (July 1862)-Challenges

A

Building a 2000km railway was
difficult and expensive. No
private company would risk
taking it on.
Disagreements - the North wanted
to connect California with its big
cities (e.g. Chicago) but the South
wanted the railway to come
through the southern states.

61
Q

The Pacific Railroad Act (July 1862)-Solutions

A

The government loaned each company
$16,000 for every mile of track built ($48,000
for mountain areas).
 They also gave the companies large areas of
public land along the railroad for them to sell
-After the southern states left the Union in
1861, the northern states could decide where
the railroad went. They chose a route from
Sacramento, California to Omaha, Nebraska.

62
Q

The new railroad
was called the

A

First
Transcontinental
Railroad.

63
Q

Impact of the railroads-Settlers & Farmers

A

-Farmers could transport
crops to sell in the big
Eastern cities
-Encouraged European
immigration – each
company had a Bureau
of Immigration
-Settlers could buy
products from the
cities
-Made travelling
West quicker and
cheaper
-Towns along the route
grew rapidly

64
Q

Impact of the railroads-National impacts

A

Integrated western
territories into the
East
Many felt “Manifest
Destiny” was achieved
-Increased trade -
economic benefits

65
Q

Impact of the railroads-Plains
Indians

A

-Plains Indians
moved away
from rail
route
-Declining buffalo
numbers – the tracks
destroyed grassland
and brought hunters
-Indian attacks on
railroad builders led
to conflict with the
Army
-Allowed even more white
settlers to invade Plains Indian
land

66
Q

Impact of the railroads-Cattle
industry

A

Growth of the cattle industry –
cattlemen could now move and sell
cattle in the big cities

67
Q

Impact of the railroads-Problems of Law and Order

A

The first new towns created
by the railroads were known
as “Hell on Wheels”.
Lawlessness was worst in
cow towns – especially after
pay day, when cowboys
would celebrate in saloons
and brothels.
Thomas Smith was the marshal of Abilene, Kansas.
He successfully banned guns – until he was
murdered in 1870.
Smith’s replacement was sacked because he was
useless, and the town leaders decided to just ban
cowboys from the town.

68
Q

Impact of the Civil War-Problems of Law and Order

A

After the Civil War
many ex-soldiers
came to the West.
Many of them were
unable to find work,
and so they formed
outlaw gangs.
The Reno Gang carried out several
large train robberies in the 1860s.
They were eventually caught by the
Pinkerton National Detective Agency
– but shortly after their arrests they
were lynched by a vigilante mob.

69
Q

The cattle industry after the Civil War

A

Things were good in the North…
 There was high demand for beef. A cow was
worth $40.
 Meat production had been industrialised, so it
was quicker and cheaper.
However, in the South…
 There was little demand for cows.
 Beef prices had dropped. A cow was worth $5.
 The Longhorn cattle in Texas had gone half-wild,
having been left unmanaged during the war.

70
Q

Joseph McCoy and Abilene (1867)

A

In 1867, the railroad reached Abilene, Kansas. A cattle trader called Joseph McCoy had an idea:
Abilene would make an ideal transit point for cattle drives…
 McCoy bought 450 acres of land at Abilene and built
stockyards, a rail depot and a hotel.
 He then spent $5000 on marketing to promote Abilene.
The venture was a success. Abilene became the first major cow town and McCoy became very rich. Between 1867-72, 3 million cattle were driven along the Chisolm Trail to Abilene.

71
Q

The Goodnight-Loving Trail (1866)

A

The Goodnight-Loving Trail was established by Charles Goodnight and
Oliver Loving to sell cattle directly to reservations and forts in the West.
 In 1866 they drove 2000 cattle to Fort Sumner - the American Indians
there were close to starvation because of poor government planning.
 They sold 800 of the cattle for $12,000 (a much better price than
they would get in Texas), and Loving then sold the remaining 1200 to
businessman John Iliff in Colorado.
 Loving was killed by Comanche Indians in 1867. Goodnight later made a successful deal
with John Iliff to transport cattle all the way to Wyoming on the Union Pacific Railroad.

