APUSH CH16 Notes

The Far West

The region beyond the Mississippi River where millions of Anglo-Americans moved after the Civil War, containing diverse landscapes.

Indian Territory

Area west of the Mississippi where eastern Native American nations were forcibly resettled before the Civil War and opened to white settlement in 1889-1890.

Pueblos

Southwest Native Americans who lived as farmers and established permanent settlements before Spanish settlers arrived.

Caste system

Complex social hierarchy in the Southwest created by interaction between Pueblos and Spanish settlers.

Genizaros

Native Americans without tribes who became part of Spanish society.

Mestizos

People of mixed race ancestry in the Southwest, part of the social hierarchy created by Spanish colonial rule.

Plains 'Indians'

The most widespread Native American presence in the West, including diverse nations and cultures.

Tribes/bands

Subdivisions of tribes, often numbering up to several thousand people, divided by gender roles.

Governing council

Each band had its own council participating in decision-making processes.

Sioux

The most powerful nation in the Missouri River valley by the early 19th century, forming alliances with others.

Buffalo

Provided the economic basis for Plains Indians' way of life, supplying food and materials.

Arapaho

One of the Plains Indian groups that formed a powerful alliance with the Sioux and Cheyenne.

Cheyenne

Plains Indian nation that allied with Sioux and Arapaho, known for their fierce warriors.

New Mexico

Center of Spanish-speaking society with farming and trading communities established by the Spanish.

Stephen Kearny

General who commanded American troops in New Mexico during the Mexican War.

Taos

Site of an Indian rebellion in 1847 against American rule, where rebels killed Anglo-American officials.

Territorial rings

Circles of Anglo businesspeople controlling territorial governments for profit.

California

Region starting from Spanish settlement in the 18th century, seeing a massive influx of Anglo-American settlers after the gold rush.

Missions

Christian establishments in California that gathered Native Americans and created economies using their labor.

Californios

Hispanic residents of California who lost land and power as the Anglo-American population grew.

Rancheros

Hispanic ranchers in California who initially profited from cattle but lost influence due to expansion and drought.

Texas

Joined the U.S. in 1845 and was part of the Confederacy, where many Mexican landowners lost their land.

Juan Cortina

Mexican rancher who led an armed challenge to American power in Texas.

Chinese immigrants

People crossing the Pacific seeking better lives, many settling in California.

Coolies

Term for indentured Chinese servants resembling slavery, many immigrating under such conditions.

Foreign miners tax

Enacted to exclude Chinese from gold mining in California.

Transcontinental railroad

Completed in 1869, connecting the eastern and western United States and encouraging settlement.

Central Pacific

Western portion of the transcontinental railroad employing over 12,000 Chinese immigrants.

Chinese railroad worker strike

A failed strike in 1866 demanding higher wages and shorter workdays, isolated by the company.

Chinatowns

Urban areas where Chinese immigrants concentrated, with elaborate festivals and celebrations.

Six Companies

Leading Chinese merchants in San Francisco who organized to advance community interests.

Tongs/Tong wars

Secret Chinese organizations involved in conflicts, particularly in 1880s San Francisco.

Laundries

Businesses established by Chinese immigrants, comprising a majority of laundry workers in California.

Anti-coolie clubs

Groups opposing Chinese labor and employing boycotts and violence.

Workingmen's Party of California

Created in 1878 and gained power largely based on anti-Chinese sentiment.

Denis Kearney

Irish immigrant who created the Workingmen's Party of California, building anti-Chinese political power.

Henry George

Reformer criticizing capitalism and supporting the exclusion of Chinese immigrants.

Chinese Exclusion Act

Law passed in 1882 banning Chinese immigration and restricting citizenship.

Homestead Act of 1862

Permitted settlers to buy land plots if they occupied them for five years.

Timber Culture Act

Provided additional land for homesteaders who planted trees as part of land acquisition.

Desert Land Act

Allowed claimants to buy land at low cost if irrigated within three years.

Timber and Stone Act

Authorized sales of nonarable land at $2.50 an acre, subject to fraud.

Utah/Mormons

Denied statehood until convincing Congress that polygamy had been abandoned.

Oklahoma

Formerly Indian Territory, opened to white settlement and granted territorial status in 1889-1890.

Pike's Peak

District in Colorado where gold was discovered, attracting many prospectors.

Washoe District

Area in Nevada known for gold discovery, later famous for the Comstock Lode.

Henry Comstock/Comstock Lode

Discovery of valuable silver ore in Nevada, yielding significant wealth.

Virginia City/Carson City

Important mining towns in Nevada known for quartz mining during the gold rush.

Black Hills

Area in Dakota Territory where gold was found, later dominated by one company.

William Clark

Launched the Anaconda copper mine, marking an important shift in Montana's mining industry.

Bad men

Outlaws attracted to mining communities by precious minerals.

Vigilantes

Members of communities who enforced their own laws in response to criminal behavior.

Silicosis

Disabling lung disease caused by inhaling toxic dust in mines.

Open range

Public domain grasslands where cattle could graze freely.

Branding

Method of marking cattle to indicate ownership, developed by Mexican ranchers.

Sedalia Trail

Route for cattle drives to Missouri, connecting to eastern markets.

Long drives

Movement of cattle from Texas to distant markets involving large herds.

Cattle kingdom

Expansive cattle industry that emerged on the Great Plains after the Civil War.

Abilene/Kansas Pacific Railroad

Main railhead of the cattle kingdom where many cattle were driven to market.

Chisholm Trail

Major cattle trail connecting Texas ranches to the railroad at Abilene.