Unit 5A: The Wild West

Mass Migration

The movement of people into the western region of the United States after the Civil War.

Homestead Act

The 1862 law that provided 160 acres of free land to settlers who agreed to farm the land for five years.

Boom Town

A town that develops rapidly due to a sudden influx of people, often associated with mining.

Cattle Boom

The period of increased demand and supply for beef in the West following the Civil War.

Open Range

Land not fenced in or owned by anyone where ranchers could graze cattle.

Exodusters

African Americans who migrated to the West to escape Jim Crow laws after the Civil War.

Transcontinental Railroad

A railroad that connected the eastern United States to the western territories, completed on May 10th, 1869.

Chinese Exclusion Act

The federal law passed in 1882 that prohibited Chinese immigration to America.

Indian Wars

A series of conflicts between Native Americans and settlers in the late 19th century, leading to the displacement of Native tribes.

Wounded Knee

The last major battle between the U.S. Army and Native Americans, which occurred in 1890.

Gilded Age

A period in U.S. history characterized by rapid economic growth, industrialization, and social upheaval.

Sioux

A Native American tribe that was prominent in the Great Plains region, known for their resistance against U.S. expansion.

Little Bighorn

The site of the 1876 battle where the Sioux, led by Sitting Bull, defeated General Custer's forces.

Buffalo

The primary source of sustenance for Plains Indians, whose near extinction drastically affected their way of life.

Promontory Point

The location in Utah where the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads met, marking the completion of the transcontinental railroad.

Reservations

Areas of land designated for Native American tribes, often located in isolated regions following the Indian Wars.