West Test part 1 Flashcards
Define subsidy.
financial aid and land grants
Define transcontinental railroad.
one that would connect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts
What was a boomtown?
a town undergoing rapid growth due to sudden prosperity (around mining center)
How did the government encourage railroads to expand to the West?
Leaders knew a rail network connecting East and West would bring important benefits to the entire nation. The government encourages railroads to expand West by providing land grants (i.e. subsides). The government provided more than 130 million acres of land to railroad companies.
If the building of the first transcontinental railroad started in 1862, which President would have authorized its construction?
Abraham Lincoln
How did mining and railroads draw people to the West?
It opened up a new industry - MIning attracted people to move West because it offered them the chance to “Strike it rich.” Railroads made the movement of people to the West easier and allowed supplies to be moved back and forth with greater ease.
How did the expansion of railroads to the west change the United States?
It created more population in the West and expanded trading. which allowed states to develop and country to expand. The landscape changed, resources were gained, time zones were created, etc.
Who was Fred Harvey?
He was an entrepreneur who created restaurants, hotels, etc. the visitors road the railroads in the West. A businessman who started the first chain of restaurants. He set up restaurants. He set up restaurants along the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe rail line known as Harvey Houses.
Define cattle drive.
the movement of herds of cattle on trails over great distances.
Define cowtown.
a town at the end of a cattle trail. The cowtown offered a railroad for cattle to be loaded onto and sent across the country.
How did the expansion of railroads help to create a successful cattle industry?
the expansion of railroads helped the cattle industry because cattle could be sent tot markets where people were willing to pay up to 10x more for beef.
What contributed to the end of the cattle drives?
due to small farms using barbed wire to fence off their land (i.e. end of the open range), herds became infected with “Texas Fever” and quarantine lines prevented cattle from entering communities, and railroads extended into Texas.
Define homestead.
a house and other buildings set on acreage that often includes farmed land.
Define sodbusters.
plains farmer
Define sooners.
someone who sneaked into Oklahoma and claimed land before the Oklahoma Land Rush
List at least 3 difficulties faced by Kansas farmers in the late 1800s.
economic depression, harsh weather conditions, swarms of grasshoppers, lack of water and other resources, etc.
What was the Homestead Act?
A land offer from the U.S government. It offered cheap land to U.S. citizens 21 years and older. They paid $10 for 160 acres.After 5 years they had to show that they had made improvements and they could keep their land, house, and farm without paying any additional money.
What was the Oklahoma Land Rush?
competition for free land in Oklahoma in 1889.
What was the National Grange (a.k.a. The Grange)?
a national organization of farmers.
Define farm cooperative.
was a way for farmers to pool their money together to buy large amounts of supplies for less money.
