Westward Expansion

Unit 2 Flashcards

Push Factor

Something that forces one to leave a place

Pull Factor

Something that draws someone towards a place

Territory

A geographical area under the control of an independent nation. In the U.S (this is an area that might become a state or more than one state)

Exodusters

African Americans who moved from Southern states to Kansas and other western states after the Civil War, especially in 1879

Boomtown

A community that experiences sudden and rapid growth in population and economic activity

Buffalo Soldiers

Regiments of African American soldiers who served in the U.S. Army, primarily in the Western United States, after the Civil War.

Why Head West

Freedom/Opportunity for formerly enslaved, gold and silver, the Homestead Act, New Inventions/Technology.

The Homestead Act

A law passed in 1862 that gave away public land in the West to people who were willing to settle on it. The government wanted to encourage people to move west and turn the land into farms. (Most of the “public” land was taken/stolen from the Natives).

Farmers

The group of people who the homesteading laws were designed to attract the most.

Sooner

A person who entered the Unassigned Lands of what is now Oklahoma before the official start of the Land Run of 1889 (also thought to be cheaters)

Steel Plow

A polished steel blade that could cut through the soil without clogging.

Great Plains

This region was a seemingly endless expanse of flat, treeless grassland with deep, tough soil held together by dense prairie grasses

Locust

Bugs that created "living storm clouds" would devour everything in their path, including crops, clothing, and leather, causing immense hardship and potential starvation for settlers.

Windmill

They harnessed the constant prairie winds to pump water from deep underground wells. This provided a reliable source of water for both livestock and crops.

Barbed Wire

This invention helped keep the peace between farmers and ranchers on the Great Plains.

Dry Farming

A special way of growing crops in places with very little rain. Settlers used this method because there was no easy way to bring water to their farms.

Geronimo

Region: Southwest. Leader of the Apache.

The Mechanical Reaper

Developed by Cyrus McCormick, and was a horse-drawn machine that harvested grain much faster than manual labor.

Advantages of a sod house

Inexpensive: There were not many trees in the Great Plains. The primary building material, sod, was free and abundant. Excellent Insulation: The thick walls of earth provided great insulation, keeping the houses cool in the summer and surprisingly warm in the winter. Fireproof: Unlike wooden cabins, sod houses were resistant to the common and deadly prairie fires.

Soddies

Nickname given to Sod Houses

Disadvantages of a sod house:

Dirty: The constant presence of dirt and the potential for leaky roofs made it difficult to keep the houses clean. Unwanted Guests: The homes were a natural habitat for mice, snakes, and insects. Maintenance: The sod walls and roofs required regular upkeep to prevent erosion and structural damage from rain.

The Transcontinental Railroad

Dramatically shortened travel times from months to days. Travel and trade from east and west became much faster.

Irish & Chinese

The two groups of immigrants that helped build the Transcontinental Railroad.

Treaties

Agreements between two countries or organizations that were broken and the result was natives losing their traditional lands.

Bison

The animal that many nations relied upon to live that the U.S. government encouraged the killing of and made them endangered.

Assimilation

When one group of people takes on the habits of a larger group

Ways Natives were forced to assimilate

Forced to attend schools and change the type of food and supplies used by the group.

Requirements of settlers to be eligible for homestead act:

An adult citizen (21 and over and head of the family).They had to live on it for five years, build a house, farm, and make improvements to the land. It was open to almost everyone, including single women and African Americans.

Loss of traditional lands and way of life

The main reason Natives resisted westward expansion.

Relocation and Assimilation

The government killed so many bison and made them endangered and reduced their resources to force natives to do this.

Gold was found on native lands

Caused the Battle of Little Bighorn

Mount Rushmore

The landmark located in the Black Hills unfairly taken from the Lakota.

Massacre of Wounded Knee

Around 300 Native American men, women, and children were murdered in this event

Farmers

Homesteading laws were designed to attract this group of people the most

Sitting Bull

Lakota Leader, Uniter, and Chief

Battle of the Little Bighorn

In 1876, where he and all of his soldiers were killed by a much larger force of Native American warriors. This event is often called "Custer's Last Stand."

Geronimo

Leader and warrior of the Apache people.