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Chapter 9. westward expansion , 1830-1850. Pioneer Life. In 1800, Kentucky was called the West. Many people left their homes and farms in the East to go West. They headed for the frontier.they wanted land , adventure , and the chance to start a new life .
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PioneerLife • In 1800, Kentucky wascalledthe West. Manypeoplelefttheirhomes and farms in the East to go West. Theyheadedforthefrontier.theywantedland, adventure, and the chance to start a new life. • Pioneers: is a personwhogoes to live in a new place. • Thetrip to thewestwasn´teasy. Somepioneerstraveledbywagon. Oxenpulledthe heavy wagons.
Otherpioneerstraveledbywater, butrivertravelcould be dangerous. Riversoftenflooded in thespring. • Once thesettlersreachedtheir new home in Kentucky thefirstthingtheysawwasforest. Eachfamily´sfirstjobwas to cutdowntrees, theyclearedtheland and plowedit-, thentheyplantedcrops. Theybuilttheirownhouses. • Familiesmadetheirownclothing, tools, and furniture.
New TradeRoutes • Traders as well as pioneershelped open up the West. • Onebig trading center wastheMexicancity of Santa Fe. Itwas a place of beautifulhouses and churches. American tradedcloth and toolsforfurs and Mexicansilver. • TheMexicangovernmentownedthelandthatisnow Texas. TheMexicanswantedtheland to be settled, so theyinvitedAmericans to livethere.
Texas Independence • In 1836, a Mexican general named Santa Anna led anarmy of about 6,000 meninto Texas. Theymarchedtowardthetown of San Antoni, thereabout 200 Americansprotectedthetown in a fortcalledtheAlamo. • TheMexicanArmysurroundedtheAlamo, and killedalltheAmericansthatwereinside. But a monthlater, theTexans won animportantfight. A mannamed Sam Houston led a surpriseattackagainst Santa Anna.
Sam Houston wasthefirstpresident of Texas. Texas becameknown as theLoneStarRepublic. Thiswasbecauseitwaspart of neitherMexiconortheUnitedStates. • In 1845, Texas joinedtheUnitedStates, nowitwastheLoneStarState.
WarwithMexico • In 1846, theUnitedStates and Mexicowent to war. ManyAmericanswantedMexicanlands, and Mexicowasangrybecause Texas hadbecome a state. • Thewarlastedtwoyears, theUnitedStates won. TheUnitedStatesgotpart of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, California, Nevada, and Utah.
California, Here I Come! • Mexico and UnitedStatesdidn´tknowthattherewasgold in California. In January 1848, goldwasdiscovered in mountainstreams in California. • Thousands of peoplerushedintothehills and mountains of California lookingforgold, the Gold Rush hadbegun! • By 1849, therest of theworldheardaboutthegold. Thousands more peoplerushed to California in search of gold.
Thepeoplewhowent to California to look forgoldwerecalledforty-niners.