Studied by 250 people
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
Note 
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