Explore the US History Textbook 8th Grade Chapter 17 Americans Move West study material pdf and utilize it for learning all the covered concepts as it always helps in improving the conceptual knowledge.
Weep California Standards Science Students analyze the divergent paths of the American people in the 1800 to the and the challenges . Students analyze the transformation of the American omy and the changing social and political conditions in the United States in response to the Industrial Revolution . Analysis Skills Students use a variety of maps and documents to identify physical and cultural features of neighborhoods , cities , states , and countries . Arts Writing Write biographies , autobiographies , short stories , or narratives . Reading Students read and understand appropriate material . FOCUS ON WRITING Writing a Letter Before telephones and , one way to communicate with people far away was by letter . In this chapter , you will read about the settlement of the West by European Americans . Suppose you were an Irish immigrant working on a railroad that crossed the Great Plains . What might you have seen or experienced ?
After you read the chapter , you will write a letter to your sister in Ireland telling her about your experiences . The Pony sud Express begins delivering mail between East and West . 542 CHAPTER 17 History Impact series Watch the video to understand the impact of the West on American culture . Will learn . A In this chapter you will learn about how the great American West changed in the late . Settlers poured into the region and built mines , ranches , farms , and railroads . In this photo , modern pioneers a wagon journey the 18005 . 1874 Gold is discovered in the Black Hills of the . 1879 Thousands of African Americans The Massacre migrate from the at Wounded Knee South to Kansas . occurs . The first transcontinental road is completed . The Orient Express railway makes its first run from Paris to Istanbul . Louis Pasteur invents the purification process of pasteurization . abolishes slavery . AMERICANS MOVE WEST 543
Reading Social Studies . Society Economics Politics Religion Geography Focus on Themes In this chapter you will faced as the movement West continued and people follow the development of the United States from settled the Great Plains . You will learn about the the through the . You will learn technological advancements made during this that California was admitted to the Union in time as well as the difficult geographical obstacles You will find out about the struggles that people miners and ranchers faced in the West . Questioning Focus on Reading When newspaper reporters want to get to the I , 35 Va heart of a story , they ask certain questions who , what , when , where , Ad ea ' why , and how . When you are reading a history book , you can use the same questions to get to the heart of what happened in the past . iii Hypothetical Questions You can also use questions to dig deeper than what is in the text . You can ask hypothetical , or what if , questions . These questions ask what might have happened had events occurred . Sometimes asking such questions can help history come alive . What ?
encouraged new settlement In 1862 Congress passed two important land acts that helped open the West to settlers . The Homestead Act gave land to small ers . Any adult who was a citizen or planned to become one could receive 160 acres of land . In exchange , promised to live on the land for years . The Act granted more than 17 million acres of federal land to the states . 560 ) Who ?
Congress When ?
1862 Why ?
Perhaps Congress feared what would happen to Western lands if they remained unsettled . How ?
Congress gave land to anyone who agreed to settle on it for five years . What if ?
If Congress had not passed these laws , people might not have moved West . The might not have grown as quickly as it did . 544 CHAPTER 17 ELA Analysis Frame questions that can be answered by historical study and research . Reading Students read and understand material . You Try It ! Read the following passage and then answer the questions below . Building Communities Women were an important force in the From tling of the frontier . They joined in the hard , work of farming and ranching and helped build communities out of the widely spaced farms and small towns . Their role in ing communities facilitated a strong Voice in public affairs . Wyoming women , for ple , were granted suffrage in the new constitution , which was approved in 1869 . Annie , one of the founders of Chico , California , used her to support a variety of moral and social causes such as women suffrage and temperance . Answer these questions based on the passage you just read . Who is this passage about ?
What did they do ?
When did they do this ?
How do you think they accomplished it ?
Why do you think they were able to accomplish so much ?
How can knowing this information help you understand the past ?
What if women in the West had been given more rights ?
Fewer rights ?
How might the West have been different ?
and ( Chapter 17 Section frontier ( 546 ) Lode ( boomtowns ( 548 ) Cattle Kingdom ( 549 cattle drive ( 549 ) Trail ( Pony Express ( 550 transcontinental railroad ( Section Treaty of Fort Laramie ( 554 ) reservations ( 555 ) Crazy Horse ( 555 Treaty of Medicine Lodge ( 555 ) buffalo soldiers ( 556 ) George Armstrong Custer ( 556 Sitting Bull ( 556 Battle of the Little Bighorn ( Massacre Knee ( 557 ) Long Walk ( 557 Geronimo ( Ghost Dance ( 558 ) Sarah ( 553 Dawes General Allotment Act ( 558 ) Section Homestead Act ( 560 ) Act ( 560 ) 561 ) sodbusters ( 56 ) dry farming ( 561 ) Annie ( 562 National Grange ( 563 ) deflation ( 564 ) William Jennings Bryan ( 564 ) Populist Party ( 564 Academic Vocabulary In this chapter , you will learn the following academic words establish ( 548 ) facilitate ( 562 ) As you read , ask questions like who , what , when , where , why , how , and what if to help you analyze what you are reading . AMERICANS MOVE WEST 545
SECTION What You Will Learn . A mining boom brought growth to the West . The demand for cattle created a Cattle Kingdom on the Great Plains . East and West were connected by the transcontinental railroad . The Big Idea As more settlers moved West , mining , ranching , and railroads soon transformed the western landscape . Key Terms frontier , 546 Lode , 547 boomtowns , 548 Cattle Kingdom , 549 cattle drive , Trail , 549 Pony Express , 550 transcontinental railroad , 550 IE Describe the purpose , challenges , and economic incentives associated with westward expansion , including the concept of Manifest Destiny ( the Lewis and Clark expedition , accounts of the removal of Indians , the Cherokees Trail of Tears , settlement of the Great Plains ) and the territorial acquisitions that spanned numerous decades . 546 CHAPTER 17 Miners , Ranchers , and Railroads If YOU were there You are a cowboy in Texas in 1875 . You love life on the open range , the quiet nights , and the freedom . You even like the hard work of the long cattle drives to Kansas . But you know that times are changing . Homesteaders are moving in and fencing off their lands . Some of the older cowboys say its time to settle down and buy a small ranch . You hope that they not right . What would make you give up a cowboy life ?
