WESTWARD EXPANSION AFTER WAR

MOVING WEST Motivations for moving West  Jobs: As more people began building out west (Railroads), demand for workers rose  Economic Gain: Gold, Silver and other valuable goods  Opportunity: Chance to get a new life and new opportunities to rise in society  African Americans  Immigrants  Poor Southern Farmers  Poor Northern factory workers Homestead Act: Act passed to encourage people to move west  160 acres of land given to any man willing to work it for 5 years  Disadvantage: Poor climate for growing unless soil is prepared well

GREAT PLAINS The Homestead Act made land more available to common people  Land in the Great Plains  Even land purchased was very cheap Oklahoma Land Rush:  As part of the Homestead Act, settlers “claimed” parts of Oklahoma that were not used by Native Americans.

TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD As expansion west began to rise, a need to shorten distances between the East and West became a priority Transcontinental Railroad: A railroad to connect the west coast and the East  Privately built-assisted by the Government ($)  Workers were Civil War Veterans and Chinese immigrants

DISCUSSION What types of Americans are moving west? Why would these people be willing to move? What issues would arise with the passage of the Homestead Act? How could the Transcontinental Railroad change the west?

NEW TECHNOLOGIES New Tech made living in the west achievable Barbed Wire: allowed settlers to enclose their land and keep animals in Sod House: No major forests on Plains, settlers build houses from thick patches of grass Six Shooter-Colt.45: Handgun that made it easy to protect yourself Windmills: use wind to create power, pump water Steel Plow: made plowing land much easier

CONFLICT WITH NATIVE AMERICANS While the Homestead Act convinced many Americans to move west, others already lived in the west  Dozens of Native American tribes lived in the West  Native Americans were tired of having land taken Numerous battles and mini wars happen between Native Americans and the US Army  Battle of Little Big Horn: Native American tribes led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse lead a major victory over American soldiers led by George Custer  Wounded Knee Massacre: Massacre of hundreds of Native Americans by American soldiers

CHANGING NATIVE LIFE Americans sought to either remove Native Americans or turn them into “Americans” Once Native Americans realized armed resistance wouldn’t work, they gave up Dawes Act: US action that granted a limited amount of land to every Native American family and allowed the rest to be sold to white settlers Also intended to assimilate (to absorb/adopt a different culture) into America

REFLECTION Do you think assimilation will work? Is it fair?