After the Civil War, many Americans moved west to start a new life or to settle “the last frontier.”

The movement of people to the west, was also motivated by the mining of precious metals, and the desire for adventure.

The government made moving westward attractive by passing the Homestead Act of 1862.

Homestead ActHomestead Act was a law developed in 1862 was a law developed in 1862 by Congress to promote settlement of the by Congress to promote settlement of the

Great Plains. Great Plains.

Age 21 and the head of the family could have Age 21 and the head of the family could have 160 acres of land160 acres of land if they improved it in five if they improved it in five

yearsyears

Could buy it for a small amount of Could buy it for a small amount of $$$$$$

The US Government encouraged westward The US Government encouraged westward expansion and the expansion and the Homestead ActHomestead Act allowed allowed

thousands of settlers to move west and start thousands of settlers to move west and start new lives. new lives.

200,000 Indians on the Plains following the Civil War. Jackson’s Indian Removal Policy had all but

eliminated their influence in the East. (1831) 1851 – Fort Laramie Treaty established Reservation

system. 1853 - Fort Atkinson Treaty established boundaries

and attempted to create two giant “colonies” of Tribes.

1867-68 – Peace Commissions sent by US Government to establish relations with Indians.

Indian Wars:› Chivington’s Raid (1864) -450 Arapaho Indians killed

near Colorado territory.› Little Big Horn (1876) – Gen. George Custer and 264

men killed by Sioux Indians in Montana territory. “Custer’s Last Stand”

› Wounded Knee (1890) – 200 unarmed Sioux Indians killed after sitting Bull was killed.

Paiute medicine man Wovoka promised the return of the

buffalo and Indian way of life.

The religion prophesied the end of the westward

expansion of whites and a return of Indian land.

The ritual lasted five successive days, being

danced each night and on the last night continued until

morning.

Hypnotic trances and shaking accompanied this ceremony, which was supposed to be repeated every six weeks.

Paiute medicine man Wovoka promised the return of the

buffalo and Indian way of life.

The religion prophesied the end of the westward

expansion of whites and a return of Indian land.

The ritual lasted five successive days, being

danced each night and on the last night continued until

morning.

Hypnotic trances and shaking accompanied this ceremony, which was supposed to be repeated every six weeks.

Indian warriors fighting against the US wore Ghost Shirts which were to stop the penetration of American soldiers bullets……It gave them supernatural powers as

was believed………

Ghost Shirt

Ghost Dance movement spread to Sitting Bull

and the Sioux They religiously danced

even after they were told to stop by

reservation authorities. Military went to arrest

Sitting Bull, where he was killed.

Many Sioux followers left the reservation and

became hostile

Ghost Dance movement spread to Sitting Bull

and the Sioux They religiously danced

even after they were told to stop by

reservation authorities. Military went to arrest

Sitting Bull, where he was killed.

Many Sioux followers left the reservation and

became hostile

Indian agents of the federal Govt. were supposed to provide food, clothing and supplies to reservation Indians.

Instead, the agents provided tattered blankets, spoiled food and rotten supplies and sold the good supplies on the black market.

› One agent left the west with $50,000 in “Savings” he had accumulated while working on the plains!

Govt. realized it was cheaper to feed them than to fight them.

Many Americans were unaware of what was happening.

A Century of Dishonor (1881) – novel that detailed all of the cruelty inflicted upon Indians by White men.

Dawes Act (1887) – Forced civilization of the Indians.

a) Tribal ownership of lands is wiped out.b) 160 acres of land given to “heads of family”c) If they behaved, they got full title in 25 years!

Helen Hunt Jackson (1830-1885), activist for Native American rights and author of Century ofCentury of DishonorDishonor

was published in 1881. Jackson also began work on a book condemning the government’s Indian

policy and its record of broken treaties.

When Jackson sent a copy to every member of Congress with the

following admonition printed in red on the cover: "Look upon your hands: "Look upon your hands: they are stained with the blood of your they are stained with the blood of your relations."relations."   To her disappointment,

the book had little impact.

Gold Rush (1849) Pikes Peak (1859) and the Comstock Lode (1859) brought thousands of Gold Miners to the west.

Once the majority of the treasure had been looted, a new lifestyle emerged and the towns that sprang up disappeared! BOOMTOWNS AND GHOST TOWNS

Cattle Drives – began post Civil War.› Improved with the development of branch slaughterhouse &

refrigerated rail cars.› Towns that supported the “beef industry” flourished.

