Westward Expansion

Indian Territory In the 1830s the grassy plains that were located between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains was designated as Indian Territory In the 1840 may trails, like the Oregon trail were opened and settlers began moving west, but bypassed (traveled through) the Indian Territory. When precious minerals are discovered in California, a mass migration of settlers move west in search on quick wealth.

Discovery of Gold & Silver 1848 – Discovery of gold in California James Marshall discovers gold while building Sutter’s Mill 1849 – Nearly 100,000 people migrate across the Great Plains seeking wealth in California – they are the 49er’s 1859 – Gold is discovered in Colorado Over 100,000 people migrate across the Great Plains into Colorado 1859 – Silver is discovered in Nevada

Discovery of Gold & Silver In 1854 congress passed the Kansas –Nebraska Act of 1854 This law opened the Indian Territory up for settlement by white farmers. In 1862 congress passed the Homestead Act of 1862 to encourage farmers and settlers to move into the Indian Territory (Midwest)

The Homestead Act In 1862, the Homestead Act was passed and signed into law. The new law established a three-fold homestead acquisition process: filing an application, improving the land, and filing for deed of title. Any U.S. citizen, or intended citizen, who had never borne arms against the U.S. Government could file an application and lay claim to 160 acres of surveyed Government land. For the next 5 years, the homesteader had to live on the land and improve it by building a 12-by-14 dwelling and growing crops. After 5 years, the homesteader could file for his patent (or deed of title) by submitting proof of residency and the required improvements to a local land office. http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/homestead-act/

The Homestead Act Allows citizens to settle on 160 acres of unclaimed public land. Land was free Settlers had to live on and make improvements on the land for five years, then they received the title. Homesteaders – the people who settled on the free land, built houses out of Sod - blocks of dirt and prairie grass this type of home was known as a Soddy.

The Homestead Act “The Homestead Act of 1862 would, along with expansion of the railroad into the territories over the next forty years, caused a wave of western settlement that would forever change the prairie from the Dakotas to Texas. Two hundred and seventy million acres would be given over to the public from Federal lands, all for only an $18 filing fee. In Oklahoma, white settlers who had been using some of the Indian lands for grazing continued to urge additional settlement rights on this land from the government. These boomers finally won these rights when the government bought three million acres of land from the Creek and Seminole, and made one million nine hundred thousand of it open for settlement at noon on April 22, 1889. Boomers waited on the border of the unassigned lands. When a pistol shot signaled the opening, fifty thousand people began a frantic race. Some had jumped the gun, however, leading to the Oklahoma term, Sooner. One month later, the Indian Territories had become the Territory of Oklahoma through a decree of Congress. Four years later, on September 16, 1893, the largest land rush occurred on the Tonkawa and Pawnee reservations, with more than 50,000 people claiming six million five hundred thousand acres.” http://americasbesthistory.com/abh-oklalr.html

Land Rushes 270 million acres of land was given away On September 16, 1893 a cannon's boom unleashed the largest land rush in American history Approximately 50,000 settlers raced to claim 42,000 parcels of land Sooners – people who had snuck into the land claim area before the race began Boomers - those who had waited for the cannon's boom before rushing into the land claim

Land Rushes “The scene played out across the prairie landscape as homestead families waited for the rush. . .  Covered wagons filled to the hilt with supplies, men on horseback waiting to race toward the best plot to stake their flat in one hundred and sixty acres of soil, formerly Indian lands, and claim their spot for the American dream.  Of course, for some it was more of a nightmare than a dream in the end, but for many it was just that, the dream of owning a parcel of land in the Oklahoma dust.  The photo above captures one such scene, as the first train and wagons leave the line in a mad dash on September 16, 1893, outside Perry, Oklahoma Territory.