Settling the West

1. Settling the West Chapter 13

2. Objectives • Trace the growth of the mining industry in the West • Describe the ways that new technology changed open-range ranching • Explain how and why people began settling the Plains • Trace the growth of commercial farming on the plains • Discuss conflicts that arose between the Plains Indians and American settlers • Summarize the problems caused by attempts to assimilate Native Americans

3. Hydraulic Mining Henry Comstock Open Range Cattle Chisholm Trail Barbed Wire Homestead Act “Great American Desert” Dry farming Bonanza Farms Oklahoma Land Rush Morrill Act 1862 1890 Nomads Indian Peace Commission George A. Custer Ghost Dance Dawes Act Key Terms

4. The Frontier • Mining huge industry • Ranchers cattle and sheep on public land • Farmers fail--- bad weather, high cost of storing and transporting • New inventions--- steel plow mechanical reapers and windmills make it possible—barbed wire • Farmers make own party • Railroads connect the west • Plains Indians are destroyed

6. Mining Industry • West is rich in gold, silver, and copper • Brought settlers • Placer Mining--- shallow deposits used picks, shovels, and pans

7. Mining • Henry Comstock--- miner found Silver ore • Brought hoards of people to Nevada • Became a boom town • Silver gone • This cycle was repeated • Gold --- Colorado, Dakota Territory, Montana • Northern Greater Plains developed • Railroads built • Congress divides the territory –North and South Dakota Montana

8. Impact of Mining • Small mining gives way to big business • Surface materials were quickly taken • Ended up in hands of eastern bankers • Miners were first to realize importance of west • Added to nations wealth • Paper backed by gold and silver • Mining improved the supply of money

9. First Transcontinental Railroad • Gold encouraged building for railroad • Connected East to West • Omaha, Nebraska and end in Sacramento California • First Transcontinental Railroad • Union built Omaha to West • Central Pacific stared in Sacramento • Met at Promontory Point, Utah

10. Why are the Railroads Important?????? • Get people to the mines • Allowed western settlement • Made it possible to move cattle back east • Quick way to transport goods • Made ranching and farming profitable

11. Cattle Drives • Cattle Ranches--- too dry • Texas Longhorns • Ranches were able to grow • Open Range – grassland owned by government provided land ranchers could graze cattle ---free unrestricted • Long drives from Texas to sale • Chisholm Trail – route to Abilene major route town filled with cowboys and miners

14. Cattle Farming • Driving Cattle becomes popular • Sheep herders moved their flock • Cattle farmers blocked • “range wars” barbed wire makes appearance • Livestock is prevented from roaming • Long Range Drives are ended • Cattle now raised in fences, longhorns disappear, and cowboys become ranch hands

15. Farming on the Plains • “Great American Desert” • Construction of railroads and credit to prospective settlers • Pamphlets and Posters “ticket to prosperity” • Homestead Act--- 10 dollars (registration fee) claim up to 160 acres and after living there for 5 years receive title • More willingly to move

16. Farming on Plains • Dry Farming --- Plant deep where there was moisture • Steel plows, seed drills, and reapers • Wheat became the crop • More people moved • Wheat Belt – Dakotas, western parts of Nebraska and Kansas • Farms covered up to 50,000 acres called Bonanza farms – big farms

17. Wheat Farming • 1880’s United States leading exporter • Prices drop • Farmers had to mortgage land • Homesteaders head home • What is a homesteader??????