BUILDING BACKGROUND In the years following the Civil War , the population grew rapidly . Settlements in the West increased . More discoveries of gold and silver attracted adventurers , while the open range drew others . Thousands of former Civil War soldiers also joined the move West . Mining Boom Brings Growth During the years before the Civil War , most Americans had thought of the Great Plains and other western lands as the Great American Desert . With the admission of the state of California to the Union in 1850 , however , the western boundary of the American an undeveloped reached the Ocean . In the years following the war , Americans witnessed the rapid growth of the population and the spread of settlements throughout the West . The frontier changed dramatically as more and more people moved westward . Settlers built homes , fenced off land , and laid out ranches and farms . Miners , ranchers , and farmers remade the scape of the West as they adapted to their new surroundings . The geography of the West was further changed by the development and expansion of a large and successful railroad industry that moved the West natural resources to eastern markets . Gold and silver were the most valuable natural resources , and mining companies used the growing railroad network to bring these precious metals to the East .
Causes and Effects of Westward Expansion Causes New land for settlers and ranchers Mineral resources Businesses to support settlers , ranchers , and miners Immigration Effects New towns Railroads across the continent Cattle Kingdom ANALYSIS SKILL INTERPRETING CHARTS economic activities attracted people to the West ! Big Business Most of the precious metals were located in western Nevada . In 1859 miner Henry discovered a huge deposit of gold and silver in Nevada that became called the Lode . The deposit was incredibly rich and deep . In just the first year after its , the Lode lured thousands of California miners to Nevada . Over the next 20 years , the Lode produced more than 500 million worth of gold and silver . Expensive equipment was needed to remove the silver and gold that were trapped within quartz rock . Larger mining bought up land claims from miners who could not afford this machinery . As a result , mining became a big business in the West . As companies dug bigger and deeper mines , the work became more dangerous . Miners had to use unsafe equipment , such as elevator platforms without protective walls . They worked in dark tunnels and breathed Posters like this one were designed to persuade people to move west . hot , stuffy air . They suffered from lung disease caused by dusty air . Miners often were injured or killed by poorly planned explosions or by . Fire was also a great danger . Mining was therefore one of the most dangerous jobs in the country . In the West , worries about safety and pay led miners to form several unions in the 18605 . Settlers People from all over the world came to work in the western mines . Some miners came from the eastern United States . Others emigrated from Europe , Central and South America , and Asia . Many Mexican grants and Mexican Americans were miners . They were skilled in assaying , or testing , the contents of valuable One newspaper reporter wrote , Here were the most varied elements of ity . belonging to almost every nationality and every status of AMERICANS MOVE WEST 541
New Towns The Cattle Kingdom Mining booms also produced boomtowns , communities that grew suddenly when a mine opened . They disappeared just as quickly when the mine closed . Most boomtowns had general stores , saloons , and . Few women or families lived in towns . I was never so lonely and sick in all my life , wrote one young woman . Women washed , cooked , made ACADEMIC clothes , and chopped wood . They also raised families , established schools , and 39 wrote for newspapers . Their work helped turn some mining camps into successful , permanent towns . The cattle industry was another area of rapid growth . Following the Civil War , a growing economy and population created a greater demand for beef in the East . Cattle worth to each in Texas could be sold for 38 each in Kansas . In New York , they could be sold for 80 each . The most popular breed of tle was the longhorn . The Longhorn spread quickly throughout western Texas . Because these animals needed very little water and could survive harsh weather , they were suited to the dry , environment of western Texas . But how could Texas ranchers move the longhorns to eastern markets ?
In 1867 businessman Joseph McCoy Summarizing What risks did covered a solution . He built pens for cattle in miners face ?
the small town of Abilene , Kansas . The Kansas Myth and Reality in the West No episode in American history has given rise to as many myths as the West . writers of dime novels , popular in the East , helped created the myths in the years after the Civil War . Even today , popular books , television shows , and movies continue to portray the West in ways that are more myth than reality . Myth The cowboy was a individual . Reality Most cowboys were employees . Many joined labor unions and even went on strike . Myth Western were wild places where cowboys had gunfights , and there was little law and order . Reality Most were orderly cities with active law ment Showdowns rarely , if ever , occurred . Myth Almost all cowboys were Anglo Americans . Reality About 25 percent of cowboys were African Americans , and 12 cent were Hispanic . 548 CHAPTER 17
Railroad line went through Abilene . As a result , cattle could be shipped by rail from there . Soon , countless Texas ranchers were making the trip north to Abilene to sell their herds of cattle . Around the same time , cattle ranching began to expand onto the Great Plains . The Great Plains from Texas to Canada , where many ranchers raised cattle in the late , became known as the Cattle Kingdom . Ranchers grazed huge herds on public land called the open range . The land had once been occupied by Plains Indians and buffalo herds . Importance of Cowboys The workers who took care of the ranchers cattle were known as cowhands or cowboys . They borrowed many techniques and tools from Vaqueros ( Mexican ranch hands who cared for cattle and horses . From Vaqueros came the western saddle and the rope used for lassoing cattle . The cowboys also borrowed the Vaqueros broad felt hat . However , they changed it into the familiar cowboy hat . One of the cowboy most important and dangerous duties was the cattle drive . On these long journeys , cowboys herded cattle to the market or to the northern Plains for ing . The trips usually lasted several months and covered hundreds of miles . The Trail , which ran from San Antonio , Texas , to the cattle town of Abilene , Kansas , was one of the earliest and most popular routes for cattle drives . It was blazed , or marked , by Texas boy Jesse in the late . At times , rowdy cowboys made life cattle towns rough and violent . There were rarely in the street , but there was often disorderly behavior . Law officials such as Wyatt Earp became famous for keeping the peace in cattle towns . End of the Open Range As the cattle business boomed , ranchers faced more competition for use of the open range . Farmers began to buy range land on the Great Plains where cattle had once grazed . Small ranchers also began competing with large ranchers for land . Then in 1874 , the invention of barbed wire allowed westerners to fence off large amounts of land cheaply . The between farmers , large ranchers , and small ranchers increased . This competition led to range wars , or for access to land . Making matters worse , in 1885 and 1886 , disaster struck the Cattle Kingdom . The huge cattle herds on the Plains had eaten most of the prairie grass . Unusually severe winters in both years made the ranching situation even worse . Thousands of cattle died , and many ranchers were ruined . The Cattle Kingdom had come to an end . Drawing Conclusions Why did the Cattle Kingdom come to an end ?
