Section 2 The Western Crossroads U.S. History Section 2 The Western Crossroads

Timeline

Timeline 1860 - 1910

Boomtowns

Boomtowns

Boomtowns Refers to tiny frontier towns that would become small cities overnight The rapid population growth was made up of prospectors looking for precious metals/minerals located nearby No law enforcement Vigilance committees – self-appointed volunteers who tracked down and punished criminals

Texas Longhorn

Texas Longhorn

Texas Longhorn

Texas Longhorn

Texas Longhorn Cattle that were introduced to the Texas plains by the Spanish and eventually set free when they left Cattle adapted to the plains by evolving longer horns to ward off predators

Long drives

Long drives

Long drives The movement of cattle from the ranch to the railheads Done by herding the cattle north Railroads transported the cattle to the east

Open range

Open range

Open range

Open range Large pieces of open land where free grazing could take place

Barbed Wire

Barbed Wire

Barbed Wire

Barbed Wire

Barbed Wire Cheap fencing material that kept cattle from pushing them over Invented by Joseph Glidden

Haciendas

Haciendas

Haciendas After the collapse of the old Spanish mission system, society in the Southwest became dominated by a landholding elite They owned “haciendas” – vast ranches covering thousands of acres

The Great Plains

The Great Plains

The Great Plains Dry grassland area that extends from Texas north into Canada Covers the United States from (roughly) the Appalachian Mts. to the Rocky Mts. The land is difficult Trees only occur near rivers or streams Hot summers w/temperatures above 100 degrees Winters feature bitter cold temperatures and blizzards

Homestead Act

Homestead Act

Homestead Act

Homestead Act Video Allowed any citizen to claim any surveyed land up to 160 acres Would gain the title to the land after five years of residence Established to speed up western expansion Land thought previously worthless, like in the Great Plains, was transformed into America’s wheat belt

Sodbusters

Sodbusters

Sodbusters Name given to Great Plains farmers Because wood was scarce, they built homes called “sod houses” These houses were made of a mixture of mud and grass that formed into bricks

Advances in Agriculture

Advances in Agriculture

Advances in Agriculture Advances include crop rotation, better irrigation methods, use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and use of mechanical farming equipment like the steel plow Advances in transportation also helped farmers get their product to market

Morrill Act

Morrill Act

Morrill Act Granted 17 million acres to states States must finance the construction of agriculture and engineering colleges Led to the founding of more than 70 state universities

Bonanza farm

Bonanza farm

Bonanza farm Large scale farms Created by more efficient technology and cheap, abundant land By the end of the 1880s, the United States was the world’s leading exporter of wheat

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Bureau of Indian Affairs Government agency responsible for managing American Indian issues BIA commissioner favored the reservation system

Sand Creek Massacre

Sand Creek Massacre

Sand Creek Massacre Chief Black Kettle had brought several hundred Cheyenne to Fort Lyon, CO to negotiate a peace deal. They were permitted by the fort’s commander to make camp at Sand Creek Col. Chivington attacked with his forces The exact number of Cheyenne casualties remains unknown

Reservation system

Reservation system

Reservation system The increasing number of white settlers and conflicts like the Sand Creek Massacre forced the U.S. government to take action They created reservations that would be run by federal agents The U.S. Army would deal with Indians who refused to report to their appropriate reservations

George Armstrong Custer

George Armstrong Custer

George Armstrong Custer U.S. Army General that was the leader of the 7th Cavalry Sent to deal with the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne that had left their reservation

Battle of Little Big Horn

Battle of Little Big Horn

Battle of Little Big Horn

Battle of Little Big Horn Video Sitting Bull was the leader of several Sioux groups containing about 2500 men Custer and his force of more than 200 men were all killed

Dawes Act

Dawes Act

Dawes Act Designed to help “Americanize” the Indian tribes by encouraging private land ownership Each American Indian family to receive 160 acres for farming Citizenship would be granted to those who stayed on their land for 25 years

Questions?

END OF CHAPTER 2 IN TEXTBOOK