1. Westward
Expansion

2. Fri. SEPT 8TH American Frontier Background Essay “The West”
American Progress 1872
Background Essay “The West”
Mapping the West
Physical Features of the Great Plains
Warm Up!
On your white boards draw out visually or list all that you remember about Manifest Destiny….. Can’t remember?? Check out the picture on your new booklet!

3. Look at this list of key words and rank them according to their importance to this work. Then explain.
-Change
-Experience
-Government

4. Look at this list of key words and rank them according to their importance to this work. Then explain.
-Progress
-Knowledge
-Government

5. Look at this list of key words and rank them according to their importance to this work. Then explain.
-Change
-Experience
-Government

6. Look at this list of key words and rank them according to their importance to this work. Then explain.
-Progress
-Knowledge
-Government

8. The Last American Frontier
What is the frontier?
The Frontier has generally been defined as the line separating areas of settlement from “unsettled” wilderness territory.
From another point of view, the American frontier marked the dividing line between areas where Native Americans lived and areas settled by more technologically advanced people.
The last American frontier was transformed by the USA’s rapid population growth and the industrial development.
The Frontier; aka the West; the Great Plains; Where the Buffalo Roam; mostly described as areas not settled by technologically advanced societies, but instead was home to the Native Americans.
The Mississippi River was the most common dividing line.
Frontier

11. Mapping the West Page ___
Step One: Title Your Map: Western Expansion
Step Two: Create a Key
^^^^^^^ Mountains
####### Railroads
Rivers
Chisholm Trail
Oregon Trail
This is the map that you will be labeling… follow along as we review the physical features!

12. Great Plains
Soddy Home

13. Mountains pg. 6-7 ^^^^^^^^
Great Plains
Mountains will affect land grants and RR construction
Mississippi
River

14. Mississippi River
Tributaries
Transportation / Ports / Commerce

15. Physical geographic features of the Great Plains, Overview- (just for viewing)
Factors
Feature
Effects
Supported large herds of American Bison (buffalo), antelope, elk, and other animals (including predators)
Allowed travel into and across the plains following the rivers (navigation)
Source of water
Required settlers to come up with alternatives for houses, such as the soddy and the dug-out
Rural, Low Population Density - relatively flat grasslands
Several rivers crossed west to east
Sparse Vegetation (only found along rivers)
Good fertile farmland
Allowed travel following the rivers; source of water
Soddy houses— houses made of grass and mud
Have the students keep the map of the U.S. up on their desk while you cover this one/ draw in water souces/ vegetation, soddy homes on the great plains
Soddy home = # casa de grass

16. Sept. 11th Frederick Jackson Turner’s Thesis
Settlement of the Frontier
Gold, Indians, Cheap Land, Rail Roads, Cattle, Farming

17. Frederick Jackson Turner’s Thesis
Turner says the closing of the frontier symbolized a great historic moment
Why?
“Frontier Thesis” Published in July of 1893
No frontier left in the country
Frederick Jackson Turner: The Frontier Thesis
The Frontier had been a safety valve and had helped shape American National Character
Fear that closed frontier would cause problems
Thesis: frontier experience and westward expansion had stimulated individualism, nationalism, and democracy
Suggested “frontier” had alleviated social and economic problems of an industrial society
According to a bulletin from the Superintendent of the U.S. Census in 1890, the frontier had “closed”
Frontier had required immigrants and transplants to become a composite nationality as they struggled together
Frontier promised all relative economic equality
Frontier required strength, practicality, ingenuity and optimism
Frontier sometimes required cooperation
What will the closing of the frontier mean to America?
In Files- one page handout Frederick Jackson Turner doc
Reasons Settlers Moved West….

18. The Gold Rush
The Gold Rush of in California brought thousands of people looking to get rich quick.
Later gold and other precious metals would be discovered in the Rockies of Colorado, the Black Hills of South Dakota, and the Klondike in Alaska.
Boom towns appeared as miners poured into an area, they just as quickly became Ghost towns as the gold ran out and the miners left.

19. The Railroads Effect on the Indians
RR-> buff hunters->buffs killed-> no food (Indians)->reservations
The Railroads Effect on the Indians
The Indians were dependent on the buffalo for survival.
The railroads brought the buffalo hunters.
The buffalo hunters wiped out the Indians main source of food.
This forced the Indians to move to reservations.

