American West - Development of the Plains 1862-1876

Impact of civil war on the west

* serious impact of development of the west
* after 4 years of fighting, over 600,000 Americans were dead and large parts of the East/South were destroyed whilst African–American slaves were freed
* this led to many people (slaves, ex–soldiers) looking to start a new life in the West
* the US government has passed two laws during the war which would have huge significance on settlement in the West, the Homestead Act (1862) and the Pacific Railroad Act (1862)

What was the aim of the homestead act

to promote settlement in the West by providing incentives for people to take unclaimed land

When was the homestead act

1862

Terms of the homestead act

* could buy 160 acre plots of land called homesteads
* just $10 to make a claim for the land but only 1 claim per person
* after 5 years, if proved they had farmed the land they could purchase it for only $30
* nearly anyone could purchase land if over 21 except Indians

Why was the act important

* first proper settlement on plains and encouraged migration west
* allowed ‘homeless’ and ‘landless’ to purchase own farm
* by 1867 over 6 million acres of land had been claimed by ‘homesteaders’, this increased to 80 million and over half of Nebraska was claimed

What were the limitations of the homestead act

* only 26% of acres available were actually homesteaded
* over 300 million acres were given to railroad companies which they sold to people to make profit, more people brought land from then

What was the timber culture act

* 1873
* gave settlers a further 160 acres if they agreed to plan 40 acres of trees
* this would reduce the problem of fuel and timber for building

What was the desert land act

* gave settlers the right to buy another 640 acres of cheap land on the deserts where there was low rainfall
* did increase those purchasing new lands, but it was misused, especially by ranches to claim more land

Give three impacts of the transcontinental railroad

* impact on settlement & farming
* impact on the Plains Indians
* impact on the Cattle Industry

Impact of the transcontinental railroad on settlements & farming

* It directly increased settlement in the West and on the Great Plains and helped America
* The railroad companies sold plots of land to settlers, over 200 million acres by 1900
* They used their ‘Bureau of Immigration’ to persuade people to ‘Come West’
* It made travelling West easier and cheaper
* Towns like Denver grew quickly along the railroad routes, every stop became a town
* Farmers could transport their crops to sell in the East
* Settlers like Homesteaders could buy products from the East, like farming machinery

Impact of the transcontinental railroad on the Plains Indians

* It also directly affected the Plains Indians
* Plains Indians were moved onto reservations away from the railroad
* It affected the buffalo – the railroad companies took buffalo grazing lands and the trains brought hunters
* Plains attacks on the trains led to conflict with the army
* It increased white settlement on Indian territory

Impact of the transcontinental railroad on the cattle industry

* It enabled the growth of the Cattle Industry
* Texas cattlemen began to drive their cattle to ‘Cow Towns’ like Abilene on the railroad
* They sold the transported cattle East which they sold for prices

Describe the building of the transcontinental railroad

* The first railroad was over 2000km long and construction began 1865
* Chinese and Irish labourers worked on the building of the railroad, over 12,000 men died
* Thousands of buffalo were slaughtered which also led to attack from Indians
* By 1869, the railroad was complete, it had a huge impact on America
* Over the next decades thousands more miles or railroad were built connecting the West