Western Expansion in the America and the National Myth Flashcards
What was the National Myth?
The idea that the West was just a large empty area with a lot of resources and fit for colonisation
What belief encouraged the belief of the National Myth further?
Manifest Destiny
How did the USA exploit Native American Tribes?
They exploited their trust and gradually took more and more land away from them
What was the usual cycle of discovering land with Native Americans living on it?
The government would protect them until valuable resources were found in that area and then the Native Americans were forced out
What initially was the belief of Native Americans after the 7 years war?
They were told that if they only moved a few hundred miles West, they would be able to live undisturbed for centuries.
What was the reality of the belief of the Native Americans after the 7 years war?
Only slightly over a century later, most of their available land to live in would have been taken from them.
What was the case with California before all the other Western states were colonised?
Rail networks were built to it but they ran through Native American land
With California being taken, what was the situation for the Native Americans?
They could not go further West so they had to look for any other available areas more inward in America
What Act was created in 1862 to give land to people?
1862 Homestead Act
How much land did the Homestead Act give and what type of land was it?
Gave 160 acres of farmland
How many additions were there to the Homestead Act and when were these additions created?
2 additions, in 1873 and 1877
When was the first addition to the Homestead Act made? What was the addition called?
The Timber Culture Act of 1873
What did the Timer Culture Act of 1873 do?
Gave 160 acres of land to people who intended to plant 40 acres of trees
When was the second addition to the Homestead Act made? What was the addition called?
The Desert and Land Act of 1877
What did the Desert and Land Act of 1877 do? How much did it cost per acres and how many acres could you buy?
Offered 640 acres of land for $1.25 an acre
