1. Westward Expansion
Lecture Notes

2. “Manifest Destiny”
The growing belief held by Americans during the 1840’s that it was their “God given right” to expand into the West.
Expand through Mexican and Native American territory
Obvious and inevitable
Mexican-American War: 1845
Texas annexation. Mexico ceded the New Mexico and California territories to the United States
Made westward expansion easier
“Go west, young man!”
California gold rush

3. Settlers Push Westward
Diverse group of migrants
“Exodusters” moved from the South to Kansas
German, Irish, Dutch, Scandinavian, Russian
Many took land from Hispanic farmers
Congress passed the Homestead Act in 1862
Promoted by newspapers
Pacific Railway Act (1862)
Offered 160 acres to those willing to farm land for five years
Promoted by newspapers promoted settlement

4. Manifest Destiny essential questions:
What is the relationship between Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion?
Why did people support Manifest Destiny? How did it lead to the growth of the West?
What were some political, economic and social reasons for Manifest Destiny?
How did Manifest Destiny affect different groups of people?

5. Cultural Clashes pgs
On a separate sheet of paper, answer and be prepared to discuss the following questions:
What were the characteristics of the Plains Indians culture?
How did the culture of white settlers differ from that of the Plains Indians? Why do these differences matter?
Why did settlers continue to push west?
Was assimilation beneficial or harmful to Native Americans? Justify your answer.

6. Clashing Values Whites Native Americans Community welfare
Individual interest
Economy based on profit
Nature should be conquered
Community welfare
Economy based on subsistence
Live in harmony with nature

7. Federal Indian Policy
White migration devastated the Native American population
relocation from settlement, railroads
disease (smallpox, cholera, measles)
Federal government set aside land for reservations
treaties were altered, not honored

8. Warfare and Dispossession
Smaller tribes accepted terms of treaties, larger ones resisted
warfare engulfed the plains from 1850s to 1880s
Second Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)
led to temporary peace
railroads continued to be built on “Indian lands”
white hunters killed 4 million buffalo from

9. Assimilation Government sought to change Native Americans’ way of life
forced to accept government orders, “or starve”
White activists sought to destroy Indian culture
missionaries attempted to convert to Christianity
boarding schools were established to discourage traditional ways of life

10. The Dawes Act (1887)
What did the Dawes Act do to tribal land? How does this conflict with many Native American cultures?
How did the Dawes Act try to abolish tribal governments?
What problems did Native Americans face once granted their allotted land?

11. Wounded Knee Massacre (1890)
Sioux faced continuing hardships
starvation, disease, restrictions on movement
Ghost Dance movement spread, caused concern among American military leaders
Sitting Bull was killed during a raid in December 1890
Army killed over 300 Sioux at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota on December 29

12. The Sioux
White miners began settling in the Black Hills in 1874 when gold was discovered
the Sioux, under Sitting Bull, refused to leave
Battle of Little Bighorn (1876)
Sioux defeated Gen. George Armstrong Custer
U.S. Army pursued the Sioux, defeated them in 1877

13. The West of Life and Legend
The “Wild West” was romanticized in literature
Kit Carson, Mark Twain, “Buffalo Bill”
In reality, the West was dominated by corporations, not “rugged individuals”
Cowboys worked long hours, performed difficult work

14. Cowboys and the Cattle Frontier
Demand for cattle increased
Abilene, KS became a “cattle center”
Other “cow towns” developed, many became large cities
Ranches emerged across the West, cattle industry became corporate
Myth of the “cowboy”

15. Challenges of the Plains
Life in the West was challenging
settlers lived in sod homes
women’s work was demanding
settlers were isolated
churches provided a sense of community
Morrill Land Grant Acts (1862, 1890) financed agricultural colleges
small farmers had difficulty competing with bonanza farms, fell into debt

16. New Farms, New Markets Farming for homesteaders was difficult
“dry farming” techniques (wheat)
Technology changed farming
barbed wire protected livestock
grain elevators, plows, machinery
railroads provided transport for products
Oklahoma Land Rush (1889)
“boomers” and “sooners” claimed 2 million acres of land in “Indian Territory”

17. Farmers Unite Price of farm products plummeted
Overproduction, decline in foreign demand
Farmers pushed for increased money supply
Oliver Kelley formed the Grange in 1867
worked to pass laws fixing maximum freight rates

18. The Panic of 1893
Depression began in 1893, following Grover Cleveland’s reelection
Cleveland rejected government action to solve social or economic problems
high unemployment, starvation, homelessness
the functions of the government “do not include the support of the people”

19. The Populist Party Populists met in 1892 to organize national party
Developed the Omaha Platform
govt. ownership of railroads, telegraph and telephone systems
national currency issued by the government (not banks)
bimetallism
graduated income tax
popular election of senators (17th amendment)
James Weaver nominated for president, won over a million votes

20. Free Silver
Depression continued, silver became the main issue in the country
Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan in 1896
adopted many Populist policies (bimetallism)
Populists reluctantly supported Democratic ticket

21. 1896: Republicans Triumphant
Republicans nominate William McKinley
millions of dollars contributed by business interests
Bryan campaigned across the country, speaking to millions
“Cross of Gold” speech
McKinley’s campaign successfully orchestrated by industrialist Mark Hanna
McKinley wins, running a “Front Porch” campaign