AS

History Chapter 2 Notes

The American Western Frontier, generally spanning from 1862-1900, encapsulates a pivotal era of expansion, conflict, and transformation.

1. The Closing of the Frontier

  • Frederick Jackson Turner's Thesis: In 1893, Turner argued that the American frontier had been a crucial factor in shaping American democracy and character. Its 'closing' raised concerns about the nation's future identity and opportunities.

  • End of Open Range: By the late 19th century, increased settlement, barbed wire, and severe winters led to the decline of the open-range cattle industry and the traditional cowboy era.

2. Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion (Continued)

  • Motivations for Migration: Economic opportunity (land, gold, jobs), religious freedom (Mormons), escape from post-Civil War difficulties, and the allure of 'starting anew'.

  • Government Policies: Encouraged settlement through acts like the Homestead Act of 1862, which granted 160 acres of public land to any citizen or intended citizen who paid a small fee and lived on it for five years.

  • Transcontinental Railroad: Essential for facilitating mass migration, transporting goods, and connecting the East and West. Completed in 1869, it significantly reduced travel time and costs.

3. Native American Displacement and Conflict

  • Indian Wars: A series of violent conflicts between the U.S. Army and various Native American tribes resisting encroachment on their lands.

  • Key Conflicts: Sand Creek Massacre (1864), Battle of Little Bighorn (1876), Wounded Knee Massacre (1890) – often seen as the last major conflict.

  • Reservation System: U.S. government policy to confine Native American tribes to specific tracts of land, often of poor quality, to assimilate them into American society.

  • Dawes Act (1887): Aimed to break up tribal lands into individual allotments, intending to encourage farming and private land ownership among Native Americans. Led to significant loss of tribal lands and cultural disruption.

  • Buffalo Extermination: Deliberate policy and market hunting almost drove the American bison to extinction, removing a primary resource for Plains tribes and further weakening their resistance.

4. Economic Development and Resource Exploitation

  • Mining Booms: Gold and silver discoveries (e.g., California, Nevada, Colorado, Black Hills) drove rapid settlement and the creation of boomtowns, which often became ghost towns after resources depleted.

  • Led to cycles of boom and bust and attracted diverse populations, including many Chinese immigrants.

  • Cattle Kingdom: The rise of large-scale cattle ranching in the Great Plains, driven by demand for beef in Eastern markets. Long drives moved cattle to railheads for shipment.

  • Farming: Difficult conditions in the Great Plains (arid climate, harsh winters, insect infestations) led to innovations in dry farming techniques and adaptations like sod houses and windmills.

  • Federal Land Grants: Encouraged development in the West, particularly for railroads, by granting vast tracts of land.

5. Social and Cultural Transformations

  • Diversity: The West was a melting pot of cultures, including European immigrants, African Americans (Exodusters), Chinese laborers, and diverse Native American tribes.

  • Women's Role: Women often played crucial roles in establishing homes, running farms, and contributing to communities, sometimes leading to early suffrage in Western states and territories.

  • Development of Law and Order: Boomtowns and frontier settlements often developed their own forms of justice, sometimes leading to vigilantism, before formal legal systems were established.