1. Westward Expansion: Moving West

2. Reasons why people moved west after the Civil War
In the East, farmland was expensive
Poor people could not buy their own land
Sharecropping was how many poor whites and ex-slaves had to farm
In the west was “wide open” areas –especially the Great Plains where “only” some Indians lived
Gold and silver was discovered – drawing people who wanted to get rich quick

3. More Reasons for Moving West
Mountain Men and Trappers had been moving west since Colonial times
Still chance to make money – animals were still abundant
Millions of buffalo lived on the Great Plains – easy to kill and hides worth money back east
Sense of adventure and freedom
Chance to start a new life – outlaws or in debt

4. Manifest Destiny
Americans, stirred by their hunger for land and the ideology of “Manifest Destiny,” flocked to the new frontiers.
Manifest Destiny means an obvious fate of the Untied States to grow and become powerful regardless of who or what was in their way – Indians, buffalo, Mexicans
Conflicts between American settlers and Indian nations in the Southeast and the old Northwest resulted in the relocation of many Indians to reservations.

5. Westward Expansion
American migration into Texas led to an armed revolt against Mexican rule and a famous battle at the Alamo, in which a band of Texans fought to the last man against a vastly superior force. The Texans’ eventual victory over Mexican forces subsequently brought Texas into the Union.

6. Manifest Destiny: Mexican American War
The United States fought Mexico in the Mexican-American War in the 1840s
This was due in large part the the desire of Mexican held lands
The American victory in the war led to the addition of an enormous territory that included the present-day states of California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and parts of Colorado, and New Mexico.

7. Impact on the American Indians
During this period of westward expansion, the settlers repeated wanted Indian land – leading to fights and wars
The American Indians were repeatedly defeated in violent conflicts with settlers and soldiers and removed from their lands.
Many atrocities

8. Trail of Tears One of most famous is the Trail of Tears
Cherokees and other tribes were removed from their homes in winter and rorced to march far away from their homes to Oklahoma
Many died – old people, women, children
Came through Missouri
Many of us have Cherokee blood from those abandoned here

9. Reservations
Many other tribes forced to reservations – land supposed to be set aside for Indians
Generally poor land, no hunting, not good for crops
Indians often starved and died of disease

10. The Homestead Act of 1862
The Homestead Act gave public lands (lands owned by the national government) to American citizens

11. Homestead Act Law signed by Lincoln in 1862
For a small fee a person could obtain 160 acres for free
But not really free – were some rules
At least 21 years old or head of a family
American citizen or immigrant filing for citizenship
Build house a minimum size (12 feet by 14 feet)
Live in house 6 months out of year
Farm land 5 yrs in a row before ownership set
372,000 new farms ,000land claims – 80 million acres

13. In the photos above, the blue square represents one acre.

14. Effects:
The Homestead Act helped poor families who could not afford land in the eastern states.
It gave unemployed workers a chance to find work on land of their own.
Daniel Freeman Standing, Holding Gun, with Hatchet Tucked in Belt, The "first homesteader" to settle in Beatrice, Nebraska, 1863.

15. Thousands of African-Americans moved west in 1879 in an effort to find a better life.
This was known as the “Exodus of 1879”, and the participants were called “Exodusters”.

16. Indians fought back…
As Indians lost more and more land, they fought back – losing almost all their battles – and they did lose the war
Sandy Creek Massacre (1864) - Colorado
Battle of Little Big Horn (1876) – Dakotas, Wyoming and Montana
Battle of Wounded Knee (1890) – South Dakota

17. The Black Hills
A treaty was signed between the U.S. government and Lakota leaders.
The treaty gave the Black Hills reservation to the Lakota people forever.

18. Gold miners illegally rushed onto the reservation when gold was discovered.

19. The Battle of Little Bighorn
George Custer was to defeat the Lakota and force them onto a new reservation.

20. Crazy Horse helped lead the Lakota to victory at the Battle of Little Bighorn.
George Custer and his men were all killed. This battle was known as “Custer’s Last Stand.”

21. Why was the battle important?
It was the biggest victory Native Americans ever won over United States forces.
It led to the end of freedom for Native Americans of the Great Plains.

22. What then…
The United States sent more soldiers to the Black Hills and forced the Lakota to a new reservation.
The Black Hills were open to gold miners and settlers from the United States.

23. Battlefield at Wounded Knee
When the Lakota surrendered, someone fired a shot.
About 300 Lakota were killed.

24. The Battle at Wounded Knee
The last major conflict between the United States and Native Americans occurred at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
Lakota families decided to leave their reservation.
After being surrounded by U.S. soldiers, the Lakota decided to surrender.

25. Gold and Silver Strikes
The CA Gold Rush began in 1849, attracting thousands of gold hunters known as forty-niners.

26. Major "Strikes" in the California Gold Rush
In 1852 the take for the year was $80 million ($1.9 billion in 2005 dollars).
Sutter's Mill/Coloma - Jan. 24, 1848 James Marshall kicked off the California gold rush when he spotted some pea-sized bits of gold in a mill raceway. The news brought thousands of prospectors to the area, but neither Marshall nor his employer John Sutter prospered from the find.

27. Gold and silver mines were discovered throughout the West.
Thousands of miners from the U.S., Europe, Mexico, and China flocked to the West.
White and Chinese miners hoping to strike it rich during the California Gold Rush at Auburn Ravine in 1852.

28. Cowboys
Buffalo were in the way of railroads and settlers so had to be removed
Also, hides worth money back east
25 million buffalo killed ( )
Replaced with cattle – and rise of the cowboy

29. Reasons for rise of cattle industry
·After the Civil War, growing cities in the East increased their demand for beef.
Some cattle had gotten lose in Texas and during the war had been forgotten – so large herds developed and were available for the taking
Railroads had reached Kansas, where cattle could be shipped east
Texas ranchers began to drive herds of longhorns hundreds of miles north to the railroads, where they were shipped east.

30. Abilene, Kansas (late 1800’s)
· Cow towns developed near the railroads, offering cowhands hotels, saloons, and restaurants.
Abilene, Kansas (late 1800’s)

31. The spread of farming, as well as harsh weather, destroyed the cattle boom by 1887.
Hundreds of miles of barbed wire were strung across the state in the 1880s, forever changing the character of the frontier and bringing a measure of management to the cattle industry.

32. The Transcontinental Railroad
· Railroad companies raced to lay tracks to the mines in order to supply the miners.

33. Union Pacific Railroad Central Pacific Railroad
Promontory Point, Utah
Omaha, Nebraska . .
Union Pacific Railroad x
Central Pacific Railroad J j
Sacramento, California
· In 1863, two companies, the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific, began building the first transcontinental railroad.

34. Immigrant Workers
· Labor was scarce due to the hard, dangerous work and low pay.
Union Pacific - hired many Irish immigrants
Central Pacific - approximately 90% of their workforce were Chinese immigrants
· Therefore, immigrant labor was used.

35. Chinese railroad workers perform their duties in the snow.
· The workers endured scorching deserts, blinding snowstorms, and blasted through mountains.
Chinese railroad workers perform their duties in the snow.

36. Transcontinental Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad
Completed in May 10, 1869 at Promontory Point Utah. The railroads cut travel time west from six months to six days!

37. On May 10, 1869, a golden spike was hammered into a track joining the two tracks in Promontory Point, UT.