Westward Expansion: Moving West

1. Westward Expansion:Moving West

2. Standards US. 01 - Explain How the Homestead Act and Transcontinental Railroad impacted US. 02 - Examine federal policies towards American Indians; including the movement to reservations, assimilation, boarding schools and the Dawes Act

3. Reasons why people moved west after the Civil War • In the East, farmland was expensive • In the west was “wide open” areas –especially the Great Plains where “only” some Indians lived • Gold and silver was discovered – drawing people who wanted to get rich quick

4. More Reasons for Moving West • Sense of adventure and freedom • Chance to start a new life – outlaws or in debt • Manifest Destiny • Manifest Destiny fate of the Untied States to grow and become powerful regardless of who or what was in their way • Conflicts between American settlers and Indian nations Indians to reservations. Do you believe it was Americas God given right to expand?...No matter who it affected?

5. Impact on the American Indians • During westward expansion, the settlers wanted Indian land – leading to fights & wars • The American Indians were repeatedly defeated in violent conflicts and removed from their land In what ways has this impacted todays lives for Native Americans?

6. Trail of Tears Reservations • One of most famous is the Trail of Tears • Cherokees and other tribes were removed from their homes in winter and forced to march far away from their homes to Oklahoma • Many died – old people, women, children • Many other tribes forced to reservations – land supposed to be set aside for Indians • Generally poor land, no hunting, not good for crops • Indians often starved and died of disease

7. The Homestead Act of 1862 • The Homestead Act gave public lands (lands owned by the national government) to American citizens

8. Homestead Act • Law signed by Lincoln in 1862 • For a small fee a person could obtain 160 acres for free • But not really free – were some rules • At least 21 years old or head of a family • American citizen or immigrant filing for citizenship • Build house a minimum size (12 feet by 14 feet) • Live in house 6 months out of year • Farm land 5 yrs in a row before ownership set What do you think the goal of the Homestead Act was?

9. In the photos above, the blue square represents one acre. 

10. Thousands of African-Americans moved west in 1879 to find a better life. • This was known as the “Exodus of 1879”, and the participants were called “Exodusters”. • Why would African Americans want to move west?

11. Indians fought back… • As Indians lost more and more land, they fought back – losing almost all their battles – and they did lose the war • Sandy Creek Massacre (1864) - Colorado • Battle of Little Big Horn (1876) – Dakotas, Wyoming and Montana • Battle of Wounded Knee (1890) – South Dakota

12. Black Hills & Battle of Little Big Horn Treaty of Fort Laramie gave Indians the Black Hills 1874 Gold Rush in Black Hills Native Americans protest Col. George A. Custer arrive at Little Big Horn River Led by Crazy Horse, Gall, & Sitting Bull - Indians defeat Custer Eventually Sitting Bull and other Indians surrender to Gov.

13. Dawes Act -1887 - Broke up reservations & gave some of the reservation land to ind. Native Americand to farm - known as allotments -Gov. sold remaining allotments to settlers -Native Americans did not understand terms - private land ownership -By 1932 whites took 2/3rds of territory set aside for Indians

14. Gold and Silver Strikes The CA Gold Rush began in 1849, attracting thousands of gold hunters known as forty-niners.

15. Major "Strikes" in the California Gold Rush In 1852 the take for the year was $80 million ($1.9 billion in 2005 dollars). Sutter's Mill/Coloma - Jan. 24, 1848James Marshall kicked off the California gold rush when he spotted some pea-sized bits of gold in a mill raceway. The news brought thousands of prospectors to the area, but neither Marshall nor his employer John Sutter prospered from the find.

16. Gold and silver mines were discovered throughout the West. Thousands of miners from the U.S., Europe, Mexico, and China flocked to the West. White and Chinese miners hoping to strike it rich during the California Gold Rush at Auburn Ravine in 1852.

17. · Cow towns developed near the railroads, offering cowhands hotels, saloons, and restaurants. Abilene, Kansas (late 1800’s)

18. The spread of farming, as well as harsh weather, destroyed the cattle boom by 1887. Hundreds of miles of barbed wire were strung across the state in the 1880s, forever changing the character of the frontier and bringing a measure of management to the cattle industry.

19. The Transcontinental Railroad · Railroad companies raced to lay tracks to the mines in order to supply the miners.

20. Promontory Point, Utah Omaha, Nebraska . . Union Pacific Railroad x Central Pacific Railroad J j Sacramento, California · In 1863, two companies, the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific, began building the first transcontinental railroad.

21. Immigrant Workers · Labor was scarce due to the hard, dangerous work and low pay. Union Pacific - hired many Irish immigrants Central Pacific - approximately 90% of their workforce were Chinese immigrants · Therefore, immigrant labor was used.

22. · The workers endured scorching deserts, blinding snowstorms, and blasted through mountains. Chinese railroad workers perform their duties in the snow.

23. Transcontinental Railroad • The Transcontinental Railroad • Completed in May 10, 1869 at Promontory Point Utah. The railroads cut travel time west from six months to six days!

24. On May 10, 1869, a golden spike was hammered into a track joining the two tracks in Promontory Point, UT. https://youtu.be/wvQyBcbHJkg