Important Flashcard just click to get the definitions! Chief Joseph Leader of the Nez Perce tribe who resisted the government in relocating his tribe on a reservation
Dawes Act 1887 act which divided Indian lands among families and granted US citizenship to those who gave up tribal ties It also encouraged Native Americans to take up farming rather than hunting. The government wanted them to become more American!
Granger Movement Farmers in the west and south who wanted to advance farming and control the railroads & grain elevators Worked together to improved the lives of farmers!
Homestead Act 1862 act which gave 160 acres to any settler who farmed the land for 5 years
Indian Treaties Agreements between the government and the Indian tribes *usually ignored when gold was to be found on Native American land!
Little Big Horn 1876, battle site of the Sioux & Cheyenne warriors and the U.S. army led by General George Custer
Reservations Land where Native Americans were forced to live by the government
Steel Plow A plow which could cut through prairie soil, or sod
Transcontinental Railroad The first railroad which connected the East Coast with the West Coast The Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads met at Promontory Point, Utah
Culture Entire way of life developed by a people
Wounded Knee 300 Native Americans (Sioux/Lakota) were killed by the army here after fleeing the reservations as a result of Sitting Bull's death
Cattle Drive Herding and moving herds of cattle, usually to railroad lines Examples: Chisholm Trail, Western Trail
Sodbusters Late 1800's, farmers on the Great Plains *They had to use a steel plow to break through the tough sod
Manifest Destiny 1800's, belief that Americans had the right to spread across the continent
Plains Indians Used Buffalo for everything! o o o o tepees clothes food tools *Hunters rather than farmers
True or False? In 1851, Native Americans were given land and told it would be theirs forever. True! Plains Indians and Americans met at Fort Laramie and signed a treaty that granted the Plains Indians land. They left the boundaries though to follow buffalo and Americans entered it when anything of value was discovered like gold
True or False? General Sherman was defeated at the Battle of Little Big Horn. False! General Custer was defeated General Sherman burned Atlanta towards the end of the Civil War. Two different people!!!!!!!
True or False? Professional hunters, like Wild Bill Coty, killed millions of elk, changing the way of life of the Plains Indians. False! Buffalo were killed!
True or False? The Sioux or Lakota did the Creator Dance to get a new world for Native Americans near Wounded Knee in 1889. False! They did the Ghost Dance. It made the Americans so nervous that the army showed up and ended up killing more than 300 Sioux including Sitting Bull.
True or False? The Dawes Act encouraged Native Americans to be soldiers. False! The Dawes Act encouraged Native Americans to be farmers to assimilate (become more American)
True or False? The loss of the buffalo caused Native Americans to be dependent on the government for food. True. Most tribes were pushed onto reservations there was no room to hunt buffalo. The U.S. government practically controlled them.
Mining Where did miners come from? All over the world! How did mining help the west grow? Miners needed supplies, so people moved to provide them with food, clothing, and other materials. Boom towns were created as a result.
Railroads Across the West The Central and Union Pacific Railroads met at: Promontory Point, Utah When they met the long stretch of railroad was called: The transcontinental railroad!
Railroad Across the West Why did railroad companies have trouble getting workers? It was dangerous work! Low pay! Companies ended up getting immigrants to do the work.
Railroads Across the West Positives Increased population of the West Linked the East and West Transport materials faster and cheaper Negatives Helped destroy Plains Indians culture (buffalo!) Pollution
Cattle Ranching Ranches were located all over the plains states! Cowboys pushed the cattle drives north from Texas, south from Montana, and east from Kansas to railroad lines. From there the cattle would be transported east to proved beef for eastern cities.
Cattle Drives Problems on the drive: Who has the right to water from streams? Barbed Wire Cattle froze or got stuck in sudden snowstorms Thunderstorms might cause a stampede
Farming on the Frontier Problems farmers faced: Overproduction! They produced too much so the price of the produce went down. The farmers could not get out of debt!
Farming on the Frontier Problems farmers faced: Climate! Snowstorms Drought/Grass Fires Swarms of Grasshoppers Rain/Wind Storms
Sodbusters Homesteaders had to use sod or or soil packed together tightly with roots. They learned to use a steel plow to cut through the sod. They also built their homes out of it!
A homesteading family with all of their possessions. http://www.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/ndirs/exhibitions/pioneer/camera/46.htm
Farmers Unite! Wanted to decrease the high prices RR companies were charging to ship grain. Also wanted to start making a profit on their crops!
Farmers Unite! The farmers started the Granger Movement created a National Grange that shared all the farmer s s money and bought supplies in bulk to share. The members of the National Grange also voted together to improve the lives of frontier farmers.
Getting the Government to Help Populist Party (political party for the people) -wanted the U.S. government to force RR companies to lower rates -pushed for silver mined out west to be coined into money (free silver) that way farmers could get out of debt. *Bad news! That might lower the value of the dollar!