Into the WestInto the West

Moving WestMoving West• Lure

– Imagination, adventure

• Push-Pull factors

–Push• Civil War displaced people

• Land in East expensive

• Freedom

–Pull• Gov’t incentives, own property

• Pacific Railway Acts (1862, 1864)– Gov’t gives RR’s land, causes

movement

• Morrill Land-Grant Act (1862)– Gov’t gives land to states for colleges

• Homestead Act (1862)– Most effective, signed by Lincoln– Small fee buys 160 acres w/

requirements– Created more than 372,000 farms

A look at settlersA look at settlers• White at first• Europeans later

– Germans settle in Great Plains & Midwest

– Scandinavian Lutherans in Iowa, Minn & Dakotas

– Irish, Italians, European Jews & Chinese in west coast communities

– Mexicans in south and midwest– Indians…already there

The The ““Indian Problem….Indian Problem….””• Indians are seen as

a “problem” to settlers

• “in the way” of progress, farming and ranching

• Indians see Americans as invaders and enemies

Treaties with IndiansTreaties with Indians• Initially treaties were to restrict movement

• Gov’t destroys tribes

–Steals land and money

–Violently forces moves

• Trail of Tears

Life in the WestLife in the West

• Movement was very rapid and extreme

• “The time is coming, and fast too, when, in the sense it is now understood, THERE WILL BE NO WEST.” –RR worker

• By late 1800s this was true– No more Indians, unplowed prairie or buffalo

MiningMining• Gold found, Sutter’s Creek CA 1848

– Surge of settlers move west• Pikes Peak, CO• Nevada• Denver• Black Hills, Dakota

– Mining by panning, or placer mining

• By 1850s & 60s all surface gold and silver gone, the people are too!– Ghost towns

Moo…….Moo…….• Cattle ranching

becomes a big industry– Learned from

Mexicans, Americans take culture and dress

• Demand for COW, specifically Texas Longhorns

• Movement of cattle to East by train or cattle drives to “cow towns”

Cowboys….not the football teamCowboys….not the football team• Usually used Chilshom Trail

– Texas to cow town, Abilene KS

• Tough job– 18 hours in saddle– 4-5 hours of sleep– Rough terrain– Indian attacks– Stampedes– Disease– Lonely life…a little weird, but romanticized

heroes

Cowboys….not the football teamCowboys….not the football team

• Decent pay, more $$ North than south (cold)– Expensive uniform…

• Outfit- $77• Pony- $25• Leggings- $5• Saddle- $25• Revolver- $12• Status as unifying hero? PRICELESS

Farming Farming • Despite the romantic appearance in books

and movies- TOUGH!

• Hardships– Building homes- no trees!

• Soddies• Dugouts

– Natural diasters– Insects– money

Farm life…Farm life…• Family roles

– Men• Sodbusting, planting, hoeing, harvesting, threshing,

binding, dragging fields, worked off season

– Women• Raised and schooled kids, cooking, cleaning, made and

washed clothes, preserved food, made butter and soap, raised food crops, raised chickens, milked cows, spun wool to sell, managed money

– Kids• Colleted wood for fuel, helped with farming (boys),

housework (girls), went to work if needed

Frontier Myths & End of FrontierFrontier Myths & End of Frontier• Most are true- West was WILD

• Most towns quickly became tame, or disappeared altogether

• Gov’t preserves land– Yellowstone National Park

• Most of western figures, stories exaggerated

• 1890 US census declares the end of the frontier