20. First Transcontinental Railroad
Click Image for
Transcontinental RR
Video 4 mins
*Also later in ppt 
RR & the Settlers
The railroads brought settlers to the West.
The settlers plowed up the lands to plant crops.
Settlers adapted to the tree-less environment and cut up the sod and built sod homes where the Native people used to live.
The trains served as the lifeline for settlers to the East.
Until 1850, railroads only reached as far west as Omaha, Nebraska.
In 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad was completed.
This line connected the Eastern USA with the Western USA.
Travel time dropped from 6 months to just 10 days.
Slides to use if Smart board is less than intelligent
I think there’s a cow on our roof

21. The Impact of the Railroads
The Transcontinental Railroad connected the different regions of the United States and Railroads became the lifeline to the West.
Trains brought the settlers and everything they needed to the West as towns sprang up.
Trains returned to the East with the products the West produced, beef, wheat, lumber, and gold.

22. The Cattle Industry Begins
At the end of the Civil War, millions of wild longhorn cattle roamed the Great Plains in Texas.
Soon cowboys were rounding up the wild longhorns and trailing them north to the railroads in Kansas.
From Kansas the longhorns were shipped by train to the slaughter houses in Chicago.
Demand for cattle in the West was low, but in the East the growing population created a huge demand for beef, there was $ to be made.
A new industry was born!
Cattle trails->RR (north)-> Slaughter (Chicago) ->Feed pop in East

24. Availability of Cheap Land
In Europe land had always been difficult to obtain, but in the new frontier it was cheap or even free.
The Homestead Act (1862) allowed settlers to get land if they lived on the land, grew crops, and made improvements.
Many European immigrants were attracted to this offer of free land and almost 1.4 million would eventually established homesteads under this law.

25. Homestead Act- Far and Away
Five(5) year application process for free land
File Application
Live on land and improve it (build a 12x14 dwelling)
File for Deed of Title
160 acres to citizens who had not borne arms against the Union during the Civil War.
By 1934, 1.6 million applications processed
270 million acres of land (10% of the US) obtained by Homesteading

26. Farming on the Great Plains
Farming Technology Video
The growth of railroads and the Homestead Act had enabled farmers to settle the Great Plains.
Farmer had read the railroad advertisements and they expected to find well-watered wooded lands, but they didn’t.
Instead farmers encountered many obstacles:
Indian attacks,
Cattlemen and the Open Range,
Drought,
Extreme weather conditions,
Insect plagues,
Isolation, neighbors were miles away

27. Tuesday Sept. 12th
Human & Economic Geographic factors in settlement of the Great Plains
Demographic Changes of Great Plains
Manifest Destiny- HIPP

28. Human & Economic Geographic factors in settlement of the Great Plains, pg 10
Railroads granted land on either side of their railroad lines to sell to farmers and ranchers – money raised builds the railroad – railroad gets customers (farmers and ranchers ship their goods east, new settlers and manufactured products move west)
Push or Pull?
Mineral Rushes
Gold strikes in California started the move west
Transcontinental railroad built to move gold and silver
Gold and silver in the Rocky Mountains brings more people west
All of them have to cross the Great Plains, some stay
Push or Pull?

29. Human & Economic geographic factors in settlement of the Great Plains, pg 10
Poverty drives people west after the Civil War
Poor whites from both the north and the south
Former slaves from the south (Exodusters)
Push or Pull?
Push or Pull?
Free land with the Homestead Act – move west, find some land owned by the government, farm it for five years, and it becomes yours!

30. Changing Demographics on the Great Plains
Causes of demographic change…
Poor Whites and freed African Americans move onto the Great Plains seeking new opportunities
Farmers move west to take advantage of free or low cost land
Immigrants come to build the railroads
1882 Chinese Exclusion Act– First major law restricting immigration to the U.S. Limits Chinese immigrants for 10 years, prevents those here from becoming citizens. Enacted in response to economic fears, especially on the West Coast, where native born Americans attributed unemployment and declining wages to Chinese workers, whom they also viewed as racially inferior.