18. Closing Frontier • 1889 last of frontier closed--- Oklahoma • 10,000 people raced to stake claims • Oklahoma Land Rush

19. Land Grant Universities • Morrill Acts 1862 1890 – • Granted land to colleges to teach • Agriculture, Military Tactics, Mechanic Arts • Alabama Polytechnic Institute

20. Native Americans • Great Plains were inhabited • Nomads • Placed belief in power of natural world • Buffalo main food source • Settlers began moving • Buffalo decrease • Direct cause railroads –used for food and killed for blocking and destroying railroad tracks • Killed just for hides --- • Plains depended on them –food, shelter, tools. Weapons

21. Plains Indians • Government wanted Native Americans to farm • Killing of buffalo • Move to reservations—stop being nomads --- • Causes conflicts • Settlers number grew =conflicts

22. Conflicts • Sand Creek Massacre– Native Americans distrust white men --- why??? • Colorado militia slaughtered innocent women and children ---- • Do not get charged with a crime • Fetterman Massacre--- • Battle of Little Big Horn

23. Big Change • Ranchers, miners, farmers • Forced relocation (not honor treaties) • Attack wagon trains and ranches • Sioux in Minnesota • Dakota Sioux agreed to live on reservation • Government issued annuities ---payments • Ended up with the traders • 1862 Congress delayed payments • Starving to death

24. Big Change • Little Crow asks traders for food • Myrick --- “let them eat grass…” • Found dead • Uprising • Hundreds are slaughtered • Tribunal many put to death • Several Indian uprising Fetterman’s Massacre and Sand Creek Massacre • Indian Peace Commission--- 2 large reservations • Indian Peace Commission • 2 large reservations • Indian Affairs (federal agency)

25. Last Wars • Many left reservations • Overrun with gold miners • Battle of Little bighorn • 1876--- Custer leader • Underestimated fighting capabilities • Launches attack • Native Americans actually win • Custer is painted as victim of massacre • Army stepped up

26. Wounded Knee • Ghost Dance --- defied government order • Symbolic dance –settlers disappear, buffalo return, and return of deceased ancestors • Government tried to break it up • Battle ensued 25 soldiers and 200 Native Americans died

28. Native Americans • A Century of Dishonor 1881--- described the abuse • Assimilation---- break up reservations • Families could be self supporting • Dawes Act --- 1887 allotted 160 to each head of household • Single –80 children 40 • Land sold to settlers $ going to fund • Fails --- dependant on buffalo for food • Had to adapt to settlers way of life

29. Farmers • Grange --- fraternal order of farmers • Upset : High Tariffs, income did not keep up with rest of economy, hard time paying debts, bade weather, expensive machinery, high rates to ship, • Form own political party =Grange • To unite farm families • Coops and farmers alliance ---cheap seed and fertilizers • Farmers alliance = exchanges ---force prices up interest rates down

30. Farmers Demands • Ocala Demands ---- • Free unlimited coining of silver coins (reduce inflation) • Tighter regulations on railroads • Suppport for the sub treasury plan (government warehouses • End protective tariffs • Graduated income tax • Direct election of Senators

31. Why????? • Greenbacks --- formed to fight inflation • More money in circulating less it is worth pay debt off • Railroads –monopoly on transportation • Warehouses ---store crops till price rose – called the sub treasury plan - government loan money to pay off crops –farmer could hold the crop in warehouse till price rises

32. Populist Party • People’s Party • Help farmers • Sherman Solver Purchase Act 1890– keep farmers voting Populist --- treasury purchase 4.5 million ounces silver per month • Put up a candidate for President

33. Essay • Obviously, there was animosity between the Native Americans and the people making the move out west. Describe the federal governments attempt to resolve the conflict (including the consequences of it) and the attempt to assimilate Native Americans into American society. • Dawes Act, allotments, Indian Peace Commission, Battle of Little Bighorn, and Wounded Knee

34. Study Guide • Comstock Lode • Transcontinental Railroad ---where it started and ended and importance • Sherman Silver Purchase Act • Farmers Party –why formed and what it stood for • Grievances of Farmers • Ocala Demands • Sub treasury plan • Governmental control of Native Americans ---what did they want • Importance of railroads

35. Study Guide • Promontory Point, Utah • What closed the frontier • Impact of mining • Disappearance of Buffalo --- what caused it • Farmers alliance • Cooperative