the frontier Flashcards
when was the great Sioux war?
1876
when was the Dawes Act?
1887
when did Americanisation of the natives begin?
1880
what was Americanisation of the natives?
- indian way of life was destroyed
- indians learn English, farming and become Christians
children were put in boarding schools
by 1899 how much money was spent on how many schools of native children?
$2.5 million
148 boarding and 225 day schools
20,000 children
what was the Dawes Act?
- broke up reservations into individual units for families
- ended the policy of giving all native families 160 acres and individuals instead got 80acres
when was the homestead act?
1862
what did the homestead act do?
gave families 160 acres if the farmed on it
the increased settlement, agriculture, and markets in the west
how many homesteaders were there in 1865?
20,000
which act allowed the transcontinental railroad to be made?
1862 pacific railroad act
how many people did the railroad carry westward in 1870 and 1882?
15,000 and 1 million
which battle ended the Indians?
wounded knee
why did the frontier end?
- self-reliance was created by the harshness of the place
- unique democracy, nature, and resources
- no hierarchy or privilege
- it’s so fragmented that it doesn’t exist
what were the criticisms of the Turner thesis?
female society ignored never defined the frontier (most migration to the cities) promoted protectionism hasty generalization ignored immigrants and natives
when was gold found in the west?
1848
how many transcontinental rails were there by the 1890’s?
4
how many land grants did the federal government fund?
70 million hectares
how many land grants were the states given?
$200 million and 19 million hectares
what were the challenges in the west?
nearest neighbors miles away
battles with the elements
all supplies were expensive
interest rates very high on loans
what was the production of wheat bushels in 1867 and 1900?
211 million and 599 million
when was the barbed wire fence made, and by who?
1873
Joseph Gidden
when did McCoy make the cattle drive route to Abilene from Texas?
1867
how many cattle were taken north by the McCoy trail between 1866-85?
5.71 million
when did armor establish the meatpacking business in Chicago?
1868
how many cowboys were on the plains by 1885?
40,000
what ended the open range?
- the 1885-87 winters killed 90% of the cattle
- railroads could quickly and easily transport cattle so there was no need for the open range
what did O’Sullivan create in 1845?
manifest destiny