Dodge City, KS. Abilene, TX. Cheyenne, WO. 1866-1888 – 4 million steer driven to slaughterhouses in the West!

Railroad Impact› 1,000’s of homesteaders moved West each year.› Gradually they infringe upon cattle territory, trails and paths› Conflicts erupt throughout the West involving cattle rustling,

stealing and sometimes violence resulted!› 1886-87 Brutal Winter left cattle stranded across the plains

frozen to death by subzero temps!

The west became a place of intrigue for many Americans. It’s beautiful landscapes painted by the Rocky Mountain School artists and the “romantic” image of the frontier by authors such as Mark Twain made many Americans desire to move west.

Frederick Jackson Turner was an influential statesmen and historian who wrote a paper arguing that closing the American frontier was ending a powerful democratizing force.

•With Indians on the reservation by 1890, the United States Census Bureau announced the official end of

the frontier. •The population in the West had become dense, and

the days of free western land had come to an end.•In 1893, historian Frederick Jackson Turner

claimed that the frontier had played a key role in forming the American character.

•The Turner Thesis, stated that frontier life created Americans who were socially mobile, ready for

adventure, bent on individual self-improvement, committed to democracy and able to withstand

difficult times to accomplish the American Dream…

Frederick Jackson Turner

““RUGGED INDIVIDUALIST”RUGGED INDIVIDUALIST”

The frontier created the American character of one who was self-sufficient, persistent and able to

withstand difficult times to accomplish the American Dream…

1862 Act gave 160 acres if you stayed on it 5 years.

Problem:› Land in some parts was unusable for

farming.› 500,000 families took advantage.› 2.5 million bought land from railroads

for twice the $30 fee.› Fraud:

Settlers would justify improvements to land.

12 x 14 structure was 12 inches by 14 inches!

Land was tilled up and farms were built.

Sodbusters – people who built homes from sod on the great plains because of a lack of trees.› They destroyed the natural balance of

the region eventually leading to the Dust Bowls of the 1930’s.

A Pioneer’s Sod House, SDA Pioneer’s Sod House, SD A Pioneer’s Sod House, SDA Pioneer’s Sod House, SD

1874 – US Geological survey warned that farming west of 100th meridian was not possible.

› Advice was ignored and soil was churned up.› “dry farming” –planting of crops in loose soil

supposedly counteracted need for water. Actually caused massive erosion and soil damage.

› Farmers turned to new crops Wheat, sorghum and other grains were more drought

resistant and overtook corn as staple crop of the West.› Barbed Wire (1874) solved problem of fences on

treeless prairies. New States and territories created

› Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming were admitted into the Union.

Problems loomed on the frontier as well as in other areas of America at the turn of the Century!

Name Purpose Impact

Homestead Act

1862

•Provide 160 acres of land for $30 fee

•By 1890 – 375,000 farms claimed

Most Prime land given to RR

Morrill Land Grant Act 1862

•17 million acres deeded to new states.

•Conditions: Must provide for at least one state college to teach agriculture

70 land grant colleges

established mostly in the

West

Dawes Act 1887 •Reservation land sold to white settlers.

•75 million acres sold

50% of Indian lands now held by whites

Federal Land Sales 1850-1890

•Direct sales of 100 million acres of land in the West by the Land Sales office of US Govt.

Land Races held

Towns sprung up overnight

Natural destruction –› Erosion, weather, over-

farming Unfair taxation –

› Property taxes were too high.

› Wealthy could shelter their income.

Business tactics – RR trust/oil trust/barbed wire trust – all monopolies that set prices and squeezed out competitors.› Little guy cannot

compete Grievances –

› Grange (1867) Social fraternity for

farmers 1875-800,000 members

› Greenback Party (late 1870’s) Party that supports paper

currency.› Populists – Political

party formed out of Farmer’s Alliance.

1872 – First mail order catalogue specifically designed for farmers. › Montgomery Wards catalogue was 1 page.

1889 – Oklahoma legally opened for settlement. “Sooners” enter the state via land races.

1896 – UT admitted to the Union.› Turn of the Century – only OK, NM and AZ are territories.

Environmental movements (1872) – Yellowstone National Park created (1890) – Yosemite and Sequoia National Park created.

Cities grow – Chicago/San Francisco expand “Safety valve” theory – West was like a safety valve

because when their area became saturated, they could move west and start over!

Population surge in the West 1890 – US Census officially identified frontier as being

“closed”