Western Expansion Flashcards
What was the biggest western town at this time?
San Francisco. This is because of gold and the railroad ended there
What railroad went from Chicago to San Francisco?
Union Pacific Railroad. This was the first transcontinental railroad
What railroad went from Chicago to Seattle?
Northern Pacific Railroad
What railroad went from St. Louis to Los Angelas?
Southern Pacific Railroad
Who was Thomas Nast?
He created the political cartoon called the doonsberry. Mainly made fun of how the government treated minorities, particularly Chinese or Native Americans
What was one way we handled the Native Americans when heading west?
We killed their food source, the buffalo
What Native American tribe gave the US the most trouble?
The Sioux
What do the Sioux believe in?
They believed that life is a series of circles, and that spirits could be invoked with sun dances, and visions could be attained by self torture (starvation and dehydration)
What affect did the Americans have on Native Americans?
- we gave them diseases
- homesteaders and farmers took their land and hunting ground
- railroad took their land
- miners tore up the land
What is the battle of Little Big Horn?
This was the battle against the Native Americans in which general Custard died
What is the only battle the Native Americans won?
Wetcloud battle
What is the Fetterman Massacre?
This is when Native Americans killed all Americans in the forts in prime buffalo hunting ground
What is the Sand Creek Massacre?
This is when American Chivington attacked all of the natives that jumped the reservation
What happened at Wounded Knee?
Natives were performing the ‘Ghost Dance’ when guns went off and battle ensued. Sitting Bull died.
What is the ‘Ghost Dance’?
This was performed with the belief that it would have bullets pass right through them and not hurt
Who said, “From here, I will fight no more, forever”
Chief Joseph
What is the effect of Helen Jackson Turner’s book, “Living With Dishonor”?
The public opinion of natives sympathizes, and the Indian Rights Association is created, which forces tribes to assimilate with US culture. The US has good intentions, but it backfires. Schools were set up on reservations that taught English, Christian values, American jobs, and farming. Led to alienation and higher depresion rates among natives
What is the Dawes Act?
This introduces natives to individual ownership. Breaks up the land of the tribe and gives each native 160 acres
What was the Comstock Strike?
In Nevada, $300 million gold and silver mined their during 1860-1880
Who was the most famous rancher?
Teddy Roosevelt
What were trails used for Cattle Drives?
The Chisholm and The Shawnee, which ended in Kansas, and The Western and Good Night Love, which both ended in Nebraska
What are Mexican Cowboys called?
Vaqueros
What was the political party made by farmers?
Grange. Advocated for the regulation of railroads, but the prices didn’t go down because the Federal Government needed money from the railroad
What national political party comes from the Grange?
The Populist Party, which later becomes the Progressive Party when industrial workers join in
Who was Oliver Kelly?
He was big in the Granges
What does Munns vs. Illinois do?
It was a victory for farmers. It said that states could regulate grain elevator prices because the railroad used to own them and would charge more
What did Wabash vs. Illinois do?
This was a case to see if the state could regulate how much railroads could charge the farmers. It went to the Supreme Court and they said that one state couldn’t regulate the price because the railroad runs through more than one state
What was the Federal Interstate Commission?
This was supposed to regulate railroad prices, but it didn’t because those who worked for the railroad were on the Commission
What are Sooners?
They are cheaters, particularly during land grabs
?What was the Timber Culture Act?
This gave 160 acres of land to anyone if they would plant 40 acres of trees
What was the Pacific Railroad Act?
This gave land to the railroad companies to use out west
Who is Frederick Remington?
He was a very famous artist out west, and most of his artwork now resides in the White House
Who is Owen Wister?
He wrote “The Virginian”, which the show “Panderosa” is based on
What were black soldiers out west called?
Buffalo Soldiers
Who is Crocker?
He was the railroad guy who brought in the Chinese to work on the railroad. They were often derogatorily referred to as Cocker’s Pets
What Supreme Court case outlawed polygamy?
Reynolds vs. USA. This involved the Mormons
Who is William Jennings Bryan?
He was greatly advocated for by the farmers and the Populist/Progressive party. He lost the presidential election 3 times. Biggest thing was his “Cross of Gold” speech. The farmers wanted money to be backed by silver instead of gold. “And don’t nail me to a cross of gold.”
What were some problems with the Populist Party?
- only farmers
- they were racist, split into black and white parties
- Democratic party took all their ideas
- Western and Southern farmers didn’t unite
