west Flashcards
allotments
a plot of land assigned to a family for cultivation
annuities
annual payments from the government
assimilate
absorb a group into a larger population
barbed wire
used to shut out people competing for land and to keep their animals within range of food and water
barrios
spanish neighborhood
bonanza farm
very large farms in the United States performing large-scale operations, mostly growing and harvesting wheat.
boomtown
a town that has grown very rapidly as a result of sudden prosperity.
dry farming
plant seeds deep inthe ground where there was moisture for them to grow
hacienda
a huge ranch
hydraulic mining
sprayed wtaer at very high pressure to wash away gravel and dirt, leaving minerals
nomads
people who move often
open range
a large area of grazing land without fences or other barriers.
vigilance commission
people in the west who were designated to stop crime
comstock load
silver strike
chisholm trail
long driv trail
dawes act
encouraged assimilation by giving native families allotments of land
impact of fencing on the plains
ended the adventure of long cattle drives
homestead act
gave land to people who wanted to move west
hardships of the great plains
hot weather, blizzards, droughts
closing of the frontier
gov opened last large territory in oklahoma, then declared that there was no more frontier
largest strike
virginia city nevada
early strikes
pikes peak, leadville
1864
sand creek massacre
1866
fetterman massacre
1867
treaty of medicine lodge
1876
battle of the little big horn
1877
chief joseph and the nez perce
1890
massacre at wounded knee
1887
dawes act
1881
helen hunts jackson sparked debate on the way americans treated the natives
