Settling the West

People Move Out West After the Civil War, many people started moving out west What was the draw? Silver Gold Land Were there whites there already? Yes: Mormons in Utah, Settlers in Oregon, Some here and there Big influx of migration in the 1860s and 1870s

Mining Minerals like ore, gold, silver, and copper attracted men to the west Comstock Lode 1859 Six-Mile Canyon, NV Henry Comstock claimed area of near pure silver Huge boom of people Town had 30,000 with opera house, European shops

Boomtowns and Ghost towns Booms Crime an issue as people fought over land and profits from the gold/silver/copper, etc. Vigilance Committees Tried to take law into own hands since law enforcement was scarce Women – barmaids, laundresses, “ladies of the night,” dancers, etc. Busts Once the ore was extracted, the economy tanked, and many towns were left deserted.

Cattle Ranching Cattle ranching on the Great Plains At first, not practical – dry land, hot Longhorn cattle – brought up from Mexico could handle the climate Mexicans introduced cattle ranching throughout southern and central U.S.A. Before Civil War: cattle not popular After Civil War: cattle became lucrative Many slaughtered to feed armies Railroads across America made it easier to do business Long drives of cattle to get to the railroads

Homestead Act 1862 Gov’t supported $10 fee got you a homestead (up to 160 acres of public land…once lived there 5 years, it’s yours) At first difficult to find crops that thrived in the dry plains. WHEAT!