Manifest Destiny and the Transcontinental Railroad Westward Expansion Manifest Destiny and the Transcontinental Railroad

America in the 1820s

America in 1865 No major Railroads went West Travel West was extremely long and dangerous – 2-3 Months by land (Native American Resistance) 4-6 Months by boat, All the way around South America

Factors That Contributed to the Settlement of the West Manifest Destiny Gold Discovered in California Homestead Act of 1862 Transcontinental Railroad The American Dream

Manifest Destiny: Go West Young Man The west was viewed as the great untapped Frontier Manifest Destiny – The belief that it was America’s mission to expand from ocean to ocean, spreading democracy and freedom Americans believed it was their God-given duty to conquer the Western territories and unify the Nation Video Clip

Territorial Expansion of U.S. 1803 Louisiana Purchase 1845 Texas 1848 Mexican-American War: Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, California, Nevada, and Utah By 1850, America gains the Oregon Territory

The Louisiana Purchase New territories added to the United States after 1801 Louisiana Purchase Jefferson bought land from France (the Louisiana Purchase), which doubled the size of the United States. In the Lewis and Clark expedition, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark explored the Louisiana Purchase from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean.

Lousiana Purchase

Other Territories Florida Texas Oregon California Spain gave Florida to the United States through a treaty. Texas Texas was added after it became an independent republic. Oregon The Oregon Territory was divided by the United States and Great Britain. California War with Mexico resulted in California and the southwest territory becoming part of the United States.

Florida, Texas, Oregon, California

Factors affecting westward expansion Geographic and economic factors that influenced westward movement Population growth in the eastern states Availability of cheap, fertile land Economic opportunity, e.g., gold (California Gold Rush), logging, farming, freedom (for runaway slaves) Cheaper and faster transportation, e.g., rivers and canals (Erie Canal), steamboats Knowledge of overland trails (Oregon and Santa Fe) Belief in the right of “Manifest Destiny”—The idea that expansion was for the good of the country and was the right of the country

Important Inventions The cotton gin was invented by Eli Whitney. It increased the production of cotton and thus increased the need for slave labor to cultivate and pick the cotton.

Important Inventions Jo Anderson (a slave) and Cyrus McCormick worked to invent the reaper. The reaper increased the productivity of the American farmer.

Famous Inventions The steamboat was improved by Robert Fulton. It eventually provided faster river transportation that connected Southern plantations and farms to Northern industries and Western territories. The steam locomotive provided faster land transportation.

Great Plains Conditions Farmers Adapted to the Conditions of the Great Plains… Match the condition with the innovation Innovations Great Plains Conditions Open plains used by competing ranchers Fewer trees Hard soil Droughts Sod Homes Windmills Steel plow Barbed wire

1848-49 Gold Rush 1848 Gold Discovered in California Thousands of Americans head West lured by the idea of becoming instant millionaires West becomes the land of opportunity Americans were on the move

African Americans Moved West.

African Americans were called Exodusters. Many African Americans moved to the West from the 1840s to late 1890s. They were escaping the difficult life in the South where Whites practiced Jim Crow Laws and denied African Americans their new Constitutional Rights. African Americans were called Exodusters after the book from the Bible called the Exodus. This book described how the Jews escaped from slavery in Egypt.

Exodusters waiting for a steamship.

The Homestead Act of 1862.

Homestead Act of 1862 The U.S. Government encouraged the settlement of the West 1862 Homestead Act – Millions of acres were given away free in the West to anyone that would claim land and live on it for 5 years First come first serve basis Other Public land was sold for $2.50 an acre

An application for land. People staked their claim by finding a section of land that was marked. Then they registered the piece of land with the government. After cultivating the land for five years, it was theirs for free.

Other Acts Morrill Land-Grant Acts – Gave states federal land to finance agricultural colleges. Pacific Railway Act – 1862 legislation to encourage the construction of a transcontinental railroad, connecting the West to industries in the Northeast (Union Pacific and Central Pacific RR)

The Oregon Trail The only way West by land was via the Oregon Trail 2,170 Mile route Dangerous and Difficult/Donner Party

The Other way West was by Boat

The Railroad Boom In 1865, America had 50,000 miles of railroad, primarily in the Northern states No railroads went West America experienced a tremendous railroad boom after the Civil War Over 150,000 miles of track was built between 1865-1895

Man of Steel: Henry Bessemer Before 1850, railroads and trains were made of iron Iron is brittle, and railroads were unreliable and under constant repair 1850 Henry Bessemer (England) invents a way to turn iron ore into steel

Transcontinental Railroad The 1st Transcontinental Railroad was started in 1869 Gov. granted over 200 million acres of land for the project and offered low interest rate loans It ran from Sacramento, California to Omaha, Nebraska Union Pacific RR began laying track Westward out of Omaha Central Pacific RR began laying track Eastward out a Sacramento

The Golden Spike On May 10th, 1869, at Promontory Point, Utah, the “Golden Spike’ was driven into the ground uniting both the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads 1st railroad line connecting the East to the West Travel time about 4-5 days from NY to California Considered one of the greatest architectural achievements in American History Nothing could stop Manifest Destiny Video Clip

Technological Improvements RR track was standardized – width of steel rail, and width from rail to rail National signals are established George Westinghouse developed air brakes 1883, A National time and Time Zones are established For scheduling, everyone was on the same time

The Railroad’s Impact Transportation of people and goods was quicker and cheaper New era of interstate trade and commerce 1865 – it cost $3.45 to ship a barrel of flour from NY to Chicago 1890 it costs .68 cents New jobs – Irish/Chinese Westward Expansion – Safer/Quicker/Cheaper Native American wars and removal

Impact of the Railroads. Railroads brought growth and new settlement all across the West. The railroads enabled people, supplies, and mail to move quickly and cheaply and safer across the plains and the mountains. The largest cities and towns developed where major railroad lines met. Because of their rapid growth, western territories began to apply for statehood. Nevada, Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington all became states from 1864 – 1890.

The Railroad spurs the growth of other industries. The lumber industry grows, because wood is needed to build the train tracks. The steel industry grows because steel is needed to build the tracks. The coal industry grows because coal is needed to fuel the train. The growth of these industries opens thousands of new jobs for workers.

Native American Land Native Americans lived here first. Native Americans and Whites came into bloody conflicts over the land. They tried to protect their lands, but finally, the United States government forced them onto reservations.

BROKEN PROMISES! The United States government made many treaties with the Native Americans not to fight and not to touch certain areas of their land. For example, The Fort Laramie Treaty was a treaty made with the Cheyenne tribe, where Americans said an area of land belonged to the Cheyenne forever! However, when gold was discovered there, the Americans forced them to sign a new treaty giving up the land. The United States government broke many treaties with the Native Americans.

Indians defend their lands, but are defeated in the end.

Native Americans are forced onto reservations.

The Dawes Act divided Indian land and gave some to the Indians in hopes they would become farmers. But they sold it to Whites for low prices.

Laws today protect Native American Reservations.

Native Americans Today Today, many Native Americans are a part of our society. However, many still live on reservations and try to maintain their cultures. New laws returned some Native American lands back to the rightful owners. How would you feel about your history if you were a Native American?