Westward Expansion - Section 2 and 3

The Homestead Act

This law made it possible for settlers to purchase inexpensive land in the West with certain conditions they had to complete.

The Merrill Land Grant Act

This law gave land in the West to State governments in the East as a grant so they could resale the land and make a profit and use the profit to build colleges and universities.

Soddie (y)

A house made of dirt and grass built because there was a no access to wood because of few trees.

Bonanza Farm

Large Farms that plant only one type of crop.

Exodusters

African Americans led by Benjamin Pap Singleton out of the South into the West for opportunity.

John Deere Plow

A technological advance that helped farmers break up the ground more efficiently.

Windmills

A technological advance that pumped water up from underground.

Comstock Lode

A large find of silver ($500,000) in Nevada.

Placer Mining

Mining for gold or silver on the surface of the Earth usually with a sluice box.

Hydraulic Mining

The use of high pressure hoses to blast earth away to find ore.

Hard-Rock (Quartz) Mining

The practice of mining underneath the surface of the Earth.

Longhorn

The specific type of cow ranchers bred in Southwest Texas.

Chisholm Trail

The most well-known cattle trail that went from Texas to Abilene, Kansas to the railroad.

Long Drive

The practice of walking cattle herds from Southwest Texas to railroads in the plains.

Goodnight-Loving Trail

This trail went westward to Denver, Colorado and Cheyenne, Wyoming because there was obviously a demand for beef in those two locations (Boom Towns).

Boom Town

A town that is experiencing economic success.

Ghost Town

A town that is experiencing an economic downward spiral.

Haymarket Riot

A labor protest that turned violent in Chicago in 1886, advocating for workers' rights and an eight-hour workday.

Homestead Strike

A violent labor dispute in 1892 at the Homestead Steel Works in Pennsylvania, where workers protested against wage cuts, resulting in a battle between strikers and private security agents.

pullman strike

A nationwide railroad strike in 1894 that disrupted rail traffic and resulted in violence, protesting wage cuts and high rents in company-owned towns.

nativism

The policy of protecting the interests of native-born or established inhabitants against those of immigrants. This often involves advocating for immigration restrictions and highlighting the cultural superiority of the native population.

Chinese Exclusion Act

A US federal law enacted in 1882 that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers, reflecting the era's nativist sentiments and anti-immigrant attitudes.