FOCUS ON READING Ask yourself questions about the information in this paragraph to help you understand the competition between farmers and ranchers . AMERICANS MOVE WEST 549 550 CHAl ?
When the two lines of the railroad met in Promontory , Utah , Leland Stanford drove a celebratory golden spike into the rails . mac , The Transcontinental Railroad As more Americans began moving West , the need to send goods and information between the East and West increased . cans searched for ways to improve and travel across the country . In 1860 a system of messengers on back called the Pony Express began to carry messages west . The messengers carried mail between relay stations on a route about miles long . However , telegraph lines , which sent messages faster , quickly put the Pony Express out of business . Some Americans wanted to build a transcontinental railroad that would cross the continent and connect the East to the West . The federal government , therefore , passed the Railway Acts in 1862 and in 1864 . These acts gave railroad companies loans and large land grants that could be sold to pay for construction costs . Congress had granted more than 131 million , INTERPRETING MAPS acres of public land to railroad companies . In exchange , the government asked the roads to carry mail and troops at a lower cost . Many railroad companies were inspired to begin laying miles of tracks . Great Race Two companies , the Central and the Union , led the race to complete the transcontinental railroad . In February 1863 , the Central began building east from Sacramento , California . At the end of the year , the Union started building west from Omaha , Nebraska . The Union hired thousands of railroad workers , particularly Irish grants . Chinese immigrants made up some 85 percent of the Central workforce . The railroad Leland Stanford praised them , but he paid them less than other laborers . Chinese crews also were given the most dangerous tasks and had to work longer hours than other railroad laborers . They took the job , however , because the 30 a month Pony Express Trail Transcontinental Railroad route 200 400 Miles 200 400 Kilometers Movement According to the map , whatwas the westernmost city on the transcontinental railroad ?
that the Central paid was as much as 10 times what they could earn in China . Railroad companies faced many graphic challenges . For example , Central workers struggled to cross the ra Nevada mountain range in California . Breaking apart its rock formations required setting carefully controlled explosions using large amounts of blasting powder and the explosive nitroglycerin . And in the winter of 1866 , snowdrifts more than 60 feet high trapped and killed dozens of workers . As a result , the Central took four years to lay the 115 miles of track . Meanwhile , Union workers faced harsh weather on the Great Plains . In tion , the company pressured them to work at a rapid times laying 250 miles of track in six months . For both railroad companies , ing food and supplies for workers was vital . This job became more in remote areas . The railroad companies consequently often relied on local resources . Professional hunters , such as William Buffalo Bill Cody , shot thousands of buffalo to feed Union workers . Golden Spike Congress required the two completed rail lines to connect at Promontory , Utah . On May 10 , 1869 , a golden spike was used to connect the railroad tie joining the two tracks . Alexander witnessed the event . Governor Stanford , president of the Central , took the sledge hammer , and the time he struck he missed the spike and hit the a howl went up ! Irish , Chinese , Mexicans , and everybody yelled with delight . He missed it . Stanford tried it again and tapped the spike . quoted in A Treasury of Railroad , edited by . and Alvin The railroad companies were not ished , though . Following completion of the transcontinental railroad , companies building railroads until the West was crisscrossed with rail lines . The Central Pacific and Union Pacific connected their tracks at Promontory , Utah , in , completing the transcontinental railroad . in . cANs 551 ,
THE IMPACT TODAY Effects of the Transcontinental Railroad Increased settlement of the West Increased business activity and trade Helped make the railroad industry one of the most powerful in the country Results of the Railroad The transcontinental railroad increased both economic growth and the population in the West . Railroad companies provided better transportation for people and goods . They also sold land to settlers , which encouraged people to move West . Mal , New railroads helped businesses . in , goods across the em timber companies , miners , ranchers , and country using farmers shipped wood , metals , meat , and grain east by railroad . In exchange , eastern interstate . manu acture goo to airplanes . the West . Section Assessment Railroad companies encouraged people to put their money into the railroad business , which they unwisely . road speculation and the collapse of railroad owner Jay Cooke banking helped start the Panic of 1873 . By the , many small western railroads were deeply in debt . Despite such setbacks , Americans remained interested in railroad investments . In 1865 only about miles of railroad track existed . By 1890 there were about miles in tion . Railroads had become one of the biggest industries in the United States . I Finding Main Ideas How did the railroad affect the development of the West ?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section you learned that the mining of gold and silver , the cattle boom , the tal railroad , and the opportunity for land and work increased settlement of the West . In the next section you will learn about how this settlement led to with Native Americans . go tom online Quiz KEYWORD Reviewing Ideas , Terms , and People Critical Thinking a . Recall Why did Americans move West in the . Comparing Copy the graphic organizer below years following the Civil War ?
Draw Conclusions What effect did the ery of the Lode have on the West ?
Evaluate Do you think women were important to the success of mining towns ?
Why or why not ?
a . Recall What led to the cattle boom in the West ?
Analyze Why was there competition between ranchers and farmers to settle in the Great Plains ?
Evaluate What played the biggest role in ending the Cattle Kingdom ?
Why ?
a . Recall When and where did the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines meet ?
Make Generalizations How do you think the transcontinental railroad improved lives ?
552 CHAPTER 17 onto your own sheet of paper . Use it to compare how mining and railroads led to the settlement and development of the West . Growth of the West . Taking Notes on Mining , Ranching , and the Railroads As you read this section , take notes on how mining , ranching , and railroads changed the West . How might a railroad worker feel about these changes ?
