Moving West

Push-Pull Factors Led people to push (forced) or pull (attract) them to move west Led people to push (forced) or pull (attract) them to move west Southeastern farmland (expensive) Southeastern farmland (expensive) Sheltered outlaws on the run Sheltered outlaws on the run Adventure, fresh start, imagination Adventure, fresh start, imagination

Homestead Act Signed by Lincoln Signed by Lincoln Small fee = 160 acres of land (1/4 mile) Small fee = 160 acres of land (1/4 mile) Rules: Rules: At least 21 years old or head of a family At least 21 years old or head of a family American citizen or immigrant filing for citizenship American citizen or immigrant filing for citizenship Build house a minimum size (12 feet by 14 feet) Build house a minimum size (12 feet by 14 feet) Live in house 6 months out of year Live in house 6 months out of year Farm land 5 yrs in a row before ownership set Farm land 5 yrs in a row before ownership set 372,000 new farms - 600,000land claims – 80 million acres

Morrill Land-Grant Act (1862) Congress gave millions of acres to state governments Congress gave millions of acres to state governments Goal was to sell land and raise money to create “land grant” colleges (agriculture and mechanical arts) Goal was to sell land and raise money to create “land grant” colleges (agriculture and mechanical arts) States sold land to banks and land speculators States sold land to banks and land speculators Land speculator: people who buy up land in the hope of selling it for profit in the future. Land speculator: people who buy up land in the hope of selling it for profit in the future.

Native American Conflict Great Plains: area of land between Mississippi River and Rocky Mountains. Great Plains: area of land between Mississippi River and Rocky Mountains. Native Americans vs. New Settlers Native Americans vs. New Settlers Deemed settlers as invaders Deemed settlers as invaders Sacred land invaded Sacred land invaded Indians were nomads Indians were nomads Move from place to place…why? Move from place to place…why? Food, survival, buffalo Food, survival, buffalo

Reservations Federal land set aside for Native Americans Federal land set aside for Native Americans Native Americans fought back Native Americans fought back Sandy Creek Massacre (1864) - Colorado Sandy Creek Massacre (1864) - Colorado Battle of Little Big Horn (1876) – Dakotas, Wyoming and Montana Battle of Little Big Horn (1876) – Dakotas, Wyoming and Montana Battle of Wounded Knee (1890) – South Dakota Battle of Wounded Knee (1890) – South Dakota

Assimilation: Assimilation: attempt in which one society becomes a part of another, more dominant society by adopting its culture attempt in which one society becomes a part of another, more dominant society by adopting its culture Dawes Act (1887): Dawes Act (1887): Divided reservations into individual plots. Divided reservations into individual plots.

Boomers and Sooners Two million unsigned acres of land of native americans Two million unsigned acres of land of native americans Bought by Congress Bought by Congress April 22, 1889 April 22, 1889 Boomers: Boomers: legally staked claims on this land legally staked claims on this land Sooners: Sooners: snuck passed government officials early in the morning hours to mark their claims. snuck passed government officials early in the morning hours to mark their claims. By sundown, 2 million acres claimed!! By sundown, 2 million acres claimed!!

Hardships Lived in soddies Lived in soddies Homes made of sod: grass, root and dirt. ($3.00) Homes made of sod: grass, root and dirt. ($3.00) Livable homestead cost ($1000) Livable homestead cost ($1000) Difficulty farming for five years to claim land Difficulty farming for five years to claim land Bugs: Bugs: grasshoppers, locusts grasshoppers, locusts ate wheat, rye barley fields ate wheat, rye barley fields mosquitos mosquitos Carried disease Carried disease Drought Drought Reduced land productivity Reduced land productivity

New Farming techniques Barbed wire Barbed wire Dry farming Dry farming Steel plow Steel plow Steel windmill Steel windmill Hybridization Hybridization Grain Drill Grain Drill

Mining, Ranching, Farming GOLD RUSH “gold everywhere you stick your shovel” $400 million in gold and silver $400 million in gold and silver Placer mining: running water over boxed dirt looking for gold and silver particles Placer mining: running water over boxed dirt looking for gold and silver particles

Cowboys 25 million buffalo killed ( ) 25 million buffalo killed ( ) Long drive: Long drive: Herding of thousands of cattle from one cattle ranch to another Herding of thousands of cattle from one cattle ranch to another 1867: 35,000 cattle driven 1867: 35,000 cattle driven 1881: 250,000 cattle driven 1881: 250,000 cattle driven