WESTWARD EXPANSION of the United States

Standard 5-2 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the continued westward expansion of the United States Analyze the geographic and economic factors that influenced westward expansion and the ways that these factors affected travel and settlement, including physical features of the land; the climate and natural resources; land ownership and other economic opportunities Summarize how technologies (such as railroads, the steel plow and barbed wire), federal policies (such as subsidies for the railroads and the Homestead Act), and access to natural resources affected the development of the West Identify examples of conflict and cooperation between occupational and ethnic groups in the West, including miners, farmers, ranchers, cowboys, Mexican and African Americans, and European and Asian immigrants Explain the social and economic efforts of westward expansion on Native Americans, including opposing views on land ownership, Native American displacement, the impact of the railroad on the culture of the Plains Indians, armed conflict, and changes in federal policy. South Carolina Standards

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OBSTACLES OF THE WEST Rivers Deserts Mountai n Ranges

Major Rivers they traveled through: Mississippi Columbia Colorado Snake River

Rivers in west

Why do you think these were obstacles?

COVERED WAGONS Pioneers traveled to beginning points which became known as the “Gateway to the West.” St. Louis was a famous starting point. They also used trails that Native Americans had used.

Photos of the difficulties traveling west Can you imagine?

Other Ways of Traveling West Explorers and mountain men followed the Native American trails and wrote guidebooks to help show the way to pioneers who came afterwards. These trails were traveled often, which created a well defined trail. After the Civil War, the transcontinental railroad provided a way for those who had the money to travel to the West.

Migrants first settled on the west coast and skipped over the Great Plains. The Great Plains were called the “Great American Desert,” because it was flat and dry land. Migrants did not realize the potential for farming.

Discuss with your group: How were people able to travel to the West?

Trails through the mountains were often impassable during spring rains and winter snows, so travelers had to leave St. Louis in time to avoid these conditions.

The climate of the West was also a challenge to both travelers and settlers. Weather was unpredictable (storms, tornadoes). Obstacles continued once in the West CauseEffect Hot, dry summersDrought, dust storms, tons of insects Snowy wintersSpring floods Early snow or late spring hailstorms Crops would ruin, lives destroyed

CLIMATE Winter Bitter cold Deadly blizzard Spring Tornadoes Hailstorms Flooding Summer Blazing heat Little rain Fall Dried grasses Fires

When would you have wanted to travel to the west? Why? Talk with a friend!

Based on what you, your partner, & the class discussed, respond in writing… but think a little deeper this time. When would you have wanted to travel to the west? Why? Discuss the weather and challenges you may have faced. How would you have gotten there? Explain in detail. You have 10 minutes for a quick write. Respond in your notes with this quick write:

Technology of the West

Let’s create a chart for “Technology of the West” to use for the next slides. TechnologyWhat it didHow it helped Picture Railroads Steel Plow Windmill Mechanical Reaper

Technology helped create the plains into the “Breadbasket of the country.” The development of plows and irrigation systems helped with farming.

RAILROADS Helped people travel to the west and import/export cattle, people, or crops Let’s come up with a motion to remember this

STEEL PLOW helps cultivate the hard packed earth Let’s come up with a motion to remember this

WINDMILL brings scarce water to the surface Let’s come up with a motion to remember this

MECHANICAL REAPER gathers the crops at harvest Let’s come up with a motion to remember this

Let’s practice our motions to remember these technologies that were so beneficial to people in the west.

Gathers the crops at harvest Helps cultivate the land Brings water to the surface Helped people travel to the west and import/export cattle, people, or crops Windmill Steel Plow Railroad Mechanical Reaper Match them up!

TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD

Transcontinental Railroad Attracted new immigrants to the US Towns were developed along the railroad Some of the acreage was sold to settlers for farming If you had $$$$, hop on! Poor immigrants & farmers still used covered wagons Cattle Crops People Railroad companies owned 1,000s of acres (given to them by the government)

What were some effects of the transcontinental railroad? Transcontinental Railroad encouraged trade and economic growth provided western farmers with a means of getting their crops to market Cash crops(corn and wheat) became profitable as did the raising of cattle and hogs transported products to processing centers helped major industries (flour milling) and meat processing develop in cities

What happened to the environment? 1. Tracks had an impact on natural environment 2. Coal burning engines required more and more fuel 3. Led to an increase in mining Pollution – As industries developed, smoke from factories and wastes from processing plants polluted the air.

