SSUSH11 B & SSUSH12C Settling the West

SSUSH11 B & SSUSH12C Settling the West

New Discoveries in the West By 1845: More than 200 Americans had settled in California around the area known as Sutter s Fort. 1848: Discovery of Gold at Sutter s Mill in California caused more than 80,000 miners, known as Forty-Niners to arrive there by 1849. 1850: As a result of the large influx of miners and settlers into the area, California became a state. 1857: Two Mormon brothers (Ethan Allen and Hosea Grosh) discovered Gold and Silver in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 1859: Henry T. P. Comstock laid claim to the dead miner s find, giving birth to what was known as the Comstock Lode.

Feb 1858: William Green Russell, from Georgia, led a group of veteran miners to search for gold along the South Platte River. July 1858: The group of prospectors made a discovery that sparked the famous Pike s Peak Gold Rush. By 1861: The rapid migration of settlers led to the growth of towns like Denver and Boulder City, and the creation of the Colorado Territory. The Discovery of Gold, Silver, and Copper in the Western Territories led to the growth of: Industries in the East Transcontinental Railroads

The Rise of the Cattlemen 1850-1865: The need for cattle in the west rose with several developments: Beef to feed miners in California, Colorado, and the Sierra Nevada. Hearty cattle or oxen to pull large supply trains for western settlers. Beef needed to feed both Union & Confederate soldiers in the Civil War. The vast prairies of the Great Plains and Texas promoted the early practice of free roaming range cattle known as Open Range grazing. Americans moving west came in contact with the traditional Mexican haciendas and their vaqueros. These Mexican traditions influenced Americans to build great Ranches in Texas and across the Great Plains worked by skilled Cowboys.

The Rise of the Cattlemen Development of Railroads into the Western Territories influenced the start of the Cattle Drive Era. During the Civil War, a Texan named Jesse Chisholm established the Chisholm Trail to supply beef to the Confederacy. 1866: Illinois Entrepreneur, Joseph G. McCoy built stockyards in a little village along the Kansas-Pacific Railroad to ship the cattle back east. 1867 1880: The Cattle Drives into Kansas caused the growth of rowdy Cow Towns like Abilene, Wichita, and Dodge City.

The Early Cattle Barons 1854 1866: John Chisum founded a large ranch along the Pecos River in New Mexico Territory with 100,000 head of cattle. 1866: Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving led a cattle drive of Texas Longhorns over what would become known as the Goodnight-Loving trail. 1876: Charles Goodnight established the first ranch in the Texas Panhandle. 1866: German immigrant, Conrad Kohrs, established a 10 million acre ranch in the Montana Territory with 50,000 head of cattle. 1880 s: Many of these men eventually formed Cattlemen s or Stockman s Associations to protect their cattle interests.

Rising Tension Across the Great Plains 1866 1880 s: Tensions rose across the Great Plain between the cattlemen, farmers, and sheep herders. 1866 1867: Kansas Farmers blocked the key cattle trails across their farmlands to prevent the spread of Spanish Fever transmitted from Longhorns to other types of cattle by ticks. 1870 s 1880 s: Range Wars broke out over water and grazing rights between Cattlemen and Sheep Herders from Texas to Arizona and into Wyoming. 1880 s: Conflicts also erupted between ranchers when larger ranches used barbed wire to fence off their grazing lands from groups of free grazers.

Rising Tension Across the Great Plains Some of the most famous Range Wars included: 1875 1876: The Mason County War, which was fought between German Settlers and Ranchers in eastern Texas. 1878: The Lincoln County War was between feuding Cattlemen and Business owners in New Mexico. This war was famous because of the involvement of gunfighters like Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett. 1882 1892: The Pleasant Valley War occurred in Arizona between the Cattle-Herding Graham s and the Sheep-Herding Tewksburys. 1892: The Johnson County War in Wyoming occurred between smaller cattle ranchers and the members of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association.

New Settlers Move West 20 May 1862: Congress passed the Homestead Act Required a $10 Registration Fee Could Claim up to 160 Acres Receive Title to the land after Five Years. Settling on the Great Plains was difficult due to: Summer Temperatures and Prairie Fires Blizzards and Extreme Cold in the Winter Swarms of Grasshoppers killing their crops The lack of Trees and Water required wells Early plains farmers, called Sodbusters by the cattlemen, were required to do dry farming (deep planting) until inventors designed new steel plows, seed drills, reapers, and threshing machines to make their work easier.