31. Early Restrictions on Immigration
The Chinese Exclusion Act banned anyone from immigrating from China to the USA.
It also placed new restrictions of those Chinese already living here by restricting their travel.
Chinese children born in the USA were denied citizenship.
Many believed this violated their 14th Amendment rights.

32. Effects of demographic change, pg 11
American Indians pushed off land
Population becomes more diversified (whites, African Americans, immigrants)
Shift from hunter/gatherer lifestyle to domesticated farming/ranching and supporting towns

37. To what extent did the Transcontinental Railroad accelerate development of Westward expansion?

40. Look carefully at the picture. Circle 5 things that stand out to you.
Be ready to discuss why you circled them.
Manifest Destiny
John Gast, American Progress, 1872

41. Wed. September 13th
Farming Game Pages 16-17

42. Uncertainties of Farming in the Gilded Age
Farmer Game
Uncertainties of Farming in the Gilded Age

43. Directions In your assigned groups:
You will be loaned $2000-everyone must sign the loan certificate; name your farm.
You must set aside $200 (transportation) and $300 (living expenses) each round (year)
You must decide which items to farm (crops/livestock)
Each farmer keeps documentation crops to plant and livestock to raise.
Set a goal for how much money your farm hopes to make- Place this at the top of the first worksheet for We will play for 3 years (1885, 1886, 1887).

44. Farming Crops ($50) FARMING The cost to plant crops is all the same.
You can grow up to 160 acres of crops (16 items). You may plant on all the land , or only part of it.
You will buy your crops from the Crops Market.
SELLING CROPS
They may sell for different prices depending on the market.
You will learn what your investment return is after you turn in your crops to the market.

45. Raising Livestock ($5) RAISING SELLING LIVESTOCK
You may decide to raise livestock.
You only need to pay for the cost of feed.
You do not need to reserve farm land for livestock.
At this time, public land could be used for this purpose.
You may only purchase a maximum of 20 livestock each per round.
SELLING LIVESTOCK
They may sell for different prices depending on the market.
You will learn what your investment return is after you turn in your crops to the market.

46. THE YEAR: 1885
PLANTING CROPS/RAISING LIVESTOCK
Pay $200 (transportation) and $300 (living expenses) for 1885

47. CROPS ($50) LIVESTOCK ($5) [Maximum: 20 each] CORN BEANS WHEAT OATS
BARLEY
OATS
FIELD HAY
TOBACCO
FIELD PEAS
LIVESTOCK ($5) [Maximum: 20 each]
CATTLE
SHEEP
HOGS

48. A serious lack of early spring rain in July almost destroyed the wheat, barley, and oat crop in central Nebraska. The prices paid for corn, beans, field peas, and tobacco are up because of drought east of the Mississippi. Cattle prices are depressed because of large herds of range stock being sold in Texas. The price for sheep is up and the price paid for hogs is at an all time high.

49. 1885 Item Investment Return Corn $100 Beans $150 Wheat $50 Barley Oats
Field Hay
Tobacco
Field Peas
Cattle $5
Sheep
$10
Hogs
$15

50. THE YEAR: 1886
PLANTING CROPS/RAISING LIVESTOCK
Pay $200 (transportation) and $300 (living expenses) for 1886

51. CROPS ($50) LIVESTOCK ($5) [Maximum: 20 each] CORN BEANS WHEAT OATS
BARLEY
OATS
FIELD HAY
TOBACCO
FIELD PEAS
LIVESTOCK ($5) [Maximum: 20 each]
CATTLE
SHEEP
HOGS

52. THE YEAR: 1886
OUTCOMES

53. This was the coldest winter in history with temperatures of 60
This was the coldest winter in history with temperatures of 60* below zero destroyed most of the cattle and hogs. Sheep prices are high. Abundant spring and summer rain throughout most of the state has produced excellent crops. The price of corn, wheat, barley, and oats is good and the price of tobacco and field peas remains the same. The bean crop has produced a small yield because of late frost and the field hay prices are depressed because of limited demand for hay.

