Pull Factors: things (usually good) attracting settlers 1. Get rich fast 1. Gold 2. Silver (Comstocke Lode) 2. Private property 1. Gov’t was practically giving the land away 3. Independence and spirit of individualism Push Factors: things that make (usually bad) settlers want to leave their homes 1. Political instability 2. Economic hard times 3. Racial discrimination for AA

Plagued by windstorms, blizzards, droughts, locusts and loneliness Tough life but were inventive Create sod homes Build wind mills to harness wind for electricity Used the steel plow to help cultivate land

Government offered farm plots of 160 acres to anyone willing to: 1. live on the land for five years 2. dig a well 3. build a road Many were former slaves

Passed by Congress lands to states to establish higher education agricultural schools A&T University NC State

African Americans who fled the South after Reconstruction headed West looking for more opportunities Get their name from the Book of Exodus when Moses led his people to the Promised Land (Oklahoma)

Government going to sell plots of land in Oklahoma 50,000 line up but only 42,000 plots Biggest rush to the West in one single day (April 22, 1889)

1. What did the government do to encourage westward expansion after the Civil War? A. Paid people to move west B. Allowed slavery in western states only C. Gave away free land D. Exempted western settlers from taxes 2. Which of the following was not a reason people moved west after the Civil War? A. Free or cheap farm land B. Escape slavery C. Escape racial discrimination and violence D. Mining opportunities 3. The word Exodusters refers to which of the following groups of western settlers? A. European immigrants B. White Americans C. African Americans D. Chinese settlers 4. Which of the following was a problem that settlers in the west faced? A. Lack of wood for construction B. Desert climate C. Plentiful land for farming D. Competition from Native Americans

A railroad between the East and West to transport goods Built by private companies, not the government but still gave their support by giving loans for the land to companies Central Pacific laid tracks east of Sacramento, CA Use Chinese immigrants for labor Union Pacific laid tracks west from Nebraska Use Irish immigrants for labor

Central Pacific Union Pacific Chinese Immigrants Irish Immigrants

where east met west

To keep order, vigilantes (self-appointed law enforcers) settled disputes but still lots of crime Cities only “boomed” when the resources were plentiful when they were gone (the bust) so were the people and the town became a Ghost Town

Comstock Lode: first major discovery of silver in U.S. discovered under what is now Virginia City, Nevada Helped spur advances in the technology of mining California Gold Rush: 1849, discovery of Gold “49ers”, nickname for those who ventured out to CA in search of riches

1. What role did the transcontinental railroad play in the settling of the West? A. Very small role, wasn’t used much B. Significant for miners only C. Key role, people wanted to visit relatives back east D. Key role, expanded trade between eastern and western US 2. What contributed the most to westward expansion? A. Overcrowding in NYC B. The Civil War C. Railroads D. Mining opportunities 3. Why did so many boom towns bust? A. Mining was dangerous and many died. B. When the gold or silver dried up, many moved out C. Sink holes were created by mines, making towns dangerous. D. Boom towns never actually existed. 4. If you had been a Civil War veteran, would you have moved west? Why or why not?

The Texas longhorn roamed freely on open range (not fenced in) branded for identification Ranchers hired cowboys to round up their cattle, took them on cattle drives to the railroads for eastern markets

Invention of refrigerated railcars by Gustavus Swift meat can be shipped not the entire cow…much cheap decreases need for cattle drives and cowboys The age of open range ends because of barbed wire