Westward Expansion in the Westward Expansion in the Late Nineteenth CenturyLate Nineteenth Century

This painting (circa 1872) by John Gast called American Progress

Waves of Westward Waves of Westward ExpansionExpansion

1. 1. 1760s – 1800s1760s – 1800s – Pioneers crossed the – Pioneers crossed the Appalachian Mountains and settled the Appalachian Mountains and settled the Mississippi and Ohio River valleysMississippi and Ohio River valleys

2. 2. 1840s – 1860s –1840s – 1860s – Settlers from Europe, Settlers from Europe, East Coast of U.S., and Midwest went to East Coast of U.S., and Midwest went to fertile valleys of Oregon and the goldfields of fertile valleys of Oregon and the goldfields of CaliforniaCalifornia

3. 3. 1860s – 19001860s – 1900 – Pioneers settled the Great – Pioneers settled the Great Plains – turned grassland into farmland, Plains – turned grassland into farmland, Homestead Act, 1862 – made travel possible Homestead Act, 1862 – made travel possible for many for many

Mining BonanzaMining Bonanza Gold and silver strikesGold and silver strikes – –

“Big” ones - Pike’s Peak “Big” ones - Pike’s Peak (Co), and Comstock (Co), and Comstock Lode (Nevada – entered Lode (Nevada – entered Union)Union)

BoomtownsBoomtowns- San - San Francisco, Denver/ Francisco, Denver/ Ghost towns- lifestyle?Ghost towns- lifestyle?

CaliforniaCalifornia – hostility – hostility between Native born between Native born Americans and Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants – Chinese immigrants – Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) Exclusion Act (1882)

Cattle KingdomCattle Kingdom Open-range ranchingOpen-range ranching

Cattle drivesCattle drives Influence of railroads – ship Influence of railroads – ship

out cattle to markets from out cattle to markets from Abilene Kansas, ChicagoAbilene Kansas, Chicago

Changed American diet – Changed American diet – beef eating societybeef eating society

Closing of open-range Closing of open-range ranching due to:ranching due to:

winter blizzard and drought winter blizzard and drought (1885 – 1886)(1885 – 1886)

HomesteadersHomesteaders Glidden’s barbed wireGlidden’s barbed wire

Day of the cowboyDay of the cowboyMyths and realityMyths and reality MythMyth – Action, adventure, – Action, adventure,

romanticromantic RealityReality – Hard work, a lot of – Hard work, a lot of

waiting, Dangerous, Mix of waiting, Dangerous, Mix of European-Americans, African-European-Americans, African-Americans, and Mexican-Americans, and Mexican-AmericansAmericans

Farming the PlainsFarming the Plains ““Great American Desert”Great American Desert” Homestead Act of 1862 – Homestead Act of 1862 –

encouraged settlers with free encouraged settlers with free land(160 acres if built house land(160 acres if built house and lived on it for 5 year and lived on it for 5 year

Railroad promotions (1870 – Railroad promotions (1870 – 1900) – encourage 1900) – encourage settlementsettlement

Problems includedProblems included: severe : severe weather, falling prices for weather, falling prices for crops, dry land, no trees, crops, dry land, no trees, new machinery costsnew machinery costs

““Sodbusters”Sodbusters” – Settlers used – Settlers used “Nebraska marble” to build “Nebraska marble” to build soddie homes – easy and soddie homes – easy and cheap, cozy for mice and cheap, cozy for mice and snakes in the wallssnakes in the walls

American IngenuityAmerican Ingenuity Pioneers made fires with Pioneers made fires with

twigs, grass, corncobs, and twigs, grass, corncobs, and buffalo or cow chips (dried) buffalo or cow chips (dried) droppingsdroppings

John Deere’s invention of the John Deere’s invention of the steel plow sliced through sod steel plow sliced through sod

Mail-order windmills for Mail-order windmills for power and irrigationpower and irrigation

Dry farming and Deep Dry farming and Deep plowing techniquesplowing techniques

Grew wheat, corn, oats, Grew wheat, corn, oats, barley and giant potatoesbarley and giant potatoes

Moving Out WestMoving Out West African-Americans African-Americans – after the – after the

Civil War many former slaves Civil War many former slaves followed Benjamin Singleton to followed Benjamin Singleton to an all-black community in an all-black community in Kansas. These pioneers Kansas. These pioneers became known as became known as Exodusters.Exodusters. Buffalo Soldiers – Buffalo Soldiers –

established by Congress as established by Congress as the first peacetime all-black the first peacetime all-black regiments in the regular U.S. regiments in the regular U.S. ArmyArmy

Laura Ingalls WilderLaura Ingalls Wilder grew up grew up on plains in the 1870s and on plains in the 1870s and 1880s – Little House books 1880s – Little House books brought Plains to life for later brought Plains to life for later generationsgenerations

Moving Out WestMoving Out West ChildrenChildren – fed animals, – fed animals,

gathered berries, nuts, gathered berries, nuts, fuel, plowed, hauled fuel, plowed, hauled water…water…

WomenWomen – looked after – looked after children, fed chickens, children, fed chickens, gardened, helped plow, gardened, helped plow, and did the doctoringand did the doctoring

FUNFUN – Hay rides, Dances, – Hay rides, Dances, Card-Playing, Quilting Card-Playing, Quilting Bees, Corn Husking Bees, Corn Husking Contests, Barn- Raising, Contests, Barn- Raising, Shopping in Town, Parades Shopping in Town, Parades

Subordination of Indians: dispersal of Subordination of Indians: dispersal of tribestribes

MisunderstandingsMisunderstandings with American with American government – different ideas about government – different ideas about land ownership, translators drunk and land ownership, translators drunk and communicated poorlycommunicated poorly

Dawes Act Dawes Act adopted by Congress in adopted by Congress in 1887, authorized the President of the 1887, authorized the President of the United States to survey Indian tribal United States to survey Indian tribal land and divide it into allotments for land and divide it into allotments for individual Indiansindividual Indians

Reservation PolicyReservation Policy (Ft. Laramie. (Ft. Laramie. Atkinson) – land often poor, inefficient Atkinson) – land often poor, inefficient supplies, sicknesssupplies, sickness

Indian WarsIndian Wars ConflictsConflicts due to settlement due to settlement

of miners, cattlemen, of miners, cattlemen, homesteaders, failed treatieshomesteaders, failed treaties

Sand CreekSand Creek – 1864 – – 1864 – Cheyenne women and Cheyenne women and children massacredchildren massacred

Sioux WarSioux War – 1865 – 1867 – – 1865 – 1867 – army column wiped out by army column wiped out by SiouxSioux

1870s1870s – new round of wars – new round of wars included legendary figures included legendary figures Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and George CusterGeorge Custer

Carlisle School – Before and Carlisle School – Before and AfterAfter

Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis (1893)Frontier Thesis (1893)

““The Significance of the The Significance of the Frontier in American Frontier in American History”History” – He argued that 300 – He argued that 300 years of frontier experience had years of frontier experience had shaped the unique character of shaped the unique character of American society. He felt the American society. He felt the frontier led to an American frontier led to an American sense of independence and sense of independence and individuality. It acted as a individuality. It acted as a social leveler, led to social leveler, led to inventiveness, as well as inventiveness, as well as wasteful behavior (think of the wasteful behavior (think of the buffalo).buffalo).