54. 1886 Item Investment Return Corn $100 Beans $50 Wheat Barley Oats
Field Hay
$25
Tobacco
Field Peas
Cattle $0
Sheep
$15
Hogs

55. THE YEAR: 1887
PLANTING CROPS/RAISING LIVESTOCK
Pay $200 (transportation) and $300 (living expenses) for 1887

56. CROPS ($50) LIVESTOCK ($5) [Maximum: 20 each] CORN BEANS WHEAT OATS
BARLEY
OATS
FIELD HAY
TOBACCO
FIELD PEAS
LIVESTOCK ($5) [Maximum: 20 each]
CATTLE
SHEEP
HOGS

57. THE YEAR: 1887
Outcomes

58. Nature dealt a crushing blow to farmers in Nebraska
Nature dealt a crushing blow to farmers in Nebraska. After a hot dry spring with little rain, a plague of grasshoppers infested the crops. Most crops are badly damaged. Cattle prices are very good, as the range herds have not yet recovered from the killing winter of ‘86. Sheep prices are depressed by hog prices are good.

59. 1887 Item Investment Return Corn $50 Beans $0 Wheat $25 Barley $75
Oats
Field Hay
$100
Tobacco
Field Peas
Cattle
$15
Sheep $5
Hogs
$10

60. FARMING after 3 years
OUTCOMES – Have you made a profit?!

61. Did you make a profit? Answer on the last blank worksheet.
How much money did your “family” make? What crops/livestock did you invest in and why?
Did your family make as much as you had hoped? What would you have done differently?
REMEMBER – you still have to pay back your $2000 loan.
So, did you make a profit?
Have one farmer bring up your money and your table’s worksheets. Staple your table’s worksheets together.

62. Thurs. Sept 14th Assimilation of Natives Dawes Act
Carlisle Indian School
Into the West Video
Letter Home
Warm Up:
Find the definitions to
Americanization
Assimilation
Dawes Act
Indian Reservation

63. Life of the Natives, pg ____
Reliant on the buffalo
Nomadic lifestyle clashed with settlers land ownership
Advancing settlements, the loss of the buffalo, and European diseases reduced the Indian population and pushed them farther westward.
Religious practices viewed as “heathens” by whites
Overall style of dress & social structure viewed as uncivilized

64. Government Policy & the Indians
During the 1800s the U.S. government followed a policy of pushing the Native Americans from their traditional lands onto government reservations in the West.
Forced Removal –
Flood of Settlers –
The Indian Wars –
Destruction of the Environment –
Before
After

65. Settlers Impact on the Indians
The expansion of the railroads, the Homestead Act, and the discovery of gold, made lands once occupied by the native peoples more desirable.
Oklahoma, once reserved for the Native Americans was sold to settlers, some got there Sooner than others..

66. The Dawes Act (1887)
Many in America wanted the Native Americans to undergo Americanization– adopting to the mainstream culture of America.
The Dawes Act abolished the Native American tribal unit.
Each family was given 160 acres of land in hopes they would become farmers.
Those who assimilated were given citizenship and right to vote.
The Dawes Act attempted to destroy the Indian culture.

67. Carlisle Indian Industrial School, pg 16
Founded by a former Army officer who had served on the Great Plains
Tried to assimilate young Indians by putting them in a boarding school and teaching English and vocations
It was the immigrant children that would become Americanized - learning to dress, speak, and act like other Americans.
These immigrant children would become assimilated – they became similar to other Americans.
Three boys before & after enrolling

68. Into the West, pg 16
Watch the segment about the Native Children attending the school
Take notes on each of the following people
George/Voices that Carry- student at school
Capt. Pratt- creator of school
Daniel Wheeler- vocational teacher
Clara Wheeler- English teacher
Click on image for video.
47 minute mark: Pratt/Wheeler talk about school
53 minute mark: tribe debate about school
57 mintue mark: native kids leave home
1 hour mark: kids start school

69. Into the West, pg 17
Following watching Into the West, you are to write a letter home as though you were one of the four main characters in the segment
You Tube link connected to image that will take you to Into the West episode 5 47 minute mark: Pratt/Wheeler talk about school
53 minute mark: tribe debate about school
57 mintue mark: native kids leave home
1 hour mark: kids start school

70. Friday Sept 15th
Into the West Video
Letter Home

72. Track Yourself On back questions to answer:
What was your reaction to your test score?
What did you do to prepare for the exam?
What would you do differently next time?
What do you hope to make the next time?