Chapter 7: Unit I LIFE ON THE WESTERN PLAINS

THE LAND

LAND WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI CONSIDERED TO BE DESOLATE BY THE EARLIEST EUROPEAN SETTLERS THE PLAINS WAS HOME TO MILLIONS OF JACKRABBITS, PRARIE DOGS, AND MIL. AMERICAN BISON (BUFFALO)

NATIVE AMERICANS

THE WEST WAS HOME TO NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES SUCH AS THE SOUIX, COMANCHE, AND BLACKFEET THEY WERE NOMADIC TRIBES; THEY ROAMED VAST DISTANCES IN SEARCH OF THEIR MAIN FOOD SOURCE (BUFFFALO)

NATIVE AMERICANS NATIVE AMERICANS USED ALL OF THE PARTS OF THE BUFFALO THEY WERE DEPENDENT ON THE BUFFALO TO PRIVIDE FOOD, AS WELL AS SHELTER, CLOTHING, AND OTHER THINGS

NATIVE AMERICANS THEY ORIGINIALLY USED DOGS TO HAUL THEIR POSSESSIONS AS THEY HUNTED FOR FOOD IN THE 1600’S NATIVE AMERICANS OBTAINED HORSES FROM SPANISH SETTLERS

NATIVE AMERICANS NATIVE AMERICANS OBTAINED HORSES BY TRADING FOR THEM OR STEALING THEM FROM THE SPANISH SETTLERS BY THE MID 1750’S ALMOST ALL OF THE PLAINS PEOPLE RODE ON HORSEBACK

NATIVE AMERICANS HORSES DRASTICALLY IMPROVED THE WAY OF LIFE FOR THE NATIVE AMERICANS IT ENABLED THEM TO BE BETTER HUNTERS IT MADE THEM TO BE BETTER FIGHTERS; THEY WERE ABLE TO RESIST SETTLERS AND RAILROADS

NATIVE AMERICANS IN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO, APACHE AND NAVAJO NATIVE AMERICANS CAPTURED HORSES TO SELL TO THE NORTHERNERS T

THE RAILROADS

“WITHOUT THE RAILROADS IT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A CENTURY TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN FIVE YEARS” -DAKOTA NEWSPAPER EDITOR

THE RAILROADS THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN: –THE KILLING OF THE BUFFALO AND ALL OTHER PRARIE LIFE –OBSTRUCTION OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS WAY OF LIFE –REMOVAL OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS TO RESERVATIONS

THE RAILROADS RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION BEGAN AT A FRANTIC PACE DURING THE CIVIL WAR THE FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL LINE WAS COMPLETED IN 1869 MAY 10, 1869, “WEDDING OF THE RAILS” TOOK PLACE A PROMENTARY POINT, UTAH

THE RAILROADS THE UNION PACIFIC COMPANY WAS EMPLOYED TO BUILD THE RAILROAD WEST FROM OMAHA THE UNION PACIFIC COMPANY EMPLOYED MOSTLY IRISH IMMIGRANTS

THE RAILROADS THE CENTRAL PACIFIC COMPANY WAS EMPLOYED TO BUILD THE RAILROAD EAST FROM SACREMENTO THE CENTRAL PACIFIC COMPANY EMPLOYED MOSTLY CHINESE IMMIGRANTS

THE RAILROADS EACH COMPANY WAS GRANTED 16,000$, 32,000$, OR 48,000$ PER MILE DEPENDING ON THE TERRAIN EACH COMPANY RECEIVED LAND GRANTS ALONG THE ‘RIGHT OF WAY’ AVERAGING 640 ACRES PER MILE

THE RAILROADS RAILROADS LED TO THE DEMISE OF THE BUFFALO POPULATION BY CUTTING THEIR NORTH TO SOUTH MIGRATION ROUTES IN HALF BECAME SPORT FOR VACATIONERS TO SHOOT BUFFALO FROM TRAIN WINDOWS

THE RAILROADS IN 1871 IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT BUFFALO LEATHER COULD YIELD A PROPHET PROFFESSIONAL HUNTERS WENT OUT WEST AND KILLED MILLIONS OF BUFFALO FOR THEIR HIDES

THE RAILROADS TRAINLOADS OF BONES WERE SHIPPED EAST TO MAKE FERTILIZER OR CHARCOAL BY 1886 ONLY A FEW HUNDRED BUFFALO WERE LEFT AND THESE WERE DEEP IN THE CANADIAN WOODS

THE END