Chapter 18-3 Advanced US History

Main concerns of the West included getting soil to produce crops and keeping Indians and immigrants away. Working the land was difficult, & large corporations were waiting in the wings to take over farms, creating bonanza farms The Homestead Act The Great Plains:

The Wheat Belt : The Wheat Belt was Eastern edge of the Great Plains (where Midwesterners moved to). Used new technology in areas like Dakotas, Nebraska, and Kansas. Farmers/pioneers known as sodbusters Problems in the Great Plains included little rainfall, locust swarms, tornadoes, hail storms, & extreme temperature. Wind erosion, overuse of land Demand for wheat, etc, from city folk (since city populations were growing at alarming rates), though, did help improve the lives of these sodbusters, especially b/t 1870 & 1910 Railroads made it easier to transport wheat, etc., back to the east Bonanza Farms

Oklahoma- 1889: The End of the Frontier:

The Railroads Shaped western economy. RR growth spurred by gov’t bills and land. Growth of RR led to towns/railtowns out west. On the flip side, if you lived in a town bypassed by the RR, your town often disbanded The Cattle Industry The Texas Longhorn: Open Range Ranching: Mexicans had introduced cattle ranching to Texas and New Mexico before they were states. The industry grew in part because of the open range which was a grassland owned by the government. This covered much of the Great Plains and provided land so ranchers could graze their cattle for free and with unrestricted boundaries. Words like lasso and stampede were derived from terms of Spanish origin.

Ranching Made Worthwhile: During the Civil War, eastern cattle were slaughtered in huge numbers to feed the troops. After the war, beef prices soared, making it worthwhile to herd cattle on the Great Plains. Also, by the 1860’s, the railroads had reached the Great Plains. The product could now be easily shipped out east after a trip north to the rail lines. The Long Drive:

Keeping it Organized: As more and more people became ranchers, there were often “range wars” between settling farmers over land and blocked trails. Eventually came up with a new invention-barbed wire- which enabled hundreds of miles to be fenced off easily and cheaply to keep things straight. A good way to shut out competitors and keep their own cattle close for food and water. Pretty much ended the long drive. Slowing Down:

The West’s rich deposits of gold, silver, and copper served the needs of the growing industries of the East. They also brought a wave of settlers that populated the mountains of the West. Shaped western economy. For gold, silver, copper and coal. The hay day ….. Strike in Nevada: In 1859, Henry Comstock staked a claim in Nevada. He found in the sticky mud pure silver ore. News of Comstock’s strike saw huge numbers of miners moving to Virginia City, Nevada. Was a boomtown within days with 30,000 people. Even had a six-story hotel and the first elevator out West! Silver ran out within a few years and people deserted the town when the economy collapsed. Now known as a ghost town. Crime in the Boomtowns:

Pikes Peak: Further development in Colorado, Dakotas, and Montana. The discovery of gold near Pikes Peak led to hysteria and then disappointment. Just didn’t go deep enough at first-had to dig deep below the surface. Eventually found lead containing large amounts of silver. Everyone moved to then “Leadville”. Denver, Colorado: Western Cities