Settling the West

1865 - 1900

Westward Expansion

Manifest Destiny US should expand from Atlantic

to Pacific First to go were miners,

ranchers, and farmers At the expense of Native

Americans

Expansion (cont)

The Louisiana Purchase (1803) took America to the Rockies

Expansion (cont)

The Mexican American War (1846-48) took America from coast to coast

Expansion (cont) Alaska

Purchased from Russia for $7.2 million or 2.5 cents per acre

Became known as “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox”

Gold discovered in 1890s

Railroads Pacific Railway Act (1862) – construction of

transcontinental railroad Union Pacific

10,000 workers – Civil War vets, Irish Immigrants, farmers, miners, ex-cons

Central Pacific 10,000 Chinese

workers Met at Promontory, Utah

Native Americans

Pushed off their lands in east to reservations on the Great Plains Grassland extending through the west-

central portion of U.S.

1834 – Congress declared Great Plains as one big reservation

Native Americans (cont)

Native Americans (cont)

As Natives are pushed further, leads to fighting Sand Creek Massacre, Fetterman’s

Massacre, Little Big Horn (aka Custer’s Last Stand)

Native Americans (cont) Battle of Wounded Knee

After the death of Sitting Bull, army feared an uprising

Troops started rounding up and disarming Sioux Over 300 unarmed Native Americans killed

Marked the end of the Indian Wars

Opening the West

Dawes Act of 1877 Natives assimilated – absorbed into

society as landowners and citizens Reservations broken into allotments or

small plots

Cattle Ranchers

Open Range – a vast area found in the Great Plains that was open to cattle grazing Was perfect for the Texas Longhorn

A hardy descendent from Spanish cattle brought to Mexico

Ranchers (cont)

To meet the demand for beef, cowboys began taking cattle on long drives Cattle trails, such as the

Chisholm Trail, opened up Lasted about 3 months 1 cowboy/250 head Earned about $25/month

Ranchers (cont)

Long Drives ended because of: Barbed wire Ranchers turned to high-grade cattle

Beginnings of Settlement

Homestead Act of 1862 Settler could file for a tract of

public land for $10

Settlement (cont)

Life on the plains was difficult Harsh environment

Summer over 100°F, little rain Winter brought blizzards and extreme cold Prairie fires and swarms of grasshoppers

Settlement (cont)

Farmers called sodbusters No trees, houses called

soddies Many lost homes due to

drought, wind erosion, overuse of the land