Life in the West/Growing Urbanization and the New Immigration

What event established the template for future gold rushes?

The California Gold Rush of 1849.

What was a common outcome for prospectors during the gold rush?

They established mining camps and found support from various service providers like prostitutes and gamblers.

What significant discovery occurred in Colorado in 1858?

Gold was struck near Pike's Peak, leading to a migration of 100,000 miners the following year.

What was the Comstock Lode?

A mine in Nevada discovered in 1859 that produced over $300 million in gold and silver.

Who was Joseph McCoy and what did he establish?

He established the railhead at Abilene, Kansas, and a hotel to facilitate cattle shipments.

What was the impact of the cattle boom on beef consumption?

Demand for beef increased significantly after rail lines were laid, leading to a shift from pork to beef consumption.

What challenges did farmers on the Great Plains face?

They dealt with high freight rates, falling crop prices, and harsh weather conditions including droughts and tornadoes. They also built houses out of sod.

What was placer mining?

A method where individuals used simple tools like washers and shovels to search for gold.

What characterized mining towns during the gold rush?

They evolved from tents to towns with saloons, stores, and cabins, often marked by violence and diversity.

What was the significance of Tombstone, Arizona?

It was a famous mining town known for its numerous saloons and gambling houses.

How did the demographics of mining towns reflect societal issues?

Men outnumbered women by a ratio of 9 to 1, and women faced significant discrimination despite having some independence. They were valued a lot since they were scarce. They had very diverse mining towns. Whites discriminated against the Chinese

What was the First Laramie Treaty of 1851?

A treaty that assigned boundaries to Indian lands and guaranteed free passage for pioneers, which was not honored by the government.

What was the Sand Creek Massacre?

An event in 1864 where hundreds of Native American women and children were killed after being promised safety. A foul massacre started by Chimington.

What was the Red River War?

A conflict in 1874-75 where U.S. forces battled Native Americans who resisted being forced onto reservations. Led to the defeat of the Indians.

What was the outcome of the Battle of Little Bighorn?

General Custer and his troops were defeated, leading to a national desire for revenge against Native Americans.

What was the Ghost Dance Ceremony?

A spiritual movement among Native Americans that aimed to restore their lands and way of life.

What was the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887?

Legislation aimed at Americanizing Native Americans by allotting them individual plots of land.

What was the impact of urbanization on farmers?

Many farmers moved to cities due to political tensions and economic struggles, leading to the rise of populism.

How did industrialization affect politics in the late 19th century?

It intertwined big business and politicians, leading to corruption and the perception of government as an 'auction house.'

What was the role of women in the West compared to their Eastern counterparts?

Women in the West had more independence and responsibilities, such as managing farms, despite lacking legal rights.

What was the significance of the Great Plains in the context of farming?

The Great Plains were known for their harsh conditions, which posed significant challenges to farmers.

What were the living conditions like in early mining camps?

Mining camps started with tents and evolved into towns, often lacking basic sanitation and law enforcement.

What was the common demographic composition of mining towns?

Mining towns were ethnically diverse, including English, German, Scottish, Welsh, Peruvian, Chilean, French, and Chinese miners.

What was the societal view of Native Americans during the late 1800s?

Native Americans faced discrimination and violence, with many being forcibly removed from their lands.

What was the impact of the Homestead Act on farmers?

It provided free land but often led to farmers becoming trapped in a cycle of debt due to falling crop prices.

What was the impact of industrialization and urbanization on American politics?

It created politics at every level of government, with politicians selling their votes to business leaders.

What significant demographic change occurred in American cities during the Gilded Age?

Millions of European immigrants settled in large cities in the North, Midwest, and Northeast.

What were tenements?

Crowded apartment buildings where low-paid workers lived, often with poor living conditions.

What transportation advancements emerged during urbanization?

Mass transportation systems including electric streetcars, underground subways, and steam trains.

What were the living conditions like in New York City tenements in the early 1900s?

Two-thirds of NYC's residents lived in cramped tenements, often with inadequate sanitation.

What health issues arose in urban areas during the Gilded Age?

High rates of crime, disease, and alcoholism, with diseases like cholera and typhoid fever spreading.

What was the significance of Ellis Island?

It served as the main immigration station where millions of immigrants were processed from 1892.

What was the Page Act of 1875?

The first federal law to limit undesirable immigration, barring East Asian women for prostitution.

What was the Chinese Exclusion Act?

A law that barred Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. for 10 years and prohibited them from marrying whites.

What were the characteristics of new immigrants after 1890?

They came from Southern and Eastern Europe, including Italians, Greeks, and Russians, and were often non-Protestant.

How did nativists view immigrants?

They saw immigrants as a threat to jobs and American culture, often expressing racial superiority.

What was the role of political machines during the Gilded Age?

They controlled local politics, often through corruption and providing services to constituents in exchange for votes.

Who was Boss Tweed?

A political boss who ruled through dishonest means, providing jobs and aid to immigrants in exchange for votes.

What was the literary movement that emerged after the Civil War?

A shift towards realism and naturalism, moving away from romanticism to portray human relations realistically.

Who was Mark Twain?

An influential realist author known for works like 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' and 'Huckleberry Finn.'

What was Social Darwinism?

A theory that applied Darwin's principles of natural selection to human society, opposing reform and government regulation.

What was the significance of the 1905 Chicago saloons?

They had as many saloons as grocery stores, reflecting the prevalence of alcohol consumption in urban life.

What were the effects of overcrowding in urban areas?

Overcrowding led to significant public health issues, including high infant mortality rates and spread of diseases.

What role did ethnic neighborhoods play for immigrants?

They allowed immigrants to maintain their customs, languages, and community ties among people of similar backgrounds.

What is the Wounded Knee Massacre

mass killing by U.S. soldiers of as many as 300 unarmed Sioux at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in 1890. Started because of a Ghost Dance.

Who is Theodore Dreiser?

Naturalist who wrote the book Sister Carrie about the moral decline for a farm girl when she moves to the city

Who is Herbert Spencer?

He applied Darwin's principal of natural selection and developed a theory of social selection. Society would become a filter for the weak.

What are Vaudevilles?

Theaters that invited customers to walk in anytime and watch a continuous sequence of musical acts, skits, juggling, magic shows, and other entertainment.

What are Saloons?

Areas where men gathered to drink, play cards, billiards and darts. They had women snug room and had prostitutes in lying rooms