Chapter 2 Why would people take on the challenges of life in the West?

Students will know: how mining and ranching affected the development of the West. the factors that encouraged settlement of the Great Plains following the Civil War. the factors that caused conflicts between the Native Americans and settlers on the Great Plains.

Chapter 2 Review Lesson 1 1. The discovery of gold and silver led to a boom in population in the West, which resulted in several new states entering the Union. 2. Cattle ranching became vital to the southern Great Plains because of the open ranges that allowed cattle to graze. Railroads allowed ranchers to sell their cattle to markets in the East, which provided huge profits. 3. They both clashed with the settlers and lost the lands they’d owned or lived on for hundreds of years. Lesson 2 4. Railroads advertised across Europe and America that cheap land was available if people were willing to move, and the Homestead Act of 1862 allowed settlers to apply for up to 160 acres of land for a small registration fee. 5. The method of dry farming involved planting seeds deep in the ground to get moisture, while steel machines, such as plows, seed drills, reapers, and tractors enabled farmers to plant and harvest huge amounts of wheat easily and earn a substantial income. Lesson 3 6. Settlers moved onto the Plains and deprived Native Americans of their hunting grounds, broke treaties guaranteeing certain lands, and often forced them to relocate. 7. It allotted a certain amount of land to Native American households and individuals, set up a trust for Native American concerns, and offered citizenship to Native Americans who remained on their land for 25 years. 8. Most Native Americans could not sustain an agricultural lifestyle and many sold their lands or refused to have their reservations broken into homesteads. Eventually the United States granted citizenship to Native Americans and gave them control of their reservations.

Lesson 1: Miners and Ranchers Influence of Mining on Western Settlement Boomtowns Mineral strikes for gold, silver, copper, and lead attracted waves of prospectors to the American West. Sometimes tiny towns were transformed into small cities, called boomtowns, almost overnight. Mining Leads to Statehood Railroads were expanded to connect the mines to factories in the East. The railroads also brought people, and many of the miners stayed and settled in the West. Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, the Dakotas, and Montana increased their populations enough to apply for statehood. Mining Technology and the Environment Early prospectors extracted ore with simple tools such as picks, shovels, and pans. Technological advances led to more complex processes on a larger scale, such as hydraulic mining. Large-scale mining generated tax revenue, but had a devastating effect on the environment.

Q How did mining lead to statehood for many states in the West? (Mining—and the lure of striking it rich—attracted so many prospectors that populations became large enough to apply for statehood.)

Ranching and Cattle Drives Grazing on the Great Plains The Texas longhorn breed of cattle was adapted to the harsh climate of the Great Plains. Cattle ranching also flourished because of the open range, which was owned by the federal government and free for grazing. Importance of Railroads In the 1860s, the railroads reached Kansas and Missouri. Ranchers began huge cattle drives from Texas north to reach the railroads, where the cattle could be sold and shipped east to market. Ranching Becomes Big Business “Range wars” broke out among cattle ranchers, sheep ranchers, and farmers competing for land. Barbed wire was used to fence and divide land. Long cattle drives ended when oversupply caused prices for cattle to crash.

Q What conditions combined in the 1860s to make raising cattle on the Great Plains profitable? (Following the Civil War, prices for cattle increased. This, combined with the expansion of railroads and the accessibility of open range, created economic opportunity.) Ask: How did the open range help the business of cattle ranching thrive? (This vast area was owned by the federal government. The government allowed cattle to graze for free and ranchers to drive huge herds across the plains to be sold and shipped.)

The Hispanic Southwest Spanish Heritage Much of today’s American Southwest had belonged to Spain’s empire for centuries, and later became the Republic of Mexico. When the United States defeated Mexico in 1848, the region’s Spanish-speaking population became American citizens. Clashing Over Land Settlers from the East sometimes clashed with Hispanic residents over land. English-speaking ranchers wanted to expand their herds and claimed large tracts of land. Many Hispanics lost their land. Influence of Vaqueros Many Hispanics in the Southwest had long worked as vaqueros. Vaqueros affected the cattle boom of the 1870s and 1880s by developing tools and techniques for managing cattle. Population Growth With the expansion of the railroad in the late 1800s, the population of the Southwest continued to grow. In growing cities, Hispanics settled in neighborhoods called barrios, which helped immigrants adjust to living in a new place.

Lesson 2: Farming the Plains Geography and Settlement Great Plains The region known as the Great Plains begins around the longitudinal line that runs from the central Dakotas through western Texas and extends west to the Rocky Mountains. The geography is dry grassland with few trees. Wheat Belt The region known as the Wheat Belt begins at the eastern edge of the Great Plains and includes much of the Dakotas, Kansas, and Nebraska. Railroads During the late 1800s, the expansion of the railroads made it easier to move goods and people to the West. Railroad companies sold land along the lines at low prices and offered the land on credit. Advertisements proclaimed that cheap farm land was available to anyone willing to move to the Great Plains. Homestead Act Passed in 1862, the Homestead Act established a process for people to claim federal lands in the West. For a small fee, an individual could apply for a homestead claim on up to 160 acres of land. To receive the title to the land, homesteaders had to build a dwelling and live on their land for five years.

