Unit 2=1839-1861

Why did people move to the West?

• Manifest Destiny – Gods will that white Americans settle across the whole of the USA

• Build a better life in the West and become Yeoman farmers.

• Reports of a good life in Oregon and California

• Advertisements by businesses to encourage the move.

• Price of wheat collapsed in Mississippi

• Banking collapse in 1837 meant people lost their savings, wages were cut and jobs lost.

• 1841 – Pre-emption Act – if you clear the land and build a house you can buy it.

• Lewis and Clark and other explorers had already mapped out the routes so people felt more confident to migrate.

Why was the journey to the West dangerous?

-Running out of provisions

-Weather (baking sun or torrential rain)

-Flooding

-Buffalo stampedes

-Hostile Natives on the routes

-Mountains / dessert condition could lead to being stranded.

-Starvation as limited stopping points

-Disease such as Cholera, dysentery, tuberculosis

What was the lives of the Plains Indians like?

The tribes were split into bands. The bands had 10-50 families.

Women’s role to raise the children and

scavenge for food such as berries.

Men were warrior trained and hunted buffalo.

Apache also grew and traded corn.

Tribes were nomadic and would move with the buffalo migration and water sources.

The land was important and sacred.

Buffalo were used for food, clothing, tipis,

medicine, blood if no water, weapons, tongue= delicacy.

Why did the mormons move west?

• Started in NY by Joseph Smith and wrote the

Book of Morman in 1830

• Unpopular because of their views including

polygamy – Brigham Young had 55 wives

The moved to Illinois to escape persecution but when there leader was killed in 1846 the moved west .

They headed to Salt Lake City in Utah, which was controlled by Mexico.

Life was tough, growing food was difficult and they had to find water supplies.

In 1848 the government seized it back and brought the Mormons under their control

What impact did the discovery of Gold have?

1848 discovery of gold in California –

led to creation of the state in 1850

and growth of big business including

Levi Strauss. 50,000 people arrived.

Caused destruction to the countryside

and Indian tribes, poor treatment of

workers

1858 discovery at Pikes Peak in Kansas

100,000 people made the journey by

1859

Rail lines made it easier to access