Wars for the West If YOU were there You are a member of the Sioux nation , living in Dakota Territory in 1875 . These lands are sacred to your people , and the ment has promised them to you . But now gold has been found here , and the government has ordered you to give up your land . Some Lakota Sioux leaders want to fight . Others say that it is of no use , that the soldiers will win . Would you fight to keep your lands ?
BUILDING BACKGROUND Miners , ranchers , and farmers all moved West in the years after the Civil War . The arrival of settlers and the the Great Plains end ofthe way of life of the Indians who lived there . The coming ofthe railroad began this destruction , with the killing ofthousands of buffalo . Treaties were made but did not protect Indian lands from settlers . Settlers Encounter the Plains Indians As miners and settlers began crossing the Great Plains in the , they pressured the federal government for more access to western lands . To protect these travelers , officials sent agents to negotiate treaties with the Plains Indians . The Plains Indians lived in the Great Plains , which stretch north into Canada and south into Texas . Indian groups such as the Apache and the Comanche lived in and around Texas and The Plains Indians depended on two horse and the buffalo . SECTION ) What You Will Learn . As settlers moved to the Great Plains , they encountered the Plains Indians . The Army and Native Americans fought in the northern plains , the west , and the Far West . Despite efforts to reform policy toward Native cans , conflict continued . The Big Idea Native Americans and the government came into conflict over land in the West . Key Terms and People Treaty of Fort Laramie , 554 reservations , 555 Crazy Horse , 555 Treaty of Medicine Lodge , 555 buffalo soldiers , 556 George Armstrong Custer , 556 Sitting Bull , 556 Battle of the Little Bighorn , 556 Massacre at Wounded Knee , 557 Long Walk , 557 Geronimo , 557 Ghost Dance , 556 Sarah , 558 Dawes General Allotment Act , 558 reasons forthe development of federal Indian policy and the wars with American Indians and their relationship to agricultural development and . AMERICANS MOVE WEST 553
Map what is now Oklahoma . The Cheyenne and the lived in different regions across the central Plains . The Pawnee lived in parts of Nebraska . To the north were the Sioux . These tribes spoke many different languages . However , they used a common sign language to communicate and they shared a similar lifestyle . Hunting Buffalo For survival , Plains Indians depended on two horse and the buffalo . The Spanish brought horses to America in the . Plains Indians learned to ride horses , and hunters used them to follow buffalo herds . While on back , most Plains Indian hunters used a short bow and arrows to shoot buffalo from close range . Plains Indians used buffalo for food , shelter , clothing , utensils , and tools . Women dried buffalo meat to make jerky . They made tepees and clothing from buffalo hides , and cups and tools from buffalo horns . The Plains Indians prospered . By 1850 , some Native Americans lived on the Plains . Struggle to Keep Land Miners and settlers were also increasing in they wanted Indians land . The government tried to avoid disputes by negotiating the Treaty of Fort Laramie , the first major treaty between the government and Plains Indians . Two years later , several southern Plains nations signed a treaty at Fort in Nebraska . These treaties recognized Indian claims to most of the Great Plains . They also allowed the United States to build forts and roads and to travel across Indian homelands . The government promised to pay for any ages to Indian lands . Native American Land Loss in the West , I . I by , Native Americans IMA SPOKANE CHIPPEWA I 18704890 NEZ PER . om CHIPPEWA I CAYUSE CHEYENNE Reservations In 1890 WALLA ALLA SHOSHONE HUP 40 , CRO . SHOSHONE PAWNEE UTE Native American group 200 400 Miles 200 400 Kilometers Fun Battles and Treaties of the Indian Wars Mam . Lodge Laramie , Al ( I Treaty at , 1853 COMANCHE CHOCTAW Sand Creek Massacre , 1864 if Massacre , 1866 Treaty of Medicine Lodge , 1867 Battle ofthe Little Bighorn , 1375 ) Battle ofthe Rosebud , OCEAN ATLANTIC ( CHICKASAW um ( um Interactive Map INTERPRETING MAPS KEYWORD ?
553 , GEOGRAPHY SKILLS . Region In what regions did Native Americans lose land in PACIFIC ! OCEAN the late ?
Wounded Knee Massacre , Gulf of Mexico I I 55 , CHAPTER 17 . 77 I I ' 90 , Easier , LINKING To TODAY Tribal Councils Native Americans have long held tribal councils to make decisions on behalf of the group . Today this tradition of Native American government continues . There are more than 500 tribal governments in the United States . Tribal governments provide a wide range of services , including law enforcement , health care , and education . Here , a member of the Blackfoot Tribal Council addresses the Montana state legislature . ANALYZING INFORMATION What types of services do tribal ments provide ?
The treaties did not keep the peace for long . In 1858 the discovery of gold in what is now Colorado brought thousands of miners to the West . They soon clashed with the Cheyenne and the . In 1861 the government negotiated new treaties with Plains Indians . These treaties created reservations , areas of federal land set aside for Native Americans . The expected Indians to stay on the reservations , which made hunting buffalo almost impossible . Pioneers and miners continued to cross the Great Plains . Many miners used the Trail . To protect them , the Army built forts along the trail , which ran through favored Sioux hunting grounds . The Sioux responded with war . In late 1866 , Crazy Horse , a Lakota Sioux , and a group of Sioux ambushed and killed 81 cavalry troops . In 1868 , under the Second Treaty of Fort Laramie , the government agreed to close the Trail , abandon the forts , and vide reservation land to the Sioux . The government also negotiated for southern Plains Indians to move off their land . In the 1867 Treaty of Medicine Lodge , most southern Plains Indians agreed to live on reservations . However , many Indians did not want to give up their hunting grounds . ing soon broke out between the Comanche and Texans . The Army and the Texas Rangers were unable to defeat the Comanche , so they Cut off the Comanche access to food and water . In 1875 , the last of the Comanche war leaders surrendered . Summarizing What was policy toward the Plains Indians inthe 18605 and 18703 ?
