1. Oppressed People in the Growth of the Early Republic

2. Policy At The Frontier Most Federal land sold in large tracts to highest bidders Railroads bought land and sold to settlers Some got land by “squatting” Opportunities for speculators, railroads and steamship owners to make lots of money

3. Conquest of Native Americans Notion of Manifest Destiny – God’s will that the continent be settled by Anglo-Saxons who would build a model of capitalism, Protestantism & democracy Bolstered by 1803 Louisiana Purchase and vast added new land Jefferson favored “removal” of native people

4. Southern Tribes Cherokees forcibly marched to Oklahoma from Georgia beginning 1830 Cherokees had treaties that they thought would protect them Appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court but its ruling ignored by Andrew Jackson Choctaws, Chickasaws and Creeks similarly affected

5. West of Mississippi Settlers wanted Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas and areas further west Signed treaties to go onto reservations – alternative was genocide Buffalo killed, depriving them of food Continuing attempts to turn Native Americans into small farmers -- then take land

6. Mexican Territories Mexico became independent from Spain in 1821 Americans settled in Texas and subsequently took it from Mexico by war Other lands ceded by Mexico in California, Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, Utah

7. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was supposed to protect civil rights of Spanish speaking and native residents In fact, many forced off land and ended up as laborers for Anglos at low wages

8. Other Sources of Labor for Frontier Texans imported slaves Chinese men began coming to California in 1849 as laborers, especially for railroad Were 10% of California's population in 1870 Major discrimination due to race, legal rights nonexistent 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act – Japanese substituted and outnumbered Chinese by 1902

9. Frontier Policy Did result in yeoman farmers Involved much speculation & greed Little compassion for poor because of bolstered faith in individualism Racism major feature of settling the West that was bolstered by immigration policy and court rulings favoring Anglos and ruling classes