72
Q

Colorado Territory

A

In 1861 Colorado Territory
was created. There was a great
demand for meat in Denver
City, but until 1870 it had no
railroad connection

73
Q

The “beef bonanza”

A

In the 1870s the beef industry thrived. Cattle ranching on the Plains grew.
The industry was dominated by very rich cattle barons who owned enormous
ranches. These men also controlled local politics to defend their own interests.

73
Q

John Iliff – Ranching on the Plains (1870)

A

 John Iliff realised that if he could keep a herd of cows on
the Plains, he could supply beef to the Colorado mining
towns without having to drive the cattle up all the way
from Texas.
 Iliff created a massive ranch (a farm for raising cattle) on
the Colorado Plains, with a herd of 26,000 cattle.
 In 1872 he won a contract to supply beef to 7000 Sioux
Indians. He became Denver’s first millionaire.
 This marked the start of open range ranching – where
cattle roamed freely across large areas of the Plains

74
Q

Ranchers V. Homesteaders

A

Ranching needed lots of land (at least 2000 acres), so ranchers used public land. When the
Homestead Act came in, ranchers used several tactics to block homesteading on their land.

75
Q

Ranchers V. Homesteaders-details

A

ranchers-filed claims under the Homestead Act for the best bits of land - the areas with springs and waterholes.
Ranchers divided the land so that ranches and public land was all mixed together – making the public land impossible to access.
 They got relatives and employees to
claim homesteads, then hand over the
rights to them
 They took homesteaders to court,
knowing they wouldn’t be able to
pay the court costs.
 They threatened homesteaders and
accused them of stealing cows.

76
Q

Ranchers annoyed homesteaders because
Homesteaders annoyed ranchers because

A

Ranchers annoyed homesteaders because their cattle often wandered onto fields and ate crops.
Homesteaders annoyed ranchers because (it was claimed) their sheep ate all the grass and spread
disease. Ranchers put up fences to keep out sheep, but homesteaders would just cut them.
Long-running conflicts often developed into range wars between ranchers and homesteaders.

77
Q

Cowboys-Life on the long drive

A

 Cowboys worked in outfits led by a trail
boss.
 Herd owners would hire an outfit to
deliver their cattle by an agreed time.
Cattle drives could take several months.
 Each outfit had about 12
cowboys, a chuck wagon
(food wagon) and a wrangler
(who cared for the horses).
 There were many
challenges and risks, such
as stampedes, outlaw
gangs and crossing Indian
territory. Cowboys slept in
the open, taking turns to
stay up and keep guard.

78
Q

Cowboys-Life on the ranch

A

Many ranches didn’t employ cowboys
over the winter, so they sometimes got
other jobs (e.g. barmen). Some stayed
on to repair equipment and plan ahead.
 In early spring cowboys had to
round up the cattle. Cattle
were branded to show which
ranch they belong to.
 Life on the ranch was
hard work, so cowboys
were usually young.
Cowboys lived together in a
bunkhouse on the ranch.
 Ranches often has strict
rules, e.g. no gambling.

79
Q

Advantage of ranching on the Plains:

A

Ranches on the Plains were much
closer to railheads. This meant that
cattle drives only took days, rather
than months.

80
Q

Disadvantage of ranching on the Plains:

A

The Plains had harsh winters that Texas did not.
Cowboys had to deal with ice and blizzards, and
often spent lonely winters staying in sod houses
or cabins out on the ranches.

81
Q

Changes for Plains Indians-Railroads

A

 Under the 1851 Fort
Laramie Treaty tribes had
to let railroad surveyors
onto their land.
 Railroads took away
Indians’ land and
disrupted the buffalo.
 The government
“extinguished” any Indian
rights to land along the
rail routes.
 Some tribes (e.g. the
Pawnee tribe in 1870)
agreed to move onto
reservations.
 The Northern Pacific
Railroad caused conflicts.