AMERICANS MOVE WEST 555 ( I . Two Views of a Historic Hattie ' CONNECT To THE ARTS ' The Native Americans are I ' shown surrounding a small Art historians have identified about paintings of the Battle of the Little Bighorn . The painting on this page was painted in 1899 . The painting on next page is one of the many drawings of the battle done by Red Horse , who participated in the . He drew them years after the battle . How do these paintings show the influences of different cultures ?
shown standing among his men as he fires . Other Sioux leaders listened to Sitting Bull and refused to give up land . Fighting soon broke out between the army and the Sioux . On June 25 , 1876 , Custer scouts found evidence of Lakota encampments along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory . The Cheyenne had joined with the Lakota Sioux for the summer encampments . ing 264 of his soldiers , Custer raced ahead without waiting for any supporting forces . In the Battle of the Little Bighorn , Sioux forces led by Crazy Horse surrounded and defeated Custer and his troops . Newspapers called the battle Custer Last Stand because his entire command was killed . It was the worst defeat the Army suffered in the West . The Battle of the Little Bighorn was also the Sioux last major victory . In 1881 , Sitting Bull and a few followers returned from Canada where they had Fighting on the Plains In the northern Plains , Southwest , and Far West , Native Americans continued to resist being moved to and on tions . The government sent troops , including African American cavalry , who the Indians called buffalo soldiers , into the area to force the Indians to leave . Battles on the Northern Plains As on the southern Plains came to an end , new trouble started in the north . In 1874 , Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer Dakota expedition gold was in the Black Hills of the . Sitting Bull , a leader of the Lakota Sioux , protested demands for the land . What treaty that the whites have kept has the red man broken ?
Not treaty that the white man ever made with us have they kept ?
Not , quoted in Touch the Earth 556 CHAPTER 17 moved . They had run out of food during the hard winter . He joined the Sioux on Standing Rock Reservation in Dakota Territory .
Almost a decade later , in 1890 , while following orders to arrest Sitting Bull , police killed him . Many Lakota Sioux left the reservations in protest . Later that year , the Army shot and killed about 150 Lakota Sioux near Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota . This Massacre at Wounded Knee was the last major incident on the Great Plains . Southwest The Navajo lived in what became Arizona and New Mexico . In 1863 the Navajo refused to settle on a reservation . In response , troops made raids on the Navajo , homes , and livestock . When the Navajo ran out of food and shelter , they started surrendering to the army . In 1864 , the army led Navajo captives on the Long Walk . On this march the Navajo were forced to walk across the desert to a reservation in Redondo , New Mexico . Along the way , countless Navajo died . The Army is shown on horseback in this painting . Far West The United States had promised to let the peaceful Nez keep their land in gon . Within a few years , however , the ordered the Nez to a tion in what is now Idaho . Before leaving , a few angry Nez killed some local settlers and tried to escape to Canada , led by Chief Joseph . Near the border , troops overtook them and sent them to a reservation in what is now Oklahoma . Final Battles By the , most Native Americans had stopped . The Apache of the west , however , continued to battle the army . A Apache named Geronimo and his small band of raiders avoided capture for many years . In September 1886 , Geronimo rendered , ending the Apache armed resistance . Contrasting the Apache resistance that of the Navajo ?
AMERICANS MOVE WEST 551 Conflict Continues By the , many Native Americans lived on reservations , where land was usually not ful for farming or buffalo ing . Many Indians were starving . A Paiute Indian named began a religious ment , the Ghost Dance , that the arrival of paradise for Native Americans . In this paradise , the buffalo herds would retum and the settlers would disappear . officials did not understand the meaning of the Ghost Dance . They feared it would lead to rebellion , so they tried to end the movement , which had spread to other groups , including the Sioux . After the sacre in 1890 at Wounded Knee , the Ghost Dance movement gradually died out . In the late , a Paiute Indian named Sarah called for reform . She gave lectures on problems of the reservation system . Writer Helen published a book that pushed for reform of Indian Sarah spoke out for the fair treatment of her people . Some reformers believed that Native Americans should adopt the ways of white people . The Dawes General Allotment Act of 1887 tried to lessen traditional on Indian society by making land ownership private rather than shared . The act also failed to citizenship to Native Americans . After breaking up reservation land , the ment sold the acreage remaining . The Act took about of Indian land . Evaluating How did reformers try to influence Native Americans lives ?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section you read about in the settlement of the West . In the next section you will ?
policy in 1881 . Section Assessment a . Describe What animals did Plains Indians depend on , and how did they use those animals ?
Analyze How did policy toward the Plains Indians change in the late 18505 ?
Elaborate Would you have agreed to move to a reservation ?
Why or why not ?
a . Describe What events led to the Battle of the Little Bighorn ?
Elaborate Why do you think most Indian groups eventually stopped resisting the United States ?
a . Describe How did the Dawes General Allotment Act affect American Indians ?
Predict What effect do you think the Massacre at Wounded Knee would have on relations between Plains Indians and the United States ?
558 CHAPTER 17 learn more about Great Plains settlers , unit ( om online KEYWORD ssa ' Reviewing Ideas , Terms , and People Critical Thinking . Identifying Cause and Effect Copy the chart below . Use it to list the causes and effects of conflicts between the United States and Native Americans on the Great Plains . Causes Conflicts Effects . Taking Notes on the Wars for the West As you read this section , take notes on the wars between the government and the Plains Indians . How might a railroad worker have experienced these conflicts ?
BIOGRAPHY Chief Joseph What would you do to protect your home and your ways of life ?
when did he live ?
Where did he live ?
Chief Joseph lived in the Valley , the Nez homeland , in Oregon . What did he do ?
Chief Joseph led his people in an effort to hold on to the Nez homeland and to avoid war with the United States . For years , Joseph and a band of Nez Perce refused to move as white settlers moved into the valley . Finally , after being threatened with attack , Joseph gave in . An army led by General Oliver Otis Howard eventually chased the Nez across Idaho , Wyoming , and Montana . They were sent to a reservation in ma , where many died . Why is he so important ?