Q Why do you think settlers were willing to farm the dry grasslands of the Great Plains? (Settlers were encouraged by the idea of making a fresh start and owning land.) Ask: How did railroads contribute to the settlement of the Great Plains? (Railroads enabled farmers to ship crops to distant markets and were able to transport farm equipment and other goods to remote areas. In addition, because railroad companies owned land along the routes, they were able to sell land and help establish communities at rail stops.)

The Wheat Belt Farming Technology Steel Plow Steel plows, perfected by John Deere, could break through the hard sod cover of the Great Plains to turn up the fertile soil beneath. Seed Drill The seed drill allowed farmers to plant seeds deep in the soil where it was moist enough for the seeds to sprout. Mechanical Reaper Cyrus McCormick patented the mechanical reaper, which could do the work of five men. Binder Like the reaper, the binding machine did the work of many men to fasten the loose stalks together to allow crops to be gathered faster. Windmill While this was not a new technology, windmills were vital for pumping water from deep beneath the plains to the surface. Threshing Machines Threshing machines knocked grain kernels loose from stalks. This automated process made harvesting grains easier than ever before.

Lesson 3: Native Americans Cultural Differences Native American Way of Life Many Native American groups were nomadic. Traveling in groups of extended families, they were dependent largely on the buffalo for food, clothing, and shelters. They believed in the spiritual power of the natural world. While certain groups claimed lands as hunting grounds, the concept of land ownership did not align with their spiritual beliefs. Threats by Settlement Farmers and ranchers threatened the Native American way of life with permanent settlements, planted acreage, and livestock drives. Miners threatened Native Americans when they sought lands occupied by Native Americans where valuable minerals had been discovered.

Q How did the buffalo affect the way of life for Plains Indians? (Many Native Americans relied on the buffalo for food, shelter, and clothing. As the buffalo roamed the open range, many Plains Indians lived as nomads, following the buffalo.) Ask: How did the westward movement of settlers affect Plains Indians in different ways? (Miners often settled in areas such as the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory, where gold had been discovered, forcing Native Americans off of land that had been guaranteed to them. Ranchers fenced in large areas of land and killed off buffalo that competed with their livestock for grazing land. Farmers plowed up sod to plant crops, which deprived buffalo of their food source.)

Struggles of the Plains Indians Westward Migration Miners, ranchers, and farmers moved westward in the mid-1800s, settling in areas that had long been home to Native Americans and to the enormous buffalo herds that sustained them. Nomadic Culture Many Plains Indians lived as nomads, following the buffalo. As the buffalo population was decimated by settlement, Native American culture was threatened. Violence broke out in the 1860s. Early Battles Major early battles include the Dakota Sioux Uprising, Red Cloud’s War (noted on the map within the callout for the second Treaty of Laramie), and the Sand Creek Massacre.

The Reservation System Separation The Indian Peace Commission established a reservation system with the goal of separating the Native American population from settlers. Compensation The commission promised the Native Americans compensation for the disruption of their way of life. Broken Promises Government payments to Native Americans rarely arrived. Starvation led to violence.

The Last Native American Wars Final Clashes Battle of Little Bighorn, 1876 Custer’s attack on a large combined force of Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux resulted in one of the worst U.S. defeats of the Native American Wars. All but one of Custer’s 210-man cavalry unit were killed. Flight of the Nez Perce, 1877 Planned relocation to a smaller reservation forced Chief Joseph to lead his people on a 1,400-mile flight toward Canada to escape pursuing cavalry. After the eventual surrender, the Nez Perce were forced onto a reservation in Oklahoma far from their homeland. Wounded Knee Massacre, 1890 Native American’s final battle took place on the Lakota Sioux reservation in 1890. Lakota refusal to abandon the spiritual Ghost Dance brought U.S. forces to the reservation. Sitting Bull was killed. In the ensuing clash, 25 U.S. soldiers and about 200 Lakota were massacred.

The Dawes Act and Other Policies of Assimilation Dawes Act The Dawes Act tried to encourage Native American assimilation by allotting plots of reservation land to Native Americans for farming. Failed as a policy due to cultural differences. Citizenship Act The Citizenship Act passed in 1924, granted citizenship to all Native Americans. Arizona, Maine, and New Mexico did not grant Native Americans suffrage until after World War II. New Deal Policies of assimilation and allotments finally ended in 1934 during the administration of Franklin Roosevelt.

Q Why do you think the U.S. government wanted Native Americans to assimilate into the settlers’ culture? (Students may say that this was their way of eliminating an obstacle to the fulfillment of Manifest Destiny. Some may think that nineteenth-century settlers believed this was their duty—they considered the Native American lifestyle “primitive” and thought it should be changed.) Ask: Why did the goal of assimilation of Native Americans have limited success? (Students may cite the fundamental differences between the two cultures and the fact that Native Americans had to remain on reservations.) Ask: Why did the U.S. government reverse the policy established by the Dawes Act? (It acknowledged the failure of the Dawes Act to assimilate the Native Americans and attempted to make groups as autonomous as possible within reservation lands.)