82
Q

Changes for Plains Indians-Cattle
industry

A

As cattle numbers
increased, buffalo
numbers decreased.
 Because they could
no long hunt buffalo,
some Indians worked
as cowboys – this
took them away from
their traditional way
of life.
 Cattle trails went
through Indian land,
leading to conflict
with cowboys.
 Many tribes would
demand payment
from cowboys to pass
through their land.

83
Q

Changes for Plains Indians -Gold prospecting

A

In California, gold
prospectors murdered
Indians who were in the
way of possible gold claims.
 Immigration from all over
the world brought new
diseases which killed many
Indians.
 New towns developed.
Their Western culture was
totally alien to Indians.
 When gold was found in
Montana in 1862,
thousands travelled there
along the Bozeman Trail,
despite it being Lakota
Sioux hunting ground (this
went against the Fort
Laramie Treaty)

84
Q

Government Policy to Plains Indians-reservations.

A

The government continued to move Plains Indians onto reservations. They promised that
Plains Indians would:
 Not lose any more land
 Be protected from attack by whites
 Be given yearly payments (money/food/equipment)
Some tribes moved because they had no other choice – it was the only way for them to
survive. The government’s promises sounded good, but tribes soon realised they were rarely
carried out. Many had to be forced onto reservations by the US Army.The government thought reservations would be good for Plains Indians, because they could learn
about farming, Christianity and white American values. However, they had serious negative impacts:

85
Q

Impact of
reservations

A

-They showed no understanding
of Indian culture. Indians were
taken a long way from their
sacred places, and often put
with their enemies.
-Indians were given the poor
land that whites didn’t want.
Farming was very difficult. They
often relied on food from the
government.
-White settlers complained about the
size of reservations. The government
used any excuse to reduce their size.
-The agents who ran reservations
(on behalf of the Bureau of Indian
Affairs) were often corrupt.

86
Q

President Grant’s Peace Policy (1868)

A

In 1868 President Ulysses S. Grant put forward a Peace Policy to calm
tensions between Plains Indians and the Army.
 Corrupt reservations agents were replaced with Quakers, who
were known for being fair and peaceful.
 Ely Parker was appointed Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
 A $2m budget was given to properly care for Indians.
 Parker pushed for more radical change. He wanted Indians to be
treated as wards, meaning the government should decide what
was best for them and treat them well if they obeyed.

87
Q

Little Crow’s War (1862)-events

A

In August 1862 the
starving Dakota Sioux
raided Agency
buildings for food and
supplies, then burned
them down.
-They also attacked
settler towns and
army forts, killing
around 600 white
people (including
women and
children).
-400 Dakota Sioux
warriors were
arrested, and 38
hanged. The rest
were moved to even
poorer reservations.
-Bounties were offered
for the scalp of any
Dakota Sioux found in
Minnesota. Little Crow
was shot, scalped and
beheaded in 1863.

88
Q

Conflict with the Plains Indians

Little Crow’s War (1862)

A

Little Crow was a chief of a band of the Dakota Sioux tribe in Minnesota.
The Dakota Sioux bands had agreed to move to two small reservations in 1851.
They had given up 24m acres of land in return for $1.4m, plus a payment of
$80,000 every year.However, the small reservations didn’t have enough food to survive and the government stalled its
payments and food supplies.
This was because the Dakota Sioux had $200,000 of debts with traders that it refused to pay – in
1858 they were made to sign away half of their reservation to settle the debts.

89
Q

Conflict with the Plains Indians-The Sand Creek Massacre (1864)

A

In the Treaty of Fort Wise (1861) the Cheyenne and Arapaho chiefs
agreed to move to a reservation in Colorado, but many of the
young warrior brotherhoods (called the Dog Soldiers) rejected it.
They often fought with gold prospectors who crossed their land.
Black Kettle was a Cheyenne chief.

