Chapter 7: Unit I LIFE ON THE WESTERN PLAINS. THE LAND

Chapter 7: Unit IChapter 7: Unit I

LIFE ON THE WESTERN LIFE ON THE WESTERN PLAINSPLAINS

THE LANDTHE LAND

THE LANDTHE LAND

• LAND WEST OF THE MISSISSIPPI CONSIDERED TO BE DESOLATE BY THE EARLIEST EUROPEAN SETTLERS

• THE PLAINS WAS HOME TO MILLIONS OF JACKRABBITS, PRARIE DOGS, AND 12-15 MIL. AMERICAN BISON (BUFFALO)

NATIVE NATIVE AMERICANSAMERICANS

NATIVE AMERICANSNATIVE AMERICANS

• THE WEST WAS HOME TO NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBES SUCH AS THE SOUIX, COMANCHE, AND BLACKFEET

• THEY WERE NOMADIC TRIBES; THEY ROAMED VAST DISTANCES IN SEARCH OF THEIR MAIN FOOD SOURCE (BUFFFALO)


• NATIVE AMERICANS USED ALL OF THE PARTS OF THE BUFFALO

• THEY WERE DEPENDENT ON THE