H8 Unit 16: Post Civil War Expansion

Post Civil War

Transcontinental Railroad

Railroad connecting the west and east coasts of the continental US

Mobile General Store

The Idea that Native Americans would use all parts of a bison.

Theodore Judah (crazy Judah)

Railway engineer who tried to put a railway through the Sierra Nevada mountains (an unthinkable idea at the time)

Richard Sears

Allowed for the creating of mail order catalogs, allowing rural people to purchase a wide assortment of goods in late 19th century.

Great American Desert

the Great Plains area before settlers realized the soil is incredibly fertile

Laramie Treaty (1851)

agreement between Northern Plains Indian tribes and US government recognizing traditional territory claims, safe passage for settlers on the Oregon Trail, and building of forts and roads in return for $50,000/ year for 50 years

Reservations

areas of federal land set aside for American Indians

Sand Creek Massacre

Black Kettle's Cheyenne winter camp in eastern Colorado attacked by US Army in November 1864, 200 men, women, and children killed

Chief Joseph

led band of Nez Pierce from Oregon to Montana in an effort to escape to Canada, surrendered in 1877, relocated to reservation in Oklahoma

Geronimo

Apache warrior who frustrated US Army efforts to capture him, roamed Southwest, surrendered and imprisoned in Florida

Buffalo Soldiers

African American cavalry soldiers that fought American Indians, guarded settlers, and built infrastructure in the West

George Custer

US 7th Cavalry commander, attacked Sioux camp in Montana in June 1876, killed along with 264 soldiers

Crazy Horse

Sioux chief, led tribe against Custer's 7th Cavalry, killed in army prison

Sitting Bull

Sioux chief, led tribe against Custer's 7th Cavalry, refused to give up Black Hills, last Sioux warrior to surrender, travelled with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show

Standing Bear

Ponca chief, successfully argued in 1879 that Native Americans were persons and entitled to rights and protections

Assimilation

process of minority group adapting to majority group's culture and customs either voluntarily or by force

Carlisle Indian School

located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, attempt to Americanize American Indian youth to be successful in society

Dawes Act of 1887

federal law that split Indian reservation lands among individual Indians and promised US citizenship

Ghost Dance

religious movement believing that dance would bring back paradise with buffalo herds and no settlers, freaked Americans out

Wounded Knee massacre, 1890

US Army massacre in South Dakota, resulted from attempting to disarm Sioux not on the reservation

Pacific Railroad Act

federal law giving railroad companies loans and large land grants which could be sold to pay for construction costs, in return, railroad companies would carry mail and troops at reduced rates

Promontory Point, Utah

site where Union Pacific and Central Pacific met, completing transcontinental railroad in May 1869, used Golden Spike to complete last construction spike

Homestead Act

1862 - Provided free land in the West to anyone willing to settle there and develop it. Encouraged westward migration.

Sodbusters

farmers breaking up the Great Plains' sod to farm

Exodusters

African Americans from the South who settled western lands

Morill Act of 1862

granted public lands to states to support higher education

Vaquero

A Spanish term for Cowboy: influenced equipment and techniques of American cowboys

Cattle Towns

Railheads where cowboys drove cattle to be loaded on railroad cars for the slaughterhouses to the east