The American West (History Final)

The First Transcontinental Railroad

Completed in 1869, it was the first railroad to connect the eastern US rail network with western territories. It enabled people and goods to be transported across vast distances much more easily than ever before, thus facilitating easier migration into the newly-ish acquired Western territories.

The Homestead Act of 1862

Encouraged the settlement of the American West by granting 160 acres of Western territory to anyone who paid a small fee, lived on the land, and built a residence over a 5-year period. These opportunities were available to pretty much anyone, including former slaves, immigrants, POC, and single women. This resulted in large numbers of settlers in places like Kansas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma.

The Great Plains

The geographical area between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, also known as the American West, was promised to be fertile land ready for settlers.

American Struggle in the Great Plains

Settlers faced extreme weather conditions like tornadoes and droughts, as well as repeated crop failures, all of which placed financial strain on most families, leaving them on the brink of ruin.

The Natives during Westward Expansion

Many natives of the Great Plains were disturbed by American greed. America wanted to use the land for railroads, settlements, and gold, and, in doing so, violated many treaties with Native peoples. Reservations also disrupted the traditional lifestyles of the Natives. A large conflict that occurred because of all this was the Battle of Little Bighorn

What was the Battle of Little Bighorn?

(George Armstrong Custer vs. Sitting Bull) Occurred because a treaty between the US and the Natives that guaranteed the Dakota territory to some Native tribes was broken. resulted in Native triumph and the death of all the American troops, along with Custer

Significance of the Battle of Little Bighorn

Because the Natives managed to kill an entire fleet of 210 soldiers and their commander, the Battle of Little Bighorn was the height of Native American power during the 19th century and was marked as the worst defeat America saw during the Plains Wars. Therefore, the natives were very resistant to having their lives disrupted and to American intrusion on their land.

Cattle Industry and Cowboys

Defined as cattle farming that was used primarily to fulfill the American demand for beef and dairy products. The Great Plains were ideal for these cows (and their herders called cowboys) because of the vast grasslands.

(Remember the idea of Western movies as Western identity)

Mining Booms and Western Development

Since thousands of people flocked to the West during mining booms like the California Gold Rush, there was a population influx in the American West, leading to increased demand for infrastructure and overall Western development. Ming areas also attracted people of many different races, thus diversifying the West, but also introducing racial discrimination to the area.

California Gold Rush (1848-1855)

Large numbers of fortune seekers rushed to Sutter's Mill in California (around modern-day Sacramento) after gold was discovered there, quickly populating California and hastening its progress towards statehood. A significant number of Chinese immigrants came to California because of this as well

Dawes Act of 1887

Meant to allot individual plots of land to Native American Families, thus breaking up communal land and promoting private land in the West, as well as almost forcing self-sufficiency among families. This act would also reduce the size of reservations and open up land for White settlers.

Consequences of the Dawes Act

Undermined Native American cultural practices and traditions in order to incentivize interest in Natives becoming citizens. It also resulted in the loss of tribal sovereignty and identity and economic hardship among Natives.

Turner Thesis (1893) (aka the Frontier Thesis)

An essay by Frederick Jackson Turner in 1893 argued that the American West uniquely shaped American identity, fostering individualism, inventiveness, self-reliance, and optimism. Turner thus differentiates America from its European roots. Also, since Turner ignores any discussion of Native conditions in his essay, he receives backlash for his argument.