Chief surrender speech earned him a place in American history . The band of 700 people , including only 200 warriors , made a courageous , trek , hoping to cross into Canada for protection . Exhausted , hungry , and freezing , Joseph people lapsed just short of the Canadian border . In later years , the chief spoke , about what had happened . Cause and Effect What brought suffering to Chief Joseph and his people ?
Chief Joseph of the Ne nation tried to protect his people from the advancement of white settlers . I am tired . Our chiefs are killed The old men are all dead It is cold , and we have no little children are freezing to death . My people , some of them , have run away to the hIlls , and have no blankets , no food . No one knows where they freezing to death . I want to have time to lookfor my children , and see how many of them I can . Maybe I shall them among the dead . Hear me , my chiefs ! I am tired . My heart is sick and sad . From where the sun now stands I will no more forever . Joseph of the Nez , surrender , AMERICANS MOVE WEST 559
What You Will Learn . started new lives on the Great Plains . Economic challenges led to the creation of farmers political groups . By the , the western frontier had come to an end . The Big Idea Settlers on the Great Plains created new communities and unique political groups . Key Terms and People Homestead Act , 560 Act , 561 sodbusters , 561 , 561 Annie , 562 National Grange , 563 deflation , 564 William Jennings Bryan , 564 Populist Party , 564 challenges , and economic incentives associated with westward expansion , including the concept of Manifest Destiny ( the Lewis and Clark expedition , accounts of the removal of Indians , the Cherokees Trail of Tears , settlement of the Great Plains ) and the territorial acquisitions that spanned numerous decades . characteristics and impact of Grangerism and Populism . 560 CHAPTER 17 IE purpose , Farming and Populism If YOU were there You are a female schoolteacher in Wisconsin in 1880 . You live and teach in a small town , but you grew up on a farm and are used to hard work . Now you are thinking about moving West to claim free land from the government . You could teach in a school there , too . You think it would be an exciting adventure , but your family is that a single woman would move West on her own . Would you decide to become a homesteader ?
BUILDING BACKGROUND By the and , the Great Plains had been made more welcoming to settlers . The end ofthe open cattle range was coming , and the Indian wars were nearly over . The government moved to encourage permanent settlements in the West by offering land to homesteaders . New Lives on the Plains In 1862 Congress passed two important land grant acts that helped open the West to settlers . The Homestead Act gave owned land to small farmers . Any adult who was a citizen or planned to become one could receive 160 acres of land . In exchange , homesteaders promised to live on the land for years . The Act granted more than 17 million acres of federal land to the states . The act required each state to sell this land and use the money to build colleges to teach agriculture and engineering . Settling the Plains People from all over the country moved West . Many farming lies moved from areas where farmland was becoming scarce or expensive , such as New England . Many single women moved West . The Homestead Act granted land to unmarried women , which was unusual for the time . The promise of land and a life free of discrimination also drew a large group of African Americans West . In 1879 , some
to southern African cans moved to Kansas . Known as , these made a mass exodus , or departure from the South . A number of black communities soon developed . Western homesteads also were attractive to immigrants . Norwegian , Swedish , Danish , German , and Czech immigrants formed many small communities on the Great Plains . Farming the Plains Plains farmers had many unique challenges . The seasons were extreme . Weather could be extreme . Also , the sod , or dirt , beneath the Plains grass was very tough . The hard work of breaking up the sod Plains farmers the nickname sodbusters . In the , western Plains farmers began dry farming , a new method of farming that shifted the focus away from crops such as . Instead , farmers grew more hardy crops like red wheat . In addition , by the , mechanical farming was becoming common . By using machinery , farmers could work much more quickly on large fields with fewer workers . Farmers shipped their harvest east by train . From there , crops were shipped overseas . The Great Plains soon became known as the breadbasket of the world . Pioneers like this family often lived in houses made of sod because there were few trees for lumber on the Plains . Primary Source LETTER Letter from the Plains , In a letter to her family in Norway , immigrant Gro describes her new life as a farmer on the plains of Iowa . I remember Med to ( I ( he ( to keefe ( Le ( Lere ( Led ( LHe become of true ( Le ( Lere ( Le ( Le . It , too , to ( Le . met ureter ( wer ( or met ( Le ( ere ( me ( Leer ( tern ( Le ( dowry ( were ter oak tree ( martyr in Sources Ill American History ANALYSIS PRIMARY SOURCES What might be some of the differences between way and new home in Iowa ?
561 , ACADEMIC VOCABULARY to bring about Time Line Farming and the Rise of Populism 1862 President Lincoln signs the bill that authorizes the transcontinental railroad . Building Communities Women were an important force in the tling of the frontier . They joined in the hard work of farming and ranching and helped build communities out of the widely spaced farms and small towns . Their role in ing communities facilitated a strong voice in public affairs . Wyoming women , for example , were granted the vote in the new state constitution , which was approved in 1869 . Annie , one of the founders of Chico , California , used her to port a variety of moral and social causes such as women suffrage and temperance . Many early settlers found life on their remote farms to be extremely difficult . Farmers formed communities so that they could assist one another in times of need . One of the first things that many pioneer communities did was establish a local church and school . Children helped with many chores around the farms . Author Laura Wilder was one of four children in a pioneer family . Wilder books about settlers lives on the prairie are still popular today . Comparing and Contrasting How were settlers lives alike and different from their lives in the East ?
1867 The National Grange is founded . Farmers Political Groups From 1860 to 1900 , the population more than doubled . To feed this growing lation , the number of farms tripled . With modern machines , farmers in 1900 could harvest a bushel of wheat almost 20 times faster than they could in 1830 . Farm Incomes Fall The combination of more farms and greater productivity , however , led to tion . Overproduction resulted in lower prices for crops . As their incomes decreased , many farmers found it difficult to pay bills . Farmers who lost their farms and homes . Many of these homeless farmers became tenant farmers who worked land owned by others . By 1880 , of all farms were rented by ants , and the number continued to grow . The National Grange Many farmers blamed wholesalers , brokers , grain buyers , and railroad making money at their expense . As economic conditions , began to follow the example of other workers . They formed associations to protect and help their interests . move to Kansas .