CONFLICT S IN THE WEST

DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE IN THE WEST Ranchers & Cowboys European Immigrants African American Mexican Immigrants Asian Immigrants Native Americans

Ranchers & Cowboys Cooperated to develop the cattle industry Ranchers owned the animals, cowboys drove the herds Cowboys drove herds: -Across open plains -To the nearest railroad to ship cattle to processing plants in the east Eventually the idea of “cattle drives” died out while farming became a top priority Townspeople didn’t care for the cowboys & ranchers After Civil War – farmers settled & fenced in their land and animals (which messed up the cattle drives) Cowboys hated fences. Some fences were made from barbed wire. Rustlers Rustlers – people known for trying to steal cattle from cowboys

Mexican Americans Southwestern part of US and California coast had both belonged to Spain and then Mexico until the Mexican War in the 1840s Mexicans - owned property After war, Mexicans were discriminated against & many lost title to their land

African Americans Exodusters - encouraged to move to Kansas African Americans primarily settled in Nicodemus, Kansas. discrimination in the South eager to move west After the Civil War, many moved west in hopes of owning their own land

European Immigrants many were too poor to move to the West and stayed in industrial cities of the East and Midwest Many settled with others from their home countries resented by those who had been born in the United States (nativism) formed communities that engaged in cooperative activities, such as barn raisings helped each other to be successful in this new land

Asian Immigrants searching for gold built transcontinental railroads US government would later pass a law excluding the Chinese from entrance as immigrants to the United States Chinese workers Paid less Faced discrimination at work sites because of their unique culture presence was tolerated attempted to compete with white men in mining and services competition for scarce resources and jobs led to increasing prejudices against the Chinese

Native Americans In the early stages, Native Americans welcomed and cooperated with explorers of the West. It all changed when rich mineral deposits were discovered on some reservations. This drove more settlers out West.

Americans tried to resist/fight back these groups that were on their land, but conflict eventually led to a series of Indian Wars Native Americans said the land was not suitable for farming & wanted to keep their traditional way of life

 In the second half of the 1800s, farmers and miners claimed the land of Native Americans that they believed was theirs.  Native Americans were pushed onto smaller reservations and some tribes went to war against the settlers and soldiers.

 Sand Creek Massacre was one that claimed the lives of Native American women and children.  Once silver was discovered in the Black Hills, the Native Americans were driven out.

SOCIAL & ECONOMIC EFFECTS

The transcontinental railroad m/search?Ntt=transcontinental+ra ilroad m/search?Ntt=transcontinental+ra ilroad

Transcontinental Railroad The bison population decreased, which greatly affected the life of the Native Americans because they depended heavily on the animal!! owners of the railroad hired riflemen & shot animals doing damage iron rails became damaged by herds of bison

What all do you see in this picture? Discuss with a partner!

FINAL THOUGHTS OF SOCIAL & ECONOMIC EFFECTS ON NATIVE AMERICANS

The treaties between the US government and Native Americans granting them reservations on their tribal land were often not honored or recognized by the government.

BATTLE OF LITTLE BIGHORN The Battle of Little Bighorn resulted in Native Americans being forced off their land due to the discovery of gold. This war was between the Native Americans and the US army, which created public support for a much larger military that crushed Native American resistance in the area.

One tribe tried to flee to Canada until the US Army had them surrounded. They were promised to be allowed to return to Oregon, but the Army did not keep their promise and they were forced to Oklahoma.

 In Wounded Knee, South Dakota, the US soldiers killed 300 men, women, and children.  Native American tribes sent to new reservations had trouble adapting their culture to the new lands.  Poverty, starvation, and depression were common on the reservations.

 Reformers tried to make Native Americans give up their ways and adopt the “white man” culture.  They turned these reservations into farms and they failed.

 Reformers also believed the children should learn the ways of the “white man.” They were taken from their families and sent to boarding schools far away. They were taught to speak English and their hair was cut.

As a result of a civil rights movement among the Native Americans, the culture is being preserved and their rights honored. Life is still very hard and many Native Americans live in poverty.

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