The Settlement of the Far West
The Settlement of the Far West
Essential Questions
Causes and Effects of Settlement
Investigate the interrelations between causes and effects regarding the settlement of the Far West.
Explore economic changes that accompanied the settlement.
Impact on Indigenous Peoples
Analyze how Anglo-American settlement affected the indigenous populations of the Far West.
Cultural Significance of the West
Discuss why the West occupies a central place in the American imagination.
Myth vs. Reality of Settlement
Examine the disparities between the mythic image and the reality of the settlement of the Far West.
Perspectives on the Far West
The Great American Desert
Initially perceived as wasteland suitable only for Indigenous peoples.
Changing Ideas of the West
Discovery of precious metals shifted perceptions.
Profitability of the Open Range contributed to changing views.
Construction of the Transcontinental Railroad transformed accessibility.
Temporary climate changes affected settlement patterns.
Growth in wealth, land acquisition, and opportunities emerged.
The Gold Rush
Major mining and manufacturing cities included those producing copper, iron and steel.
Gold and silver mining were dominant activities, resulting in significant demographic shifts and economic changes.
Major Gold/Silver Rushes of the Era
Pike's Peak - 1858
Comstock Lode - 1860
The Black Hills - Discovery in 1874
The Early Days: The 1860s
Prospecting: Process of searching for gold and other minerals.
Gold Prospectors Handbook: Tools and techniques required:
Placer mines and panning techniques using simple hand tools.
Gold extraction methods including sluices and portable dredges mentioned.
Glossary
Retorts, Geology, Sampling Techniques: Key terms related to mining practices and geology.
Other relevant minerals listed along with their valuable properties.
Corporations Move In
Shift from individual prospectors to corporate mining operations.
Hard Rock Mining / Hydraulic Mines: Different methods of extracting minerals.
Working Conditions and Effects:
Poor ventilation and exposure to poisonous gases.
Risk of explosions and cave-ins, leading to worker injuries.
Environmental concerns, particularly water pollution.
Mining (“Boom”) Towns
Evolution of boomtowns to ghost towns highlighted.
Characteristics included:
Temporary and often violent environments with ethnic conflicts.
Vigilantism prevalent due to lack of law enforcement.
Initial instability transformed into stability as businesses responded to miners’ needs.
Economic conversions towards agriculture as mining opportunities dwindled.
The Cattle Kingdom
The Open Range
Free Public Land: Used for grazing livestock.
Texas Longhorns: Adaptable cattle breed essential for cattle drives.
The Chisholm Trail: Established in 1867 as a significant cattle drive route leading to markets.
The Long Drive: Movement of cattle from ranches to railheads.
The Cattle Trails
Important routes included:
Goodnight/Loving Trail, connecting various states (
Wyoming to Texas).
Cowboy Culture
Black Cowboys: Significant contributions to cowboy culture; approximately 1/4 of cowboys were black.
Mention of discrimination faced in towns, though less prominent on cattle trails.
Nat Love: Notable figure who exemplified the contributions of black cowboys.
Mexican Origins: Contributions of Mexican and Texan techniques for cattle handling discussed.
Tools employed include lariats, branding irons, and other specialist equipment.
The End of the Open Range
Factors leading to decline included:
Corporate speculation increased flooding of cattle ranches.
Overgrazing affected land availability.
Expansion of railroads altered cattle trails.
Adverse weather conditions including harsh winters (1885-87 droughts).
Introduction of barbed wire transformed landscape and cattle movement.
The Railroads
The Pacific Railway Act of 1862
Transcontinental Railroad: Built through cooperation of Central Pacific moving westward and Union Pacific moving eastward, converging at Promontory Point, UT on May 10th, 1869.
Railroad’s Impact on Society
Opened access to western lands and served as a destination for cattle drives.
Promoted settlement and provided critical access to markets for economic exchange.
Contributed to urbanization and the establishment of standardized time across the nation.
The Farmers
Climate Patterns and Agricultural Practices
Rain Follows the Plow: Concept suggesting cultivation could alter climate to encourage precipitation.
Detailed climatic averages for regions described (e.g., Rocky, Pacific, Great Basin, Sierra Nevada and their differing precipitation levels).
Agricultural Developments
Pioneers utilized sod houses for shelter in regions such as South Dakota.
New agricultural technologies emerged, including the steel plow termed the 'Sod Buster'.
Government Land Acts
Key policies affecting land settlement included:
Homestead Act (1862): Offered 160 acres of land to applicants who would occupy and improve it within five years.
