Life on the Great Plains

Chapter 7, Lesson 2Life on the Great PlainsSettling the Great PlainsLocated in the middle of the United StatesFlat grassy area with few treesGets less than 20 inches of rain a year

The Homestead Act1862-Homestead Act PassedHomestead-settlers home and landOffered 160 acres of land to adults who were U.S. citizens or wanted to become citizens Settlers had to pay a small amount of money and farm the land for 5 years After that it was theirsPeople came from eastern cities and Europe (Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands)

The ExodustersBenjamin Pap Singleton, an African American, visited KansasHe encouraged other African Americans to leave the South and move to Kansas Tens of thousands of African Americans moved to Kansas and other parts of the Great Plains between 1877 and 1879 Started towns-mad their own laws and felt safe from injusticeThese African Americans were called Exodusters-after Exodus, a book in the Bible, that tells the story of how the people of ancient Israel left Egypt to escape slavery

Settlers Face HardshipsThe harsh climateLong, cold wintersBlizzardsViolent thunderstorms came in spring (heavy rain, floods, tornadoes, and hailstorms)Hot, dry summersDrought, long periods without rain, were commonPrairie firesGrasshoppersSome thought life was too difficult and moved awayOthers stayed and adjusted to the environment

Settlers Adapt to the Great PlainsMade houses of sod because there were very few treesCut pieces of sod, grass covered dirt help together by roots, and used them like bricksHouses were cool in the summer and warm in winterSod leaked during rainstormsSnakes and other small animals dug through sod wallsFarmers used iron or steel plows to cut through the hard, thick sod before they could plant seedsFarmers in the Great Plains were known as sodbusters because they had to break though thick soilNeighbors lived many miles away (life was lonely)

Growing CropsFarmers had a hard time finding crops that would grow in a dry climateFarmers grew wheat with seeds that had been brought over from the dry grasslands of EuropeFarmers used water from rivers and streams or dug wells to water crops Machines such a plows, reapers, planters, and threshers made it faster and easier to grow cropsFarmers were able to farm more land and grow more wheat

Question 1What was the Homestead Act?Answer:1. Offered 160 acres of land to adults who were U.S. citizens or wanted to become citizens 2. Settlers had to pay a small amount of money and farm the land for 5 years

Question 2Where is the Great Plains located?Answer:In the middle of the United States.

Question 3Who were the Exodusters?Answer:They were African Americans who were named after a book in the Bible called Exodus, that tells the story of how the people of ancient Israel left Egypt to escape slavery.

Question 4 What were some of the challenges that Homesteaders faced?Answer:The harsh climateLong, cold wintersBlizzardsViolent thunderstorms came in spring (heavy rain, floods, tornadoes, and hailstorms)Hot, dry summersDrought, long periods without rain, were commonPrairie firesGrasshoppers

Question 5What kind of homes did homesteaders live in, and why?

Answer:The homesteaders made houses out of sod because there were very few trees in the Great Plains.