western exoansion

Ida B. Wells — Anti-Lynching Crusade

Investigative journalist who exposed lynching in the South after 3 of her friends were lynched. Said: "The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them."

Ida B. Wells — Civil Rights Impact

Advocated for African American rights and co-founded the NAACP

Booker T. Washington — Background & Education

Worked his way up from slavery, taught himself to read, became educated, and served as head of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama.

Booker T. Washington — Philosophy

Wanted to empower African Americans by having them learn trade skills, manual skills, and economic independence.  

The Atlanta Compromise (1895)

Proposed that African Americans accept segregation in exchange for vocational education and jobs

W.E.B. Du Bois — Background & Philosophy

Born a free man; advocated for full equality for Black Americans and believed education was key.

W.E.B. Du Bois — NAACP & "Talented Tenth"

Co-founded the NAACP; believed the top 10% ("Talented Tenth") of Black individuals would lead the race to equality.  

Homer Plessy

A 1/8 Black man who bought a train ticket and sat in a "whites-only" car to challenge segregation laws.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court ruled that "separate but equal" facilities were constitutional, legalizing racial segregation.

Exodusters

African Americans who migrated from the South to Kansas after the Civil War seeking freedom and land.

Pap Singleton

Leader of the Exoduster movement who helped set up African American colonies in Kansas.

Frontier Movement — Geography

People moved west through Kansas, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona.  

Frontier Town Environment

Characterized by saloons, drinking, gambling, prostitution, and general lawlessness.

Wyatt Earp & Lawmen

Figures like Wyatt Earp were brought into boomtowns (e.g., Dodge City, Tombstone) to enforce order.

Cattle Industry & Open Range

Large cattle drives moved livestock across open land to reach railroad hubs.

Range Conflicts

Conflicts arose between massive cattle barons using the open range and small farmers fencing off land.

Homestead Act of 1862 — Land Terms

Offered 160 acres of public land in the Great Plains to any citizen who applied. 

Homestead Act of 1862 — Requirements

Homesteaders had to farm the land and live on it for 5 years to gain full ownership.

Homestead Act of 1862 — Cost

Land was free or available for a small registration fee.

John Wesley Powell — Western Exploration

Geologist who traveled and mapped the Colorado River and Grand Canyon region.

John Wesley Powell — Environmental Warning

Warned that western settlement could not mirror eastern agriculture due to extreme environmental scarcity of water.

The 100th Meridian

Geographic line where rainfall drops significantly, dividing the humid East from the arid West.

Western Frontier Ideal

Viewed by settlers as a place where people could experience freedom, move past their background, and break free from tradition.

Lawrence Murphy — Lincoln County Monopoly

Big cattle king in New Mexico who controlled trade, stores, and local law enforcement (Murphy's Men).

John Tunstall

British rancher who arrived in Lincoln County, NM, set up a rival store/ranch, and challenged Murphy's monopoly

Lincoln County War — Trigger

Murphy's men murdered John Tunstall, sparking a violent feud for revenge.  

The Regulators

Posse formed by Tunstall’s supporters (including Billy the Kid) to avenge Tunstall's death.  

Billy the Kid — Early Life

Born in New York as William H. Bonney (or Henry McCarty); orphaned young, moved west, and spoke fluent Spanish.

Billy the Kid — Relationship with Tunstall

Worked for John Tunstall, who acted as a father figure to him before being killed. 

Billy the Kid — Role in War

Fought as a prominent Regulator, killed several men during the war, and became a wanted outlaw on the run.

Governor of New Mexico & Billy the Kid

Governor promised a pardon to Billy the Kid in exchange for testimony, but failed to deliver.

Sheriff Pat Garrett

Hired as sheriff of Lincoln County specifically to hunt down Billy the Kid.  

Death of Billy the Kid

Pat Garrett successfully tracked down and killed Billy the Kid at Fort Sumner. 

Western Women & Social Norms

Women on the frontier often broke traditional Victorian gender expectations.  

Annie Oakley — Early Life

Born Phoebe Ann Moses in Ohio; hunted at age 8 to support her family and pay off her mother's mortgage

Annie Oakley vs. Frank Butler

Defeated professional marksman Frank Butler in a shooting contest; Butler later married her and became her manager.

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show — Annie Oakley

Star performing markswoman in Buffalo Bill’s show, touring the world and gaining global fame.

Calamity Jane — Real Name

Martha Jane Canary.

Calamity Jane — Early Struggles

Orphaned at age 14, took care of younger siblings, and did various odd jobs to survive

Calamity Jane — Lifestyle & Habits

Dressed in men's clothes, drank heavily, smoked, swore, and worked as an army scout and bullwhacker.

Calamity Jane — Deadwood, SD

Lived in Deadwood, South Dakota, known as one of the wildest and most dangerous frontier towns.

Native American Culture — Land View

Did not believe in private land ownership; viewed land as shared and sacred.

Native American Upbringing

Education of youth revolved around survival skills, hunting, tracking, and tribal protection.

The Role of the Bison (Buffalo)

Millions of bison ranged the plains; seen as sacred and essential to Plains Indian survival (food, clothing, shelter).

General William T. Sherman & Ulysses S. Grant — Native Policy

Wanted to rebuild/heal the country post-Civil War, but pushed economic opportunity that took land from Native Americans.  

Military Strategy Against Bison

U.S. forces encouraged Americans to hunt and kill bison to destroy the Native Americans' main resource and force submission.

Buffalo Bill Cody — Bison Hunting

Killed 4,280 bison in 18 months while hunting to feed railroad construction crews.

The Black Hills ("Paha Sapa")

Sacred area to the Lakota Sioux ("heart of everything where earth was made"); site of vision quests and religious reverence.