Transforming the West Chapter 11, Section 3

Mining Why did people go to mining towns? Discovery of gold and silver What major drawback did these areas have? The areas were not prepared for the large rush of individuals that came to them.

Mining How was order maintained in these mining towns? Vigilantes= self-appointed law enforcers; Later marshals and sheriffs How did towns change from ‘boomtowns’ to ‘ghost towns’? As gold and silver dried up, so did the people to live in the towns. Why did large mining companies take over the mining efforts? What problem did they face? The resources were too deep– needed machinery. Lack of water to blast away the sediment.

Railroads Why was there a need for a transcontinental railroad? Needed to transport goods to/from the West. How did Congress encourage private citizens to purchase land to build railroads on? Land grants= purchase large tracts of land; Money in the form of loans to private citizens.

Railroads What difficulties did building a railroad bring? Need for a lot of labor; Had to blast their way through mountains. What benefits did railroads provide for the country? Brought people together; Moved products and people; Spurred industrial movement

Ranching What enabled ranching to take off in the western states? Vast acres of grass to graze cattle on. i. Open-range system= cattle were branded by their owners so they could roam free and still be identified.

Ranching What brought an end to the open-range system? Invention of barbed wire; Price of beef drops because supply exceeds demand; Freezing winters followed by summer droughts.

Farming What measure did the U.S. government take to encourage farming in the West? Homestead Act (1862)= offered land plots of 160 acres to those willing to stay on land for 5 years, dig a well and build a road. What role did African Americans play in the settling of the West? Exodusters= African Americans who left the South (out of bondage) to the ‘Promised Land’. Settled and started farms to be successful.

Farming What inventions arose from the necessity of farmers? Sodhouses Barbed wire Steel plow Water-pumping windmill i. Morrill Act (1862)= granted land to states to establish agricultural colleges.

Water-pumping windmill Sodhouse

Conflict and the Closing of the Frontier How did the diversity of the West contribute to conflict in the West? People from different countries (China, Mexico, Native Americans) clashed with whites culturally. Where did the last major land rush take place? When was the frontier deemed ‘closed’? Oklahoma (1889); 1890 Frederick Jackson Turner wrote of the frontier’s closing.