90
Q

The Sand Creek Massacre (1864)-events

A

On November 29th
1864 Colonel
Chivington raided
Black Kettle’s camp at
Sand Creek – carrying
on even when the
camp surrendered.
Chivington and his
men killed over 130
people, including
women and children,
and took their body
parts as trophies.
Black Kettle escaped
to warn other tribes.
The massacre
seemed to prove that
the white Americans
couldn’t be trusted.
The Dog Soldiers
attacked white forts
and settlers in
retaliation.
In 1865 a new treaty
was agreed. It said the
Cheyenne and Arapaho
tribes would move to a
new large reservation,
and the massacre
survivors would get
payments.
However, the government didn’t stick to its deal. Instead, in 1867 the tribes were moved to a reservation half the size of what they were promised, and no compensation was paid to the
survivors. Black Kettle died in another massacre in 1868.

91
Q

Conflict with the Plains Indians-Red Cloud’s War (1866-68)

A

Red Cloud was a respected chief of the Lakota Sioux tribe. He chose to fight the government
because they wouldn’t stop gold prospectors using the Bozeman Trail, which went through the
tribe’s hunting grounds. He was also supported by two other leaders, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

92
Q

Red Cloud’s War (1866-68)-events

A

The Lakota Sioux
attacked soldiers and
forts. There were
around 3000 Indians
against 700 US
soldiers.
Fetterman’s Trap: In
December 1866, a
group of 80 men led
by Capt. William
Fetterman were led
into a trap and killed.
The Lakota Sioux
surrounded Fort Phil
Kearny, trapping
soldiers inside and
stopping people using
the Bozeman Trail.
The government
realised that their old
approaches were not
working. The second
Fort Laramie Treaty was
signed in 1868.

93
Q

The second Fort Laramie Treaty (1868):

A

 The Bozeman Trail was closed.
 Red Cloud agreed to take his people to a reservation in Dakota.
 This new reservation was to be exclusively for the Sioux nation (i.e. no Army forts).
. Not everyone agreed with Red Cloud signing the treaty. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse refused to sign.

94
Q

Changes in the Farming Industry-Dry farming

A

Dry farming was a new technique of
preparing the soil so that it trapped
rainwater under the surface. It
worked well for wheat.
It was popular, but droughts in the
1890s meant it didn’t become
widespread until the 1900s.

95
Q

Changes in the Farming Industry-Wind pumps

A

Wind pumps solved one of the
biggest problems on the Plains: the
lack of water. They pumped water
from deep underground.
Daniel Halladay designed a windmill
that swung round automatically as
the wind changed direction.
Windmills needed lots of
maintenance and early wooden ones
weren’t very strong. Steel windmills
(1880s) were much more effective.

96
Q

Changes in the Farming Industry-Mechanisation

A

New inventions helped make
farming easier. Machines like the
steel plough and seed drill helped
with dry farming. Farming was
made faster and easier, so farmers
could farm larger areas.
Farmers became more successful
and bought more and more
industrial products – this boosted
the economy.

97
Q

Changes in the Farming Industry-Barbed wire

A

Barbed wire (1874) was used to fence
off homesteaders’ claims, protect
crops and stop livestock roaming.
Early types rusted and broke, but
these issues were fixed by the 1880s.

98
Q

Changes in the Cattle Industry-The beef bonanza

A

The beef bonanza of the 1870s meant that the
open range became overstocked. This put an
end to open range ranching.
 There were too many animals on the Plains. All
the grass was eaten up and the soil eroded.
 Because so much beef was available, there was
a fall in demand. Beef prices fell.

99
Q

Changes in the Cattle Industry-The Great Die-Up:

A

A very harsh winter in 1886-
87 killed off 15% of the open range herds.
Temperatures hit as low as -55°C
The cattle that did survive the Great
Die-Up were in poor condition. This
made them difficult to sell, so prices
dropped even more.
The big ranches on the Plains
struggled the most because they
couldn’t possibly save such a large
number of cattle.

100
Q

Changes in the Cattle Industry-After 1887,

A

After 1887, the most viable ranches were small ones.
 Small herds were easier to manage, especially during droughts and winters.
 Smaller herds reduced the supply of beef, so prices went back up.
 Ranchers focused on high-quality meat with pure-blooded breeds of cow.

