Chapter 13 section 1

1. Chapter 13 section 1 Settling the West

2. The Great American Desert • Named such by explorer Stephen Long • The word “desert” did not have its modern meaning • Because rainfall was so sparse, explorers believed the region would be useless for farming • No trees, no rivers • Area dominated by Native Americans • Perception only begins to change after the Civil War

3. Size • 501,933 square miles • Area approximately twice the size of France • Ten distinct geographical sections • Millions of years ago was part of a shallow inland sea

4. Climate • Mostly humid continental • Hot summers • Cold winters • Precipitation varies • Averages only 20 inches per year • Also humid subtropical • Hot, humid summers • Mild winters • Steppe • Enough water for grass, not enough for trees

5. Blizzards • Could start nearly instantly • Farmers or cowboys far from shelter could get lost very quickly • Winter of 1887 – “Great Die Up” • Massive herds of cattle froze/starved to death • When Spring thaws came, hard to find water fit to drink

6. Soil • loess – highly fertile, highly erodable soil often carried by the wind • Modern example: China’s loess plateau • Since ancient times, performed a similar function to our Great Plains

7. Water • Only 20 inches of rainfall per year • BUT, pioneers settled the Great Plains during a time of unusually heavy rainfall • Ogalalla Aquifer • Makes large scale agriculture possible in the plains

8. Cattle • Brought to the Americas by the Spanish • Longhorns were adapted to the heat, arid climate • As demand for beef grew, cattle ranchers could make a small fortune • Cattle in the east had been slaughtered during the Civil War • Federal government allowed open range grazing • Branding of cattle

9. The Chisholm Trail • Named for Jesse Chisholm • Crucial route through Native American country in Oklahoma • Goal was to get the cattle to railway stations to ship east • Could sell for a much higher price than in Texas. • Many cowboys were former Confederate • soldiers, African-Americans and some Hispanics • Age of the great cattle drives ended with the invention and of barbed wire for fencing

10. Mining • Western deposits of gold, silver, and copper • Two types: placer mining and quartz mining • Raises the question – who is responsible for safety? • Miners? • Mine owners? • Workers breathe in dust constantly, oftentimes gas fumes • Temperatures can reach up to 120 degrees in the mines

11. Comstock Lode • Henry Comstock staked a claim for a silver mine in Six-Mile canyon, Nevand • Created Virginia City, Nevada almost overnight • Boomtown to ghost town • Crime was a problem; vigilance committees formed • Encourages settlement of the West and expansion of the railroads

12. The Indian Wars • In 1860 Native Americans still control vast areas of the central U.S. • Settlers didn’t want them yet

13. Manifest Destiny • Idea that Americans had a divinely-ordained mission to populate and civilize North America from sea to sea • Always controversial, and never agreed upon by everyone

14. The Oregon Trail • Major source of movement to the west coast • Declines after the first transcontinental railroad is finished

15. First Transcontinental Railroad • 1,776 miles • Completed May 10, 1876 at Promontory Point, Utah • Connected eastern and western railroad networks