Gilded Age Pt 3 Westward Movement

Westward Ho! Transcontinental RR finished 1869 in Utah Connected whole country, created a national market Easier communication and migration to the West Started settling in small western towns along RR Started the “closing of the frontier” Why would people want to move west? FREE LAND!

Push-Pull Factors Reasons why people moved west Push factors: things that make you want to leave where you are Overcrowding, expensive land, persecution, immigration Pull Factors: things that draw you to a certain area Government Incentives Private Property Gold Homestead Act- FREE LAND; had to farm land for 5 years Major pull factor Pushed Indians further off land Think about starting a farm- what do you need to be successful? Do you think most of the Homesteaders were successful or not? Why?

Push-Pull Factors: Reasons why people moved west PUSH-things that make you want to leave where you are PULL- things that draw you to a certain area Overcrowding (esp bc of immigrants) expensive land persecution (Mormons) Government Incentives, Private Property, Gold Homestead Act- FREE LAND; had to farm land for 5 years Major pull factor PUSH-things that make you want to leave where you are PULL- things that draw you to a certain area

Homestead Act States Think about starting a farm- what do you need to be successful? Do you think most of the Homesteaders were successful or not? Why?

Indian Policies Problem with so many people moving west- who already lives on that land? What is going to happen because of that? Native Americans- will lead to conflict (fighting) Gov made bad treaties with Indians to take their land Most pushed onto reservations Why were reservations difficult for Native Americans? Goes against their way of life; ended up depending on government for everything

Indian Policies US thinks Native Americans should be “more like us”- Forced them to become more “civilized” Assimilation- to become more like the dominant culture Dawes Act- abolished tribes; divided reservations into individual plots for each family How would this make the Native Americans more “American”? No more shared land; everyone has their own; would be farmers- that’s the “American” dream

Indian Wars Sand Creek Massacre, 1864 Battle of Little Bighorn Cheyenne Indians had deal with governor of CO Colonel John Covington attacked, killed several hundred Indians, including women and children Battle of Little Bighorn Sioux Indians in Dakotas Had deal to stay on reservation, but Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse didn’t General Custer was sent to round them up, faced more Indians than he expected and was killed “Custer’s Last Stand”

Indian Wars As Americans moved West, lost of fighting ensued Started during Civil War Lots of really terrible treatment of Native Americans, massacres Massacre at Wounded Knee (1890) was the last fight Tried to arrest Sitting Bull (leader), he hesitated, they shot him Indians surrendered, someone fired, soldiers killed 200 more Sioux Indians realized they could not beat the US military, end of the fighting

Cattle Boom Cattle Drives promised money Cows went from $5 to $50 after Civil War- WHY? Developed cattle drive trails- called a Long Drive Herding cow to railroads From TX to KS, MO, or CO- why here? Cow Towns popped up along trails Barbed wire- developed during this time. What was it used for and how did it affect the cattle industry? Prevented long drive by creating barriers/fences Now how did cattle drives work? Built railroads in Texas- connected east and west Railroads National Demand Refrigerated Railcars Big Profits for Meat Industry; need regulations for meat industry

Gold Rushes People found gold out west, so a bunch of people went to find some too In California in 1849 Population from 14,k to 200,k in a few years Klondike Gold Rush- 1896 Last major gold rush Yukon, Canada (close to Alaska) Over 100,000 people went

Advances in Farming Farming on Great Plains was difficult New techniques and machines made farming more efficient Mechanization(use of machines) made production increase Increased production = drop in prices = making less money

Farmers’ Problems Increased cost of land Economic “panics” (recession) Problems for farmers Why it was a problem? Falling crop prices Famers had to produce more to make money; couldn’t make enough money Increased cost of land Farmers couldn’t afford to buy land to grow more; went into debt Economic “panics” (recession) Farmers lost money when prices dropped Tariffs: taxes on imported goods- made stuff cost too much Farmers had no cash went further into debt Railroads charged outrageous prices to ship crops (no regulation!) Problems for farmers Why it was a problem? Falling crop prices Increased cost of land Economic “panics” (recession) Tariffs: Farmers had no cash Railroads

STAAR Practice

STAAR Practice What were those grants? HOMESTEADS

Big Idea What were the causes and effects of westward expansion? (why did people move and what happened because of all those people moving?) Do you think the US will be satisfied with expanding to California and then stop? Or will they want to keep going? Why?