1. Westward Expansion  The government wanted to promote westward expansion  During the Civil War, northerners passed laws to accomplish this  1862—Homestead Act  The government would give settlers 160 acres of land to establish farms  Homestead Act poster

2. Westward Expansion  1862—Pacific Railway Act  The government gave free land grants  to railroad  companies  To build a transcontinental railroad  Finished in 1869

3. Westward Expansion  Benefits of westward expansion 1. Access to natural resources 2. New markets to sell goods

4. The Indian Wars 1865-1890  The US government wanted to open up western land for settlers to safely live  The US Army began a series of wars against Native Americans  They wanted them to move onto reservations  1887—Dawes Act  Encouraged Native Americans to assimilate into American society  Assimilate—to give up your ways and adopt a new culture  By 1890 all Indian tribes were forced onto reservations