New Settlers Move West 1880 s: Many farmers from Minnesota and the Mid-West moved to the inexpensive lands of the Great Plains and established the newly productive Wheat Belt. New machines allowed some settlers to create profitable Bonanza Farms that covered up to 50,000 acres. 22 Apr 1889: Oklahoma Land Rush. Estimated 50,000 People took part About 2 million acres was opened Established Oklahoma City in a day Disputes over land claims between Sooners (People who snuck in ahead of the rush) and Boomers (People during the rush) had to be settled.

Dealing with the Native Americans The western migration of Ranchers, Miners, and Farmers was encroaching on traditional Native American hunting grounds. Late 1850 s: Treaty violations and unfair annuity (land payment) practices by government agents caused increased hardship on the Dakota Sioux. Aug 1862: Chief Little Crow reluctantly led a Sioux uprising against local traders and settlers. Dec 1862: The U.S. Army troops had captured more than 1000 Sioux, executing 38 after trial. 1862: This region west of Minnesota and the Mississippi River was named Dakota Territory.

Dealing with the Native Americans Meanwhile, in Colorado Territory, tensions grew between miners and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians resulting in raids on ranches & wagon trains. Nov 1864: Chief Black Kettle of the Cheyenne agreed to meet at Fort Lyon, CO., to make peace. 29 Nov 1864: The Sand Creek Massacre Colonel John Chivington and 700 men of the Colorado Volunteers attacked the peaceful camp of Cheyenne on Sand Creek, killing 133. A Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War investigated Col. Chivington, but did not press charges against him. Raids along the Platte River by Cheyenne Dog Soldiers increased.

Dealing with the Native Americans After the Dakota Uprising, the U.S. Army established a fort and patrols into the Dakota Territory to protect travelers along the Bozeman Trail. 21 Dec 1866: The Fetterman Massacre. 79 soldiers and 2 civilians under Captain William J. Fetterman were killed by the Lakota Sioux under Chief Red Cloud. 1867: Both the Sand Creek Massacre and the Fetterman Massacre had convinced Congress to form an Indian Peace Commission to create two large Reservations on the Plains and convince the Native Americans to live there. 21 & 28 Oct 1867: The Medicine Lodge Treaties were signed by the Kiowa, Comanche, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Chiefs of the Great Plains.

Dealing with the Native Americans 1876: Fortune hunters overran the Lakota Sioux Reservation to mine gold in the Black Hills of South Dakota. This treaty violation convinced many Sioux to leave their reservation to go on their spring buffalo hunt. The U.S. Army sent an expedition against the Sioux that included Lt. Col. George A. Custer s infamous 7 th Cavalry. 25-26 Jun 1876: Battle of Little Bighorn 2,500 Sioux and Cheyenne warriors under Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse attacked and killed Custer s detachment of 210 soldiers near the Little Bighorn Creek in Montana.

Dealing with the Native Americans 1877: Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce tribe in Idaho refused to be relocated to a smaller reservation. Oct 1877: The tribe led the U.S. Army on a 1,300 trek before finally surrendering and being relocated to Oklahoma Territory. 1861 1886: The Apache Wars of Arizona & N.M. Several periods of conflict under key Apache chiefs 1861-1862: Chiricahua War under Cochise 1871-1875: Yavapai War occurred after whites and Mexicans massacred Apaches at Camp Grant 1879-1881: Victorio s War under Victorio 1881-1886: Geronimo s War under Geronimo

Dealing with the Native Americans 1881: Helen Hunt Jackson published A Century of Dishonor describing the years of assault on the Native Americans. Some Americans believed the situation would improve if the Native Americans were willing to assimilate into American Society as land owners. 1887: Congress passed the Dawes Act to allocate land to Native Americans. 29 Dec 1890: Wounded Knee Massacre Sioux members of the Ghost Dance were rounded up by the 7 th Cavalry Cavalry troops were ordered to collect up all weapons from the Sioux A scuffle over a rifle resulted in over 200 men, women, and children killed.