Settling the West

After the Civil War, many people started moving out

west What was the draw?

Silver Gold Land

Were there whites there already? Yes: Mormons in Utah, Settlers in Oregon, Some here

and there Big influx of migration in the 1860s and 1870s

People Move Out West

Minerals like ore, gold, silver, and

copper attracted men to the west

Comstock Lode 1859 Six-Mile Canyon, NV Henry Comstock claimed area of

near pure silver Huge boom of people

Town had 30,000 with opera house, European shops

Mining

Booms Crime an issue as people fought

over land and profits from the gold/silver/copper, etc.

Vigilance Committees Tried to take law into own hands

since law enforcement was scarce

Women – barmaids, laundresses, “ladies of the night,” dancers, etc.

Busts Once the ore was extracted, the

economy tanked, and many towns were left deserted.

Boomtowns and Ghost towns

Cattle ranching on the Great Plains

At first, not practical – dry land, hot Longhorn cattle – brought up from

Mexico could handle the climate Mexicans introduced cattle ranching

throughout southern and central U.S.A. Before Civil War: cattle not popular After Civil War: cattle became lucrative

Many slaughtered to feed armies Railroads across America made it easier

to do business Long drives of cattle to get to the

railroads

Cattle Ranching

Homestead Act

1862 Gov’t supported $10 fee got you a

homestead (up to 160 acres of public land…once lived there 5 years, it’s yours)

At first difficult to find crops that thrived in the dry plains.

WHEAT!