Boomtown Gold found>miners go west> Merchants move west> Stores open> Boomtowns created Expensive-Money earned then lost to spending and gambling. Violence, cheating, stealing, and crime common Few law enforcement Women opened schools and churches

Ghost Towns Gold and other ore runs out Miners leave Merchants close stores and leave Towns were abandoned

Homestead Act 160 acres of land to farm for 5 years 12% were single women Unpredictable weather No rain or too much rain Brush fires Fierce winds Swarms of insects (i.e. grasshoppers)

Transcontinental Railroad Trans- meaning coast to coast Subsidy- gov’t loan to par for R.R. Creation of western towns>large cities Chinese, Irish, Mexican Immigrant workers African American workers Movement of people/goods coast to coast Creation of time zones

Native American Struggles Nomadic lifestyle Dependence on buffalo Moved onto reservations and “westernized” Buffalo killed off by R.R. and for sport Blocked tracks/destroyed trains Hides and fur sold in eastern cities Meat fed R.R. workers

Wounded Knee Dawes Act destroyed Nat. American culture and way of life Thought to regain strength through Ghost Dance Seen as threat to soldiers 300 Native Americans Slaughtered Only 25 soldiers killed

Battle of Little Big Horn Lt. Custer orders men to attack Nat. Americans when they refused to move onto reservations All soldiers are killed by Sioux Tribe