Ch 13 Westward Expansion

I. Miners and Ranchers

A. Growth of the Mining Industry

1. Industries in the Eastern part of the United States had a great

need for the rich deposits of Gold, Silver, and copper in the west.

a. Prospectors: Settlers in the West who mined for

minerals

b. Placer Mining: Process of using simple equipment like

picks, shovels, and pans to mine shallow deposits of ore

by hand

c. Quartz Mining: Digging deep beneath the earth for

metals

2. Henry Comstock: Prospector who staked claim for a silver

mine in Six Mile Canyon, Nevada

a. Caused Virginia City to go from outpost to boomtown

overnight

b. When mines ran out Boomtowns became ghost towns

c. Leadville: Richest Strike, 1000 newcomers per week.

3. Crime was rampant in Boomtowns

a. Prospectors fought over claims, thievery, prostitution

b. Vigilance Committees: Self appointed volunteers who

formed to track down and punish wrongdoers

4. Colorado, Dakota Territory, and Montana grew as a result of

mining with all becoming new States.

a. Railroads constructed through the Rocky Mountains

b. Denver became a major City as a supply point.

B. Ranching and Cattle Drives

1. After the Civil War, Large cattle ranches began to appear on

the Great Plains

a. Texas Longhorns: Breed of cattle that could survive the

climate of the Great Plains

b. Open Range: vast area of grasslands owned by the

government where ranchers could graze their cattle for

free without boundaries

D. The Long Drive 1. During the Civil War, Large numbers of Eastern Cattle were

slaughtered to feed both armies causing beef prices to soar 2. The first long drive used cowboys to gather and drive cattle

across the Great Plains to the railroad in Missouri.a. Many of the cattle died, but it was still very profitable

-Cattle sold at 10 times the price in the Eastb. Chisholm Trail: Major Route for moving cattle from Texas

to Kansasc. Sedalia Trail: Major route for moving cattle from Texas

to Missouri. 3. The Cowboy

a. Responsibilities: Round up cattle, divide among landowners, brand, drive to rail lines.

b. Who were the Cowboys:-Former Confederate Soldiers, Many African American, Hispanics

D. Ranching became big business

1. Problems mounted for the ranchers

a. Sheep herders moved their flock to the open range

b. Farmers settled on the Range blocking the trails

2. Range wars with natives erupted killing many people

3. Cattle drives ended with the invention of Barbed Wire: a

cheap product used to fence off large areas of land

4. Ranching turned into cattle farming

II. Farming the Great Plains

A. Great Plains geography

1. Rainfall less than 20 Inches a year

2. Very few trees, only around rivers and streams

3. Hot Summers, cold Winters

B. Many people thought the Great Plains were unfit for settlement

C. First settlement of the Great Plains

1. Railroads stretched across the Great Plains

a. Provided easy access from the East

b. Railroad companies sold land along the lines at low prices

2. Homestead Act 1862

a. Homestead: A tract of Public Land available for

settlement. (160 acres)

b. Conditions

-File for homestead for $10.00

-Could receive a title after living their for 5 years

D. Life difficult for farmers

1. Extreme heat 100 Degrees plus

2. Extreme Cold. Blizzards

3. Prairie Fires

4. Grasshoppers destroyed fields

E. Wheat Belt 1. Wheat grew well in dry conditions

a. Dry Farming: Planting seeds deep in the ground where moisture helped them grow.

2. New technology and machines helped farminga. Steel plows, seed drills, reapers, threshing machines

F. Wheat Farming became big business 1. Bonanza Farms: Very large wheat farms that covered up to

50,000 acres 2. U.S. became a major wheat producerG. Closing the Frontier 1. Oklahoma Land Rush

a. April 22, 1889 the US Government opened up the Oklahoma territory for settlement

b. Within hours, 10,000 people raced to stake claim 2. By 1890 the Census Bureau announced the frontier closed

III. Native Americans

A. Most natives of the Great Plains were Nomads: Moved from place to place in search of food.

B. Similarities of Great Plains Indian groups

1. Lived in extended family networks

2. Divided into bands

3. Had governing councils

4. Religion was based on the spirit of the natural world

C. White settlement invaded Indian lands.

1. Sioux in Minnesota led an uprising in 1862

D. Dakota Sioux Uprising

1. The Dakota Sioux agreed to live on a small reservation in

return for Annuities: Money paid yearly to reservation

dwellers.

2. Annuities were small and American Traders cheated Indians

out of their money

3. Congress delayed payments

4. Chief Little Crow asked for food on credit for his people

5. After his request was denied, the Sioux attacked and killed

many American settlers.

E. Fettermans Massacre: Lakota Sioux defeated a US Army Detachment in Montana trying to protect hunting grounds

F. Sand Creek Massacre

1. Bands of Native Americans attacked wagon trains and ranches in Colorado

2. Natives agreed to peacefully surrender and negotiate

3. The US Army attacked the Natives anyway

G. Indian Peace Commission: Created two large reservations on the Great Plains ran by the Bureau of Indian Affairs

H. Last Native American Wars

1. By 1889 Very few Buffalo were left

2. Native Americans left reservations.

a. No one abiding to the treaties

3. Battle of Little Big Horn

a. Lakota Sioux left the reservation

b. General George Custer pursued and attacked the Indians

c. Indians led by chief Sitting Bull killed all the Soldiers

4. Wounded Knee Creek

a. Lakota Sioux were ordered to stop the Ghost Dance

b. Ghost Dance: Ritual that celebrated the hope that the

whites would disappear, the Buffalo would return, and

Indians would unite with their ancestors

c. Dancers fled the reservation and were chased by U.S.

Troops. Many were killed