Morrill Land Grant Act (1862): Established colleges dedicated to agriculture, engineering, and military training.
Timber Culture Act (1873): Provided additional land to individuals willing to plant trees.
Desert Land Act (1877): Offered cheap land contingent on irrigation.
Timber and Stone Act (1878): Allowed for appropriation of non-arable land for forestry and mining endeavors.
Barbed Wire
Joseph Glidden’s Innovations: Enabled farmers to fence land effectively and protected it from cattle, contributing to the end of the open-range era.
Decline of Western Farming
Several factors causing deterioration in agricultural viability:
Shift towards cash crop commercial farming practices caused fluctuations in crop prices.
Severe drought conditions compounded agricultural stresses.
Overproduction led to market saturation and further price declines.
Increases in railroad rates and interest rates worsened the economic situation leading to agrarian malaise.
Isolation facilitated the rise of the political movement known as Populism.
Minority Migrants
Chinese Migration
Migrated during the Gold Rush initially seen as beneficial by government officials such as John McDougall.
However, racist sentiments led to the implementation of the Foreign Miner’s Tax (1852) impacting their economic viability.
Notably filled 90% of the labor force on the Transcontinental Railroad construction, often undertaking difficult and dangerous work leading to high unemployment rates.
The Anti-Coolie Movement
Viewed Chinese immigrants as culturally inferior, culminating in the Chinese Exclusion Act, which included provisions from 1882, 1892, and 1902 that restricted Chinese immigration.
Black Homesteaders
Documented efforts of colored people, organized into groups known as Exodusters seeking land in Kansas.
Evidence of formal organization and militia formation aimed at maintaining order and compliance to community guidelines regarding land settlement.
The Displacement of Hispanics
Documented patterns in NM, CA, and TX regarding Anglo-American influx leading to loss of land and opportunities for existing Hispanic populations.
Faced exclusion from politics, relegation to unskilled labor, and systemic exclusion resulting in urban barrios.
The Indian Wars
Major Events and Treaties
Exploration of treaties such as Treaty of Ft. Laramie (1851), major battles including Little Big Horn (1876), and Wounded Knee (1890) noted for highlighting conflicts between U.S. government and Indigenous tribes.
Sand Creek Massacre
Occurred on November 29, 1864, where Colorado Volunteers under Colonel John Chivington killed 133 Cheyenne and Arapaho, primarily women and children.
Red Cloud's War
Notable battle including the Fetterman Massacre where 80 soldiers were killed on December 21, 1866.
Resulted in the conclusion of Red Cloud's War and the signing of the 2nd Fort Laramie Treaty.
Native American Resistance
Geronimo: Apache chief leading a prolonged resistance against U.S. military forces, surrendering in 1886, signaling the closure of the Indian wars.
Wovoka and the Ghost Dance
Cultural movement in 1890 intending to restore Native American culture and spirituality as a response to oppression.
Assimilation Policies
Focused on the Dawes Severalty Act (1887) which promoted assimilation through the introduction of the Carlisle School programs that aimed to eliminate Indigenous cultural practices.
Environmental Consequences of Settlement
Destruction of Ecosystems
Highlighted the near-extinction of the buffalo, pivotal in Plains Indian culture, through over-hunting and changes brought by settlers.
Mention of hydraulic mining as a destructive practice affecting landscapes and water courses, particularly noted in northern California.
Native American Land Cessions and Reservations
Historical overview leading to the establishment of Indian reservations through treaties and conflicts over lands traditionally held by Native tribes.
The Myth and Legend of the West
Frederick Jackson Turner’s Analysis
Turner's Thesis: Advocated in The Significance of the Frontier in American Society (1893) that the settlement of the West was a defining theme in American history, portraying the frontier as a social safety valve that promoted individualism but also fostered antipathy towards authority.
Representation in Culture
William “Buffalo Bill” Cody: Wild West shows exemplified the mythic representation of the West alongside historical figures such as Sitting Bull.
The Realities of the West
Contrasts between the romanticized ideals of independent cowboys and the actual labor conditions on corporate ranches highlighted.
Agricultural Developments
Rise of bonanza farms specializing in cash crops noted as a salient feature of economic development in the West.
Destruction of the Environment
Continuous logging and mining activities led to severe ecological consequences, demonstrating the broader environmental impacts of expansion and development in the West.
Peoples of the West
Acknowledgement of the diverse cultures and ethnic groups that comprised the historic population of the West, contributing to its complexity and richness in American history.