One such organization was founded by Oliver Hudson Kelley , who toured the South in 1866 for the US . Department of Agriculture . Kelley saw how the country farmers suffered . Afterward , ley and several government clerks formed the National Grange of the Patrons of in 1867 . The National Grange was a social and educational organization for farmers . Grange is an old word for granary . Local chapters were quickly founded , and membership grew rapidly . The Grange campaigned for political who supported farmers goals . The organization also called for laws that regulated rates charged by railroads . The Supreme Court ruled in 1877 that the government could regulate railroads because they affected the public interest . In 1886 , the Court said that the federal government could only companies doing business across state lines . Rate regulation for railroad lines within states fell to the state governments . In February 1887 Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act , providing national regulations over trade between states and creating the Interstate Commerce sion to ensure fair railroad rates . However , the commission lacked power to enforce its regulations . Agricultural Supply and Demand CONNECTING ECONOMICS Wheat ( ih millions of bushels ) Cost ( per bushel of wheat ) The Interstate Commerce Commission is formed to regulate railroad prices . Supply is the amount of a good that is available . Demand is the amount of a good that people want to buy . When supply exceeds demand , prices lall . What happened to the price of wheat as the supply increased ?
Wheat Production , 1875 1880 Year Wheat Prices , backs William Jennings presidential candidate . 1892 The national Populist Party is formed . SKILL READING TIME LINES railroad was the Interstate Commerce Commission created ! AMERICANS MOVE WEST 563 1896 The Populist Party Bryan as the Democratic How many years after the authorization of the transcontinental
Free Silver Debate Money issues also caused problems for ers . Many farmers hoped that help would come from new laws affecting the money supply . Since 1873 the United States had been on the gold standard , meaning that all paper money had to be backed by gold in the treasury . As a result , the money supply grow more slowly than the nation tion and led to decrease in the money supply and overall lower prices . One solution was to allow the unlimited coining of silver and to back paper currency with silver . This was the position of those in the Free Silver movement . During the late , there was a great deal of support for the Free Silver movement . Many farmers began backing political dates who favored free silver coinage . One such candidate was William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska . The two major political parties , however , largely ignored the money issue . After the election of 1888 , the Congress passed the Sherman Silver Purchase Act . The act increased the amount of silver purchased for coinage . However , this did not help farmers as much as they had hoped . BIOGRAPHY William Jennings Bryan William Jennings Bryan was born in Illinois but moved to Nebraska when he law school . He was elected Nebraska Democratic Congress member in 1890 . Through his political campaigns and work as a newspaper editor , he became one of the ers of Populist ideas . After a dramatic speech at the 1896 Democratic National Convention , Bryan was nominated for the presidency . He was the . youngest presidential candidate up to that time . Although he lost the election , he continued to be an speaker Making inferences Why was support of Populist ideas important ?
Populist Party To have greater power , many farmers to elect candidates that would help them . These political organizations became known as the Farmers Alliances . In the 1890 elections the Alliances were a strong political force . State and local wins raised farmers political hopes . At a conference in Cincinnati , Ohio , in 1891 , Alliance leaders met with labor and reform groups . Then , at a convention in Louis in February 1892 , the Alliances formed a new national political party . The new party was called the Populist Party , and it called for the government to own railroads and telephone and telegraph systems . It also favored the free and ited coinage of To gain the votes of workers , the Populists backed an workday and limits on immigration . The concerns of the Populists were soon put in the national spotlight . During the Panic of 1893 , the economy a crisis that some critics blamed on the shortage of gold . The failure of several major railroad companies also contributed to the economic problems . The Panic of 1893 led more people to back the Populist call for economic reform . In 1896 the Republicans nominated William McKinley for president . McKinley was against free coinage of silver . The Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan , who favored free coinage . The Populists had to decide between ning their own candidate , and thus splitting the silver vote , or supporting Bryan . They decided to support Bryan . The Republicans had a campaign , and they won the election . McKinley Victory in 1896 marked the end of both the Populist Party and the Farmers Alliances . Summarizing Why did farmers , laborers , and reformers join to form the Populist Party ?
Oklahoma Land Rush The rush began at noon on April 22 , Some witnesses said they could feel the ground shake as people raced to claim land . Single women and widows could claim land on an equal basis with men . Many settlers were dismayed to find some people had claimed land before the rush legally began . people were called sooners . am End the tier Section Assessment By 1870 only small portions of the Great Plains remained unsettled . For most of the next two Ideas Terms and People decades this land remained Open range a . Describe What groups settled in the In March 1889 , government Us I announced that homesteaders could ' am OW I ma an available to western settlers ?
on land In What 15 now the State of Elaborate Would you have chosen to settle on the Oklahoma . This land had belonged to Creek frontier ?
Why or Why and Seminole Indians . Within , a . Recall What was the goal of the National Grange ?
about people rushed to Oklahoma to . Make Why did the Populist Party want the stake their government to own railroads and telegraph and In all , settlers claimed more than 11 Phone ?
Evaluate Do you think farmers were successful in lion acres of former Indian land in the famous bringing about economic and political change ?
Explain . Oklahoma land rush This huge Wave of . a . Recall What was the Oklahoma and rush ?
nee was the last Chapter of the Westward Explain Why did the frontier cease to exist in the movement . By the early , the frontier United States ?
had ceased to exist in the United States . Critical Thinking Finding Main Ideas . Comparing and Contrasting What event signaled the closing of the frontier ?
COPY the diagram YOUT Populist sheet of paper . Use it to show Pam , the similarities and differences SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section among the Grange , you read about the challenges settlers faced . the Farmers A ' a ' and the In the next chapter you will read about the Pa growth of America industrial power and how that growth affected American lives . Taking Notes on Farming the Great Plains As you read this section , take notes on the growth of farming on the Great Plains . How did farmers interact with the railroads ?
What changes might have been apparent to a railroad worker ?
