WESTWARD EXPANSION Causes and Effects

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: SS.912.A.2.7 Review the Native American experience. SS.912.A.3.1 Analyze the economic challenges to American farmers and farmers' responses to these challenges in the mid to late 1800s.

Westward Expansion Main Idea The lives of the Plains Indians and American settlers were greatly changed due to the westward expansion of the United States

Source http://diazsocialstudies.org/ahistory_units_1.htm#UNIT7.1

Westward Expansion Manifest Destiny: It's is Americas "God-Given" right to add and settle lands of America from the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans

Manifest Destiny: “Go West Young Man” Causes of Westward Expansion 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

Westward Expansion Great Plains Culture of the Native American Indians: The buffalo and horse were the key things for their way of life or culture Buffalo gave them food, clothing, shelter Native Americans lived in family groups or clans.

Westward Expansion Gold and Silver: Gold or silver was found in areas of Indian Reservations New treaties were formed in order to get Indians out of those areas so new settlers could mine gold or silver

Causes of Westward Expansion 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

Westward Expansion Homestead Act: Gave 160 acres of free land to settlers who promised to work the land for 5 years Opened up a massive expansion of settlers to the Great Plains and West

Causes of Westward Expansion 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

Westward Expansion Transcontinental Railroad: Massive railroad to connect the entire country (Atlantic to Pacific) finished in 1869 Now settlers could go from NYC to California is as little as 6 days using the railroad

Causes of Westward Expansion End of the Civil War The end of the Civil War left the South without much of its resources The South relied on the West to provide much of its food supply after the war Many freed slaves moved out west in hope of a new life Farmed the land Worked as cowboys Civil War veterans went to work on railroads or hunt buffalo

Transcontinental Railroad Causes of Westward Expansion Transcontinental Railroad 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

Effects of Westward Expansion 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

Westward Expansion During Westward Expansion, many battles were fought and Indian Territories were taken over by the United States

Tragic Indian/US issues and events Massacre at Sand Creek 700 members of a Colorado Militia group attacked Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian villages About 150 Indians were killed in the reservation

Effects of Westward Expansion Native Americans Westward expansion resulted in Native Americans: losing their native homelands changing their culture to accommodate teachings from white settlers breaking up tribal communities losing large numbers of their population

Tragic Indian Events Battle of Little Big Horn Indians trapped US army Calvary and soldiers and slaughtered about 90 soldiers Custer’s Last Stand

Tragic Indian Events Wounded Knee US army slaughtered about 300 mostly unarmed Native Americans.

Destruction of the Buffalo To make room for the railroads and settlements, massive amounts of Buffalo were slaughtered (90-95%) This led to the end of the Indian culture of the Great Plains

Dawes Act of 1887 Congress passed this act as a way to get Indians to "Americanize" by breaking up reservations Gave the land to individual Native Americans- breaking up their culture (family clans/tribes) Land that did not go to Indians was sold to bring “Americans” into the area

Effects of Westward Expansion American Farmers Westward expansion resulted in Farmers: Expanding their markets Forming Alliances in order to address Railroad corruption and price-fixing Becoming political and forming the People’s Party

Cattle Become Big Business The Open Range Cattle ranches dominated the Great Plains economy (cowboys, longhorns, and a growing demand for beef) Cattle drives to railroad become important End of the Open Range Causes: Overgrazing the land, many years of bad weather, and the invention of barbed wire. Effects: Ranchers turned to using smaller herds and better stock of cattle- more meat per animal Barbed wire was used because it was cheap and protected their cattle

Effects of Westward Expansion Social-Economic Impacts Standardized Time: Scheduling times for railroad stops was impossible as train strains all had different time based on the sun. Standardized time was critical for the smoot operation of the railroads, so time zones were created. Eminent Domain – 5th Amendment Gov. can take any land as long as it is for the public good Indian territory decimated New buildings and structures create increased tax revenue Blighted areas become economic goldmines

Settlers Meet the Challenges of the Plains By 1890, there were more than 900 manufacturers of farm equipment. Inventions led to a shift from hand labor to machine farming Inventions include barbed wire, reaper, steel plow, steel windmill

Morrill Act of 1862 Gave land to help create agriculture colleges Agricultural researchers led to the plains becoming the "breadbasket of the nation."

Additional Resources http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceUrl/Preview/36883 Who is responsible for the Battle of Little Big Horn—gives primary source material   http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceUrl/Preview/154859 Crash Course on Westward Expansion, video about 13 minutes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azJrj1PswgQ The Real West, 4 videos about 9 minutes each https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLmUhT9QOlE Manifest Destiny, 3 minute video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4YgEMykqAQ Building the Transcontinental Railroad 3 minute video www.biography.com videos and articles on key figures https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LSkfmCj8Jg Trails of Tears, 26 minute video related to the removal of Indians https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6unHZpZXLE Indian Reservations 5 minute video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53wPfADh_tA The American West 1840-1890 video 5 minutes