Westward Expansion (without American Indians)

Homestead Act,160 acres of free land to those who farmed for 5 years.

Boomtown,A town that grew quickly after gold was discovered.

People who built the Transcontinental Railroad,Irish, African Americans, Chinese

Beef Cattle Raising,Created jobs for men in the west. Cattle was shipped on the railroad to the East.

Steel Plow,Wood plows were not strong enough. Steel was a stronger material for plowing farmland.

Mechanical Reaper,Reduced farm labor and increased production.

Transcontinental Railroad,Made transportation faster and cheaper. Created jobs for men in the West.

Dry Farming,A type of farming that was good for areas with little rainfall. Farmers planted the seed deeper to get more water.

Wheat Farming,Wheat doesn't need much water to grow. Wheat was made into flour which is a non-perishable and can be used to make bread and cereal.

Barbed Wire,Used to build a quick and cheap fence. This invention used to mark territory in the Great Plains.

Sod House,House were made out of sod because wood was very expensive in the Great Plains.

Windmill,Provided water for people and animals. The windmill would use wind to pump the water from the ground.

Telegraph,Increased communication across long distances.

Physical Features of the Great Plains,Flatland with few trees, little rainfall, and frequent dust storms.

Reasons why people moved west,New Inventions, gold and silver, adventure, land ownership, new opportunities