1. The Great West

2. Post Civil War Push Factors  Force people to leave an area Civil War, Immigration, Land Shortage, Religion Pull Factors  Attract a person to an area Cheap Land, Railroad Jobs, Own Private Property

3. Mining Comstock Lode (1859) – silver mine in Nevada Virginia City – the mining town located out side the silver mines city became a boom- town Carson City Mint- minted new silver coins

4. Ranching Open Range – large unfenced open land where cattle could roam free cowboys – guided and protected cattle Mexicans and African- Americans made up 40% of cowboys

5. Cattle Drives cattle drives –moving cattle miles away to their destination Chisholm Trail –Cattle drive trails connecting San Antonio, TX to Abilene, Kansas refrigerated railroad cars – shipped cattle/beef from the Midwest to eastern markets

6. Barbed Wire barbed wire –cheap fencing that cut off and divided the open range used by farmers prevent animals from destroying crops Ends open range

7. Settling the West Homestead Act of 1862 – gave free land in West to settlers and farmers A Settler could claim 160 acres Had to live on and improve land for five years

8. Houses Sod houses –the first shelters used by immigrant farmers in the Midwest Built out of sod (prairie turf) roles of women were greatly expanded

9. Oklahoma Land Rush Oklahoma Land Rush (1889) – the releasing of 2 million acres in the Unassigned Land Indian Territory in what is now Oklahoma “land run”- 50,000 people who showed up to claim land Sooners- those who staked claims before the noon

10. Transcontinental Railroad Transcontinental Railroad – first railroad that connected East to West Irish – led construction from West Chinese – led construction from East Met at Promontory Point, Utah

11. Across The Continent