Westward expansion after the civil war

WESTWARD EXPANSION AFTER THE CIVIL WAR

EQ: How was America transformed as a result of westward expansion?

MININGEven though the California Gold Rush was over, people were still trying to get rich

Gold was found at Pikes Peak in the Colorado Rockies

Most gold was underground, therefore mining became a huge business

A larger company would have greater success at finding gold than an individual

MININGGold and silver strikes created “boomtowns”

Miners made money quickly and quickly gambled it away

Once all of the ore from the mines was gone, “booms” became “busts” and boomtowns became ghost towns

As gold and silver mining decreased, mining for other metals such as copper, lead, and zinc increased

RAILROADS

Transportation was vital to mining

Metals had little value unless they could be transported

Government gave “subsidies” (money) and land grants to railroad companies

A TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD

In the 1850’s railroad companies searched for a route to connect the Atlantic and Pacific coasts

This was an enormous challenge- 1,700 miles of track across the country

Two companies: 1.) Central Pacific Company and 2.) Union Pacific Company

Central Pacific would begin in Sacramento, CA and work east

Union Pacific would begin in Omaha, NE and work west (this would connect to existing railroads in the east)

Work was very difficult and pay was low

Most Union Pacific workers were Irish immigrants and African Americans

Most Central Pacific immigrants were Chinese

A specific crew of immigrants from both sides completed the last 10 miles in 12 hours to finish in time for the ceremony

The two tracks met at Promontory Summit, Utah

Leland Stanford, governor of California drove a final golden spike that completed the project.

A TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD

THE CATTLE BUSINESSRanchers in places like Texas were herding wild longhorn cattle as a business

Most of Texas was on the “open range.” In open range, cattle roam freely regardless of who owns the land

Demand for beef was high in big cities ($40 per head of cattle)

Ranchers would take “drive” cattle for hundreds of miles to reach railroads (“long drives”)

Towns would pop up at the end of cattle drives, near railroads. These were called “cow towns”

COWHANDS (COWBOYS)Cowhands rode all day in all kinds of weather

Faced many dangers including violent storms, “rustlers” who tried to steal cattle, and stampedes

Many were Civil War veterans who moved west for a better life

Some were Native Americans

Western cowhands of Hispanic ethnicity were called “vaqueros”

Vaqueros introduced riding, roping, and branding

Nat (“Nate”) Love was one of the most famous

He was a former slave

THE HOMESTEAD ACTThis was passed to encourage settlement on the Great Plains

Up to 160 acres were given to a family who agrees to pay a $10 fee and agree to live on the land for 5 years

Later laws increased the amount of land given

Some women and African Americans claimed homesteads as well

African Americans would claim land to escape mistreatment in the South

Not all settlers were homesteaders. Some bought land at a very cheap price.

LIFE ON THE GREAT PLAINSWood was scarce because there weren't many trees

Settlers built their houses out of sod (packed soil)

Extreme climate was a challenge. Some years would be extremely dry and during some years, it would flood

During drought, brushfires would spread

Summer would bring clouds of grasshoppers, which would destroy crops

Winters could be cold and snowy, so families had to store food

Everyone in the family would work, therefore children couldn’t attend school regularly

NEW FARMING METHODSFarmers were called “sodbusters”

They developed new methods and tools

Dry farming- trapping limited moisture in the soil. They would accomplish this by plowing right after rainfall

John Deere invented the steel plow to cut through tough layers of sod

OTHER INVENTIONSSix-shooter: Invented by Samuel Colt. It was used by both sides in the Civil War and by the U.S. Army in conflicts with Native Americans

Barbed-wire: Used instead of wood to build fences

Windmills: Used wind energy to pump water from deep wells

CONFLICTS WITH NATIVE AMERICANS

1867- The Indian Peace Commission developed a policy for moving all Native Americans to a few large reservations

Government gave themselves the authority to use military force on groups that refused to move

LIFE ON A RESERVATIONReservations were managed by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs

Most of the land was unfit for farming and hunting

Government failed to deliver quality goods and supplies that they promised

Native Americans began to believe that conflict was the only answer

LITTLE BIGHORNMany conflicts had occurred between the Great Plains Indians (Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho) and the military

A treaty in 1868 was supposed to bring peace w/ Sioux but more conflict erupted over white settlement of the Black Hills in North and South Dakota

The U.S. promised “no white person or persons shall be permitted” to settle in the Black Hills

Rumors began to spread about gold in the Black Hills

LITTLE BIGHORN

The government tried to buy the Black Hills

Sioux chief, Sitting Bull, refused

“I do not want to sell any land…Not even as much as this”- Sitting Bull as he’s holding a pinch of dust

LITTLE BIGHORNIn June of 1876, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse gathered Sioux and Cheyenne warriors along the Little Bighorn River

U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer arrived w/ 250 soldiers

Custer’s men faced THOUSANDS of warriors, but he still attacked

Custer and almost all of his men were killed (“Custer’s Last Stand”)

SITTING BULL AFTER LITTLE BIGHORN

The Sioux continued to fight after Little Bighorn but the disappearance of buffalo made life difficult

Sitting Bull worked in a traveling “Wild West Show” operated by “Buffalo” Bill Cody

GERONIMOBorn in Mexico

Led his people (Apache) against colonization of land against both Mexican and U.S. settlers

After the Apache were moved to Arizona, he led raids on behalf of his people

He finally surrendered in 1886

CHIEF JOSEPH1877- The U.S. ordered the Nez Perce to move to a reservation in Idaho or be removed by force

Chief Joseph decided to leave, but before he could act, a small group from his tribe attacked and killed settlers

Chief Joseph and others fled to Canada, knowing they had no chance against the U.S. Army

The U.S. Army surrounded the Nez Perce and blocked them from getting food or water

Chief Joseph final surrendered and uttered the famous words, “From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.”

WOUNDED KNEE1889- western Native Americans were performing a ceremony called the Ghost Dance celebrating hope for the day where settlers would disappear and the buffalo would return

The U.S. government began to get worried so they banned the Ghost Dance movement

Officials blamed Sitting Bull and tried to arrest him

During a scuffle, Sitting Bull was shot and killed

WOUNDED KNEEAfter Sitting Bull’s death, several hundred armed Sioux gathered at Wounded Knee Creek

The U.S. sent troops to Wounded Knee to collect weapons from the Sioux

Somehow a gun went off and the army returned fire

200 Sioux and 25 soldiers were killed

ASSIMILATIONAssimilation- blending Native Americans into white society

Young Native Americans were sent to boarding schools to learn European American ways

They were taught how to dress and act like European American children

They were taught English and forbidden to speak their native language

Many were given European American names

DAWES ACTAuthorized the president to divide Native American land into individual allotments for Native Americans

Those who separated from the tribe and accepted the allotments were granted citizenship

This was meant to assimilate Native Americans into European-American lifestyles

“Excess” reservation land after allotments were sold (even to non-Native Americans)