Westward Expansion

Question 1

Briefly explain why the following groups moved west
Mormons
Farmers
Homesteaders
Pioneers
Speculators

Answer 1

MORMONS - came from the east to avoid persecution
FARMERS - headed out during 1870s in search of grazing land, to earn more money
HOMESTEADER - moving to Kansas to start a new,cheaper life away from civil war
SPECULATOR - for the gold rush of 1849 - 90,000 did this. Mining camps and towns built
PIONEER - to exploring and discover new territory

Question 2

THE GILDED AGE

• A period of American history from _____ - _____
• The term coined by ______ in _______
• What does ‘gilded’ actually mean?
• National wealth increased by ___ times
• One of the most ______ periods in American history, but littered with ___ and ___

Answer 2

THE GILDED AGE

• A period of American history from 1870-1900
• The term coined by Mark Twain in ‘The Gilded Age: a tale of today’
• Gilded means covered with gold, but not really golden on the inside
• National wealth increased by 5 times
• One of the most dynamic periods in American history, but littered with greed and corruption

Question 3

LIFE ON THE PLAINS
People who moved westward depended on crops.
Give three problems that this posed

Answer 3

• Neighbours were remote - an issue for women in labour
• Faced tornadoes, hailstorms, blizzards, locusts etc
• Land was cheap, but horses, wagons, fertilisers etc were not. Also, interest rates were high

Question 4

AGRICULTURE

• Farming became _____
• Methods of dry farming were developed to combat ____ so _____
• Increase in _____
• In ___, _______ created the first barbed wire
• _____ cents per bushel in 1867 to ___ cents in 1873

Answer 4

AGRICULTURE

• Farming became mechanised
• Methods of dry farming were developed to combat lack of rain so farmers could earn more
• Increase in large scale farming
• In 1873, Joseph Glidden created the first barbed wire
• 78 cents per bushel in 1867 to 31 cents in 1873

Question 5

CATTLE AND RANCHING
- Climatic conditions were \_\_\_\_
- Policies enabled individuals to \_\_\_\_\_
- \_\_\_\_\_ per acre
- Foreign investors fuelled '\_\_\_\_\_'
ALTHOUGH....??

Answer 5

CATTLE AND RANCHING

• Climatic conditions were ideal
• Policies enabled individuals to gain land
• 50 cents per acre
• Foreign investors fuelled ‘beef bonanza’

ALTHOUGH….??
Conditions were harsh, workers were exploited, there were lots of disputes and violence over land

Question 6

COWBOYS
- Dominant of the road
- \_\_\_\_\_ background
- $\_\_-\_\_ per month
- \_\_\_ hour days 
Also had to worry about.....?

Answer 6

COWBOYS
- Dominant of the road
- Diverse background
- $25-30 per month
- 18 hour days 
Also had to worry about snakes, flooding, native Americans, blizzards

Question 7

RAILWAY
Give 3 positives
Give 2 negatives

Answer 7

RAILWAYS
Positives 
- Revolutionised the west
- Stimulated the growth of nails turning eg steel and iron
- Helped transport meat 

Negatives

• Railway companies were heavily corrupt
• The Indians were angry