101
Q

The impact of the end of the open range:

A

Many ranchers
went bankrupt
and moved back
east, so more
homesteaders
moved in.
There was less demand for cowboys. Many became ranch hands.
Their lives became less adventurous:
 They looked after horses, mended fences and harvested hay.
 They lived in uncomfortable bunkhouses with strict rules.
 They patrolled the boundary between two ranches (‘riding the
line’).

102
Q

The Exoduster Movement (1879)

A

After the Civil War there was lots of racism towards black people in the South. Many white people
couldn’t accept that slavery had ended. As a result, some black people moved to the West.
Benjamin Singleton, a former slave, helped hundreds of black people move to
Kansas after he settled there in 1873. In 1879 40,000 people set off west after a
rumour went round that the whole of Kansas had been given to ex-slaves to settle.
The people who took part in this large-scale migration were called Exodusters.

103
Q

Why did the Exodusters migrate to the West?

A

 Important individuals such as Benjamin Singleton and Henry Adams, who
encouraged migration.
 Better jobs in the West and the chance to build a new life.
 Kansas had a reputation as an anti-slavery state.
 The Homestead Act pulled people to the West with the promise of free land.
 The Biblical story of the Exodus meant some migrants had faith in God to
help them.

104
Q

The impact of the Exoduster movement:
The West

A

By 1880 there were over 40,000 black Americans in Kansas.
Some new settlements were founded by black Americans.

105
Q

The impact of the Exoduster movement:Black settlers

A

Black migrants were left with the poorest land because the
best bits had already been taken. Many couldn’t afford the admin fee for claiming their homestead.

106
Q

The impact of the Exoduster movement: Kansas government

A

The Kansas government set up an association to help
black migrants suffering from yellow fever, and gave a
small amount of temporary funding to get them started.

107
Q

The impact of the Exoduster movement:White Americans

A

Most white settlers thought that the black migrants should go
back to the South, and shouldn’t get any government help

108
Q

The impact of the Exoduster movement:The Exodusters

A

The Exodusters in
Kansas were
better off than
they had been in
the South, but
were poorer than
the white settlers.
The movement
ended as those in
the South
gradually heard
about the reality
in Kansas.
After 1889 some
black Americans
moved out of
Kansas in a second
smaller wave of
migration

109
Q

The Oklahoma Land Rush (1889)

A

In 1889 the government opened up the middle section of Indian Territory to white settlement(Some Indian land had already been sold in 1887, when tribes’ lands
were broken up under the Dawes Act.)
The land was divided up into 160-acre sections. At noon on 22nd April
1889 the first land rush began - thousands of hopeful settlers rushed
over the boundary to claim a section as theirs.There were 7 land rushes in Oklahoma from 1889-1895. The largest
was in 1893, when 8 million acres were opened up.
By bringing in more white settlers, the Oklahoma Land Rush pushed
the Indians out even more.

110
Q

Billy the Kid

A

Billy the Kid (aka William H. Bonney) was a famous outlaw in the West.
 He grew up in mining camps in New Mexico and became involved in
horse theft and cattle rustling.
 He got involved in a range war (the Lincoln County War) in 1878.
His side lost, but he swore he would kill everyone who was to
blame for the death of one of his friends.
 Billy and his gang had hideouts all around the county. He was
notorious for breaking out of jails – the justice system was too
weak to deal with him.
 A new sheriff, Pat Garrett, was given the task of bringing Billy to
justice.
 Despite being caught by Garrett and sentenced to death, Billy made
a dramatic escape from jail. Garrett tracked him down and killed
him at Fort Sumner in 1881.