AMERICANS MOVE WEST 565 Social Studies Skills Analysis Critical Thinking Participation Comparing Migration Maps Note similarities or differences . Closely examine and compare each map patterns and symbols . One of the best ways of using geography to learn history is by comparing maps . This skill allows you to see changes over time . It also helps you see between one factor , such as population growth , and another factor , such as transportation routes or economic activities in an area . Practice the ski Use the maps below to answer the following Learn the Skull questions . What state was unsettled by . Americans in 1850 and almost completely Apply basic map skills by reading the title and settled in 1890 ?
studying the legend and symbols for each map . Apply critical thinking skills . Make tions and draw conclusions about the ships you find . Follow these steps to compare information on maps . Which other two states show the Note the date of each map and the area it most settlement by Americans from ?
covers . Maps compared for changes over time why do you think the West Coast was Settled should include the same areas . Those used to before the interior of the United States ?
00 or re among Ou ave at ates . According to the maps , how might rivers have shaped the settlement of the West ?
Settled area Settled area state boundaries . state boundaries 200 200 400 Miles Tim . 200 566 CHAPTER 17 Standards Review Use the visual summary below to help you review Summary the main ideas of the chapter . we American West As settlers moved to the The completion of the The railroads helped Farmers settled the Great West , they came into transcontinental railroad in make the rise of the Plains in large numbers . conflict with American 1869 opened the West to Cattle Kingdom possible . They overcame many Indians . The more settlement . Gold and Cowboys drove huge herds hardships to make the government defeated silver strikes also drew of cattle from ranches to Plains the breadbasket of Indian resistance and people hoping to get rich . railway stations to be America . moved many tribes to shipped to the East . reservations . Reviewing Vocabulary , Comprehension and Terms , and People Critical Thinking I . Who was the leader of the Cavalry in the SECTION ( Pages ) Battle Of the Little Bighorn ?
a . Recall Why were many Americans eager to Cyrus McCormick William Jennings move to the western frontier ?
Analyze How did railroads and ranching Leland Stanford . George Armstrong change the landscape of the West ?
Elaborate In your opinion , which made the . What act gave millions of acres of federal lands greatest changes to the , to the states , which were to sell them and use ing , or railroads ?
Explain your answer . those funds to build agricultural and ing colleges ?
SECTION ( Pages ) Act Pacific Railway Act a . Describe What was life like for the Plains Sherman Act Interstate Commerce Indians before and after the arrival of large Act numbers of American settlers ?
Which frontier woman was instrumental in Why did the Spread of porting reform efforts in the West ?
the Ghost Dance movement cause concern for officials ?
Sarah Annie bi Laura Wilder Lucretia Mott Elaborate What do you think about the system established by the United States ?
AMERICANS MOVE WEST 561 SECTION ( Pages ) IE , a . Identify What political organizations did western farmers create ?
Why did farmers create these organizations ?
Analyze How did women participate in the settling of the American frontier ?
Predict How might the end of the frontier in the United States affect the nation ?
Reviewing Themes . Geography What geographic obstacles did miners , ranchers , and railroad workers face in the West ?
Science and Technology What types of did farmers on the Great Plains use , and how did it benefit them ?
Using the Internet . Activity Creating a Presentation Our view of the settlement of the west is heavily by popular culture . Writers , painters , and illustrators provided a steady of words and images that sensationalized life in the American West . Later , makers and television ers also contributed to the myth of the Wild West . When legend becomes fact , said one actor in the classic western movie The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance , print the How does legend affect our view of this part of our history ?
Enter the activity keyword . Analyze the myths and realities of the West and the ways in which they shaped our view of that time period . Then create a visual display or PowerPoint presentation to present your research . Reading Skills Understanding Through Questioning Use the Reading Skills taught in this chapter to answer the question about the reading selection below . For survival , Plains Indians depended on two horse and the buffalo . The Spanish brought horses to America in the . Plains Indians learned to ride horses , and hunters used them to follow buffalo herds . 554 ) to . Write two or three questions you have about the information in the passage above . Remember to use the five ?
What ?
When ?
Where ?
and Why ?
Social Studies Skills Comparing Migration Maps Use the Social Studies Skills taught in this chapter to answer the questions about the map below . It . According to the map above , for what reasons did settlers migrate to the West ?
for mining , ranching , and farming for jobs in manufacturing for the homes in the major cities there for the industry 12 . Writing Your Letter Review your notes . Then write a letter to your sister back in Ireland about your experiences on the Great Plains . Describe all the changes you have seen . Use colorful and precise details to make your sister feel as though she were there .
Standards Assessment DIRECTIONS Read each question and write the letter of the best response . Government ownership of railroads Free and unlimited coinage of silver An day for industrial workers Strict limits on foreign immigration Election of officials who will help farmers Which of the following intended to the changes listed above in American society ?
A the the Populist Party the National Grange the Homestead Act The goal of many reformers who wanted to help Native Americans in the late was to A get Indians to adopt the ways of white people . return to Indians all the land that had been taken from them . relocate all the nations to create an American Indian state in Oklahoma . negotiate treaties to bring peace to the frontier . What played the part in the growth of the West population and my between 1865 and 1900 ?
A the mining industry the Cattle Kingdom the Populist Party the railroad I In general , the policy of the United States government toward Native Americans in the West was to A send the army to track them down , engage them in battle , and kill them . move them onto reservations and open their homelands to white settlers . kill all the buffalo so that they could not continue their traditional way of life . drive them into Canada or Mexico to be dealt with by that country government . The biggest problem facing western farmers in the late was A a scarcity of good , cheap land to farm . their lack of organization to achieve change . overproduction and low crop prices . the threat of attacks by Native Americans . Connecting with Past Learning a In Grade you learned about the relationship of serfs to the land during the feudal period in Europe . Which group in the United States in the late had a relationship to the land that was similar to the serfs relationship ?
A reservation Indians dry farmers vaqueros The living conditions that reservation Indians faced in the late were most like those faced in earlier times by A small farmers in the South . Loyalists during the Revolution . Irish immigrants in the North . African American slaves . AMERICANS MOVE WEST 569