Chapter 8 Settling the West

1. Settlement of the West Reasons for settling the west: Inexpensive / abundant land Hopes of finding gold or silver Escape persecution / fresh start (ex: former slaves, Mormons, etc.)

2. Ranching and Cattle Drives Cattle industry grew because of the open range Texas Longhorns Mexican cowhands developed the tools and techniques for rounding up and driving cattle Two things changed cattle industry: Civil War (growing cities) Railroads The Long Drive: Began in the spring with roundup Stock from different owners made up the herd Brand showed who they belonged to (mavericks) Cowboys in the early days were former Confederate soldiers Myth of the “Wild West” was spread by the cowboy’s stories Guns and Indians Vaqueros & Cowboys Cowboy life stemmed from Spanish ranchers in Mexico. Early cowboys were Mexican. Vaqueros influenced cowboy clothes, food, and vocabulary. 25% of cowboys were black. Because they were judged on ability, not skin color. Farming and barbed wire helped start the “Range wars” The Open range ended with the invention of barbed wire, investors who cause a surplus in the market, blizzards, railroads and new breeds

3. End of the Open Range Overgrazing the land, bad weather, and invention of barbed wire helped to end the cattle / cowboy era. Winters of 1885-1886 & 1886-1887 were brutal. Cold temperatures caused cattle to freeze to death. Summer droughts led to grass shortage. By 1887, 80%-90% of cattle dead. Barbed wire turned open plains into a series of fenced in ranches.

4. Farming the Plains Rain fall around 20 inches a year Stephen Long called it the “Great American Desert” Railroad companies brought settlers in by selling land along the railroads Homestead Act-Live on land for 5 years before getting the deed Many homesteads were lost because of drought, wind erosion and overuse of land Rapid settlement of the west helped close the frontier Railroads brought in new building material to the west

5. Farming Inventions Settlers used inventions to meet the challenges of farming the West’s harsh terrain. Steel Plow (1837) – Invented by John Deere. Could slice through heavy soil, made planting more efficient. Reaper (1847) – Invented by Cyrus McCormick. Sped up harvesting crops & saved crops from bad weather. Barbed Wire (1874) – Prevented animals from wandering off or trampling crops.

6. Railroads & Western Settlement U.S. Government wanted West settled (manifest destiny). Offered railroad companies free land as incentive to build a transcontinental line (connect east coast to west coast). Each mile of track = 20sq. miles of land. Transcontinental Line (1862 -1869):Two major railroad companies competed to lay the most track and receive more government land Union Pacific R.R. :began laying tracks in Nebraska and moved West. Employed Irish-Americans & Civil War veterans. Flat country allowed work to go quickly. Central Pacific R.R.: began laying tracks in Sacramento, California and moved East. Employed mostly Chinese – paid less than white workers & endured dangerous conditions blasting through Sierra Nevada mountains. Crews raced past each other without meeting. May 10th, 1869 Congress forced Union Pacific & Central Pacific to join together at Promontory Point, Utah. Railroads resulted in growth and new settlement of the West, making travel & transportation easier.

7. Native Americans Native Americans saw land as belonging to no one Viewed white customs of farming & mining as disturbing the harmony between the natural & spirit world Buffalo was vital to survival of Plains Indians (food, clothing, shelter). Ranchers, farmers and miners forced the Native Americans to relocate to new territory

8. Clash Between Settlers & Indians Settlers felt they had a right to land because Indians hadn’t “improved” it (farming / building). U.S. government changed its Indian policies Many Indians ignored government . treaties and hunted on old lands anyway, often clashing w/ settlers.

9. The Last Native American Wars Ranchers, farmers and miners forced the Native Americans to relocate to new territory Indian Peace Commission- two reservations-failure Native Americans were leaving the reservation to hunt buffalo but the buffalo were starting to disappear because others were killing off the buffalos Tourists & fur traders shot buffalo for sport. Buffalo population of 65 million in 1800 dropped to only a few hundred by 1900. Native American -buffalo End of N.A. lifestyle

10. Sand Creek Massacre 1864 Cheyenne Indians peacefully camped at Sand Creek for winter. Govt. leaders wanted to see Indians suffer ordered U.S. soldiers to attack killed over 150 Cheyenne women & children.

11. Battle of the Little Bighorn Sioux and Cheyenne Indians protested as whites searched Black Hills for gold - wanted to protect hunting grounds. June 1876, General George Custer & his troops met by the Sioux at Little Bighorn in Montana. Within an hour, Indians won battle. Custer & all of his men were dead. Bloody conflicts between whites & Native Americans led to greater disdain (hostility/disgust) toward Indian culture

12. Tragedy at Wounded Knee Native Americans turned to a prophet, who promised that if Indians performed the Ghost Dance, their lands & way of life would be restored. Ghost Dance movement spread. Alarmed U.S. Calvary opened fire on over 300 unarmed Native Americans camped at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Battle of Wounded Knee brought Indian Wars – and an entire era – to and end.

13. Assimilation Government hoped teaching “white” culture would lead to peace between Native Americans & settlers in the West. Goal to “Americanize” Indians. Dawes Act allotted 160 acres of reservation land for farming; nearly destroyed the Native American culture Failed

14. Crushing the Native American Life Assimilation Dawes Act Broke up reservations and gave land to individual Native Americans Destruction of Buffalo