People who went West

Go West, Young Man Horace Greeley

Mormons Mormon Church started by Joseph Smith in New York. Because of persecution the Mormons are led by Brigham Young to Utah around the Great Salt Lake. One reason why Mormons were persecuted was because they practice polygamy. They renounced polygamy in 1890

Gold Rush of 1849 Gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1849.

80,000 emigrants went to California. People ate bacon, beans, flour, dried fruit, coffee, lard, sugar, salt, canned tomatoes and peaches

Miners used shovels, picks, gold-pans, mortar and pestle, drills, heavy tools, and blasting power. In this area of California there were no women and very little courts.

Chinese The Chinese first came to California via the Gold Rush. They were hard-working and had great ingenuity, which is evident in their use of Gun power

More than 50,000 Chinese come to California by 1870.

The Chinese ate well, Fish and Rice. However, some abused opium.

Women of the West Women went west with their families. They lived in cabins or dirt houses with dirt floors. Some houses used animal hides to cover the floors. Some of the hardships women had to experience were the lost of many of their children to many sicknesses.

Donner Party

The Donner Party left Independence Missouri in April of 1846. The group led by George Donner decided to take a short cut south of the Great Salt Lake to California. This area of Utah is a desert and the group lost livestock. They did make it to the Sierra Nevada Mountains but winter came early in this region. The group was only 70 miles from their destination, but the snow was too deep. They had enough food for only two months and when the group ran out of food they ate the bodies of the dead people. Only half of the 87 member party ever reached California

Snow depth was reportedly up the top of the base of this monument to the Donner Party ~22 feet!

Railroads going West Many railroad owners went west to make money. “If you control the traffic to the west, you control the market.”

Building the Railroad 7,000 Chinese helped to build the continental railroad On May 10, 1869 at Promontory Point Utah, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads met connecting the east and west

On May 10, 1869 at Promontory Point Utah, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads met connecting the east and west

African-Americas in the West By 1880, 70,000 Africans lived west of the Mississippi River. Many freed slaves went west for freedom and opportunity. Some saw an opportunity to buy their family members out of slavery.

African-Americas Mining Many Africans worked in mines. The Gold Rush drew many Africans west. Others worked in fur trading, cattle raising, and providing services. (barber shops and restaurants)

Vaqueros Usually Mexican cowboys in California. They were farmers and cattle drivers. They were known for their riatas largas.

Vaqueros They did not carry guns. They were usually known as drinkers and pranksters.

Homework In your notebooks, write a short essay about the problems that were created in the United States as a result of Manifest Destiny and people moving west.