Immigration and Changes on the Western Frontier Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards covering the settlement of the Western Frontier, indigenous conflicts, Populism, and late 19th-century immigration.

James Garfield

Republican President elected in 1880 and inaugurated in March 1881; he was shot by Charles Guiteau on July 2nd, 1881, and died later that September.

Great Plains

The grassland region located in the center/west of the United States.

Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)

An agreement that established a reservation for the Sioux Nation and closed the Bozeman Trail.

Bozeman Trail

A path to Montana cutting through indigenous hunting territory that was the site of violence during Red Cloud's War.

Transcontinental Railroad

Completed in 1869, this rail line linked the East and West coasts and was built largely by Civil War veterans and various immigrant groups.

Closure of the Frontier

A term for the period ending around 1890 when the US government Census declared there was no more frontier line.

Homestead Act 1862

A law where Congress gave 160 acres of land for free to any citizen or intended citizen who was the head of a household.

Sooner State

The nickname for Oklahoma, derived from settlers who claimed land in the 1889 land giveaway sooner than they were legally allowed.

Dugouts

Homes carved into the side of a ravine used by families settling the Great Plains.

Soddies

Houses made of sod (turf) used by settlers on the Great Plains.

Morrill Acts

Laws passed in 1862 and 1890 that gave federally owned land to states to create agricultural colleges.

Hatch Act

Passed in 1887, this law created agricultural experiment stations to develop and teach new farming techniques.

Deflation

The overall lowering of prices in an economy, which increases the value of money but makes it difficult for farmers to pay back loans.

The Grange

An organization for farmers that began as a social club and evolved into a political movement to fight against railroad companies.

Farmers' Alliance

A group that traveled to educate people on how interest rates could be lowered for farmers.

Populism

Also known as the People's Party, this movement sought to increase the money supply, implement a graduated income tax, and elect senators by popular vote.

Gold Bugs

Bankers and businessmen who wanted the U.S. dollar backed only by gold to limit the money supply and maintain high money value.

Silverites

Farmers and laborers who favored bimetallism (gold and silver backing) to increase the money supply and cause inflation.

William Jennings Bryan

The Democratic candidate in the 1896 election known for his support of the 'Silverite' cause.

Massacre at Sand Creek

An 1864 attack by US Army General Curtis that killed 150 Cheyenne people, most of whom were women and children.

Little Big Horn

A battle, also known as Custer's Last Stand, where indigenous groups led by Sitting Bull defeated the entire 7th Cavalry.

Wounded Knee

An 1890 massacre of 150-300 Sioux that effectively ended military resistance by the tribes in the northern plains.

Dawes Act 1887

An act intended to assimilate Native Americans by dividing reservations into 160-acre plots of land for individual owners.

Indian Boarding Schools

A system of residential schools, such as Carlisle, used for the forced assimilation and often harsh treatment of indigenous children.

Agrarianism

A philosophy held by Thomas Jefferson that envisioned America as a continent of rolling farmland, believing it to be simpler and less corrupt than urban areas.

Urbanization

The movement of people from rural areas to cities to work in industry, leading to significant social and economic changes.

Ellis Island

The New York immigration station where many European immigrants arrived during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Angel Island

The San Francisco immigration station where many Asian immigrants arrived in the United States.

Nativism

The policy of protecting the interests of 'native-born' citizens over those of immigrants.

Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)

The first US law to limit immigration based on national origin, it stopped all immigration of Chinese laborers for 10 years.