Take notes Only take notes on new material New material will be in blue

 _____ land that rose gradually from _____ to west  Land eroded by _____ and _____  _____ rainfall  Frequent _____ storms FLAT EAST WIND WATER LOW DUST

* Before the Civil War the Great Plains was seen as a treeless wasteland * After the Civil War new technology changed this view of the Great Plains and it was considered a vast area to be settled

 ____________was used to keep cattle in and predators out  A ______________ would make it possible to cultivate the hard soil  _______________ was perfect for crops like wheat and barley  Since there was no wood, houses in the Great Plains was made of _______________.

 Because of the _______________, people no longer had to depend on water ways as the only means of fast, cheap travel.  _______________ were used to pull water out of the ground for animals and people.  Large amounts of _______________ could be raised and shipped back east for processing.

 People had a variety of reasons to move west  Opportunities to own land through the __________ Act.  The possibility of finding __________ in California and the Rocky Mountains  The feeling of discovery and __________  __________ wanted a fresh start away from the discrimination in the east  New __________ made it easier to live out west Homestead Gold and Silver Adventure!! Former Slaves Inventions

 The Homestead Act, passed in 1862, promised 180 acres of land to anyone that would farm it for ??? years  Small filing fee  FREE LAND!!

 Problems with Homesteading  Immigrants and easterners rushed west for free land  Not many had the money to move west and start a farm  Only about 20% of the land actually went to small farmers  Most of it went to large companies who sold it at high prices

 Exodusters  African Americans Moved west to escape discrimination they faced in the south at the end of Reconstruction  A large group moved to Kansas in 1879  40,000-70,000 moved by 1881  Named themselves Exodusters after the chapter in the Bible, Exodus

 Last major rush took place in Oklahoma  Government forced the Natives to sell their land and move  Farmers could claim free homesteads in Oklahoma, but not until noon on April 22, 1889

 100,000 people lined the OK boarder  A gunshot sounded at noon and people took off!  “Boomers” (those who left at noon) arrived to find the “Sooners” had snuck over the boarder in the night and claimed the much of the best land

 Shelter  Very little trees so farmers began building housed out of sod, soil held together by grass roots  Sod houses had problems  Leaked when it rained  Snakes  damp

 Sodbusting  The sod that covered the Great Plains could crack a wood or iron plow  A new steel plow allowed farmers to bust through the sod and plant their fields  That’s why they are known as “sodbusters” Windmills helped bring up water that laid deep underground Reapers, threshing machines and binders helped harvest crops.

 Surviving the Climate  Dry climate was a threat  Could kill crops  Fire that could travel “as fast as a horse could run”  Grasshoppers  Horrible winters that buried people and animals inside their homes

 Women on the Plains  Had to be strong  Made everything by hand  Soap  Clothes  Candles  Preserved food for winter  Other goods

 Women on the Plains  Most school teachers were women  Tended to the sick if there were no doctors  Lived miles apart  Church, picnics, dances, and weddings were big deals!

 The Category is REGIONS?  Question: What region would former slaves leave?

 The Category is Westward Expansion: the Video.  During the Westward Expansion rap, we learned that Native Americans had to adapt to the white American culture. What vocabulary term means “to adapt to another’s culture?” Hint: It begins with the letter “A”