111
Q

Wyatt Earp and the OK Corral

A

Wyatt Earp was a law enforcer in the West.
 In 1880 Wyatt was hired as the deputy sheriff of Tombstone, Arizona Territory. It was a boom
town controlled by rich businessmen.
 Wyatt and his brothers clashed with the Clantons and the McLaurys - two prominent local
ranching families whose cowboys were involved in rustling and robberies.
 On 26th October 1881 there was a gunfight at the OK Corral near Tombstone. (A corral is an
enclosure for cattle or horses). The Earps killed members of the McLaury and Clanton families.
 Trouble continued. When Virgil Earp (one of the brothers) was killed, Wyatt killed his
murderers in revenge.
 The Earps were forced to leave Tombstone. Their violent approach to the law had only caused
more conflict.

112
Q

The Johnson County War (1892)

A

Range wars were conflicts over areas of land on the Plains.
The most famous was the Johnson County War in Wyoming.

113
Q

The Johnson County War (1892)-Wealthy ranchers

A

Wealthy ranchers owned huge ranches
and held key roles in local government
and law.
They were hit hard by the Great Die-Up
of 1886-87.
The big ranchers used their influence in
the Wyoming Stock Growers Association
(WSGA) to ban small ranchers, who they
accused of stealing their cattle.

114
Q

The Johnson County War (1892)-Homesteaders and small ranchers

A

Ordinary people were fed up of the big
ranchers taking what they wanted.
In 1889, homesteaders Ella Watson and Jim
Averill were killed by rancher Albert
Bothwell, who wanted their land.
In 1892 the small ranchers and
homesteaders decided to hold their own
spring round-up, to claim any unbranded
cattle before the WSGA could.

115
Q

The Johnson County War (1892)- planning failure and trial

A

planning- The WSGA planned to invade Johnson County. They hired 22 gunmen to kill 70
rustlers.
 They raised $100,000 of funds (mostly for legal fees)
 They paid the gunmen $5 a day, plus $50 for every rustler they killed
failure-‘The Invaders’ failed. They tried to attack the KC Ranch, but its owners Nate
Champion and Nick Ray held them off all day.
Sheriff Angus raised a posse of 40 men to catch the Invaders. Many local citizens
joined in and they surrounded the Invaders at the TA Ranch.
trail-The Invaders had to be rescued by the US Army. Their trial was biased:
 They had powerful friends – the state governor, the judge, good lawyers.
 The trial was moved out of Johnson County to Cheyenne, where the jury was
more likely to support the ranchers.
 The lawyers dragged the trial out until the prosecutors ran out of money. The
charges were then dropped.

116
Q

The Johnson County War is significant
because:

A

Rich, respectable cattlemen thought it
would be a good idea to kill 70 people
 More importantly, many people
thought it was wrong and stood up to
them (vigilante justice)

117
Q

The Battle of the Little Bighorn was significant because

A

The Battle of the Little Bighorn was significant because the US Army was defeated by the Sioux
nation. This defeat changed government policy.

118
Q

Battle of the Little Bighorn (1876)-events

A

In 1874 many prospectors began searching for gold in the Black Hills, part of the Sioux
hunting grounds in Dakota. This was a breach of the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty.
The government offered to buy the Black Hills, but the Sioux refused. The government
then said that the Sioux had broken the treaty because they were attacking prospectors.
Thousands of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors left their reservations to join leaders Sitting Bull
and Crazy Horse. The government gave them 60 days to return, or else they could be attacked.
By spring 1876 7,000 Sioux had set up camp, ready for a war with the whites.
US Army commander George Custer found a camp of 2,000 warriors in the valley of the
Little Bighorn. Although he should have waited for backup, he went ahead and attacked
with only 200 cavalrymen.
Led by Crazy Horse, the Sioux killed Custer and all of his men.
Public opinion now turned against Plains Indians: it was felt that they should assimilate
(become like white Americans) or die…

119
Q

Battle of the Little Bighorn (1876)-Impacts of the battle (3 points)-

A

1-The army forced the Sioux and
Cheyenne tribes back onto
their reservations. They once
again became dependent on
the government
2-Previous treaties were
now ignored. The
government forced the
Sioux to give up land,
including the Black Hills.
3-More military control of
the Plains. There were
more soldiers and forts,
and Sioux’s weapons and
horses were taken.

120
Q

The Wounded Knee Massacre (1890)

A

The Wounded Knee Massacre was the last clash between the Army
and the Sioux.

121
Q

The Wounded Knee Massacre (1890)-events

A

The Wounded Knee Massacre was the last clash between the Army
and the Sioux.
Wovoka, a Paiute Indian, claimed to have a vision that said if the
Indians danced the Ghost Dance, the Great Spirit would bring all
their dead back to life and a great flood would carry the whites
away.
As the Ghost Dance spread through the reservations, President Harrison ordered the Army to
take control. Sitting Bull was killed in an attempt to arrest him.
At Wounded Knee Creek, the Army opened fire on warriors as they danced the Ghost Dance.
250 Sioux Indians were killed – half of them women and children.
Public opinion generally supported the Army.
 People seemed to agree that ‘out of control’ Indians should be killed
 It was seen as revenge for Little Bighorn.
In 1890, the government announced the end of the Indian Frontier.

122
Q

end of the Indian Frontier

A

1890
In 1890 the Indian Frontier officially ceased to exist, and the first national park
was created (Yosemite) to protect the little areas of wilderness that remained

123
Q

The Destruction of the Indians’ Way of Life Extermination of the buffalo-Extermination of the
herds

A

Hunting of the
southern herd peaked
in 1872-74, when
hunters killed 4.5m
animals
 The northern herd
was protected by the
Sioux reservation until
1876; it was
exterminated by 1883.

124
Q

Extermination of
the buffalo-Why were the buffalo
hunted?

A

Their hide (skin) was valuable for leather. The rest of the animal was often thrown away.
 Railroads brought hunters in from the cities.

125
Q

Extermination of the buffalo-Government policy

A

The government supported the
extermination of the buffalo:
 The treaties had clauses
saying that any Indian hunting
rights only lasted as long as
there were buffalo to hunt
 With no buffalo to hunt, the
Indians were forced to farm
and be more like white people
 No buffalo made railroad
building and ranching easier

126
Q

Extermination of the buffalo-Impact on the
Plains Indians:

A

 Some tried farming, but their crops often failed
 They depended even more on the government for food
 Many starved and died of disease

127
Q

The Destruction of the Indians’ Way of Life-Life on the Reservations

A

The government gradually made the reservations smaller to force the Indians out of their way of life.

128
Q

Life on the Reservations-Loss of power:

A

The government took away the power of tribal chiefs and
abolished special Indian courts in 1885

129
Q

Life on the Reservations-Government agents:

A

Government agents bribed Plains Indians with food or
supplies in return for good behaviour. Some Indians joined the Indian
Agency Police, where they were looked after reasonably well.

130
Q

Life on the Reservations-Education:

A

Plains Indian children were sent to military-style schools off the
reservation. They were brought up as Christians and encouraged to
abandon their Indian way of life.

131
Q

Life on the Reservations-Living conditions:

A

With the buffalo gone the Plains Indians could no longer
support themselves. Most didn’t have the skills to farm and became more
dependent on the government. Disease, alcoholism and depression spread
through the reservations

132
Q

The Destruction of the Indians’ Way of Life-Changes in the Government’s Attitude

A

In the 1880s the government decided that reservations only encouraged Indians to live as part of a tribe, rather than as individuals.
Getting rid of reservations would free up land for settlers, reduce costs and force Indians to assimilate.

133
Q

The Destruction of the Indians’ Way of Life-The Destruction of the Indians’ Way of Life

A

The Dawes Act was like a Homestead Act for Plains Indians.
 Each Indian family was given a 160-acre plot of reservation land
 Single people got 80 acres and orphans 40 acres
 Plains Indians who accepted and left their reservation could become American citizens
 All the reservation land left over was sold to whites (e.g. in Oklahoma)

134
Q

The Dawes Act is significant because

A

The Dawes Act is significant because it made life for Plains Indians even harder. The small, poor
quality plots made farming very difficult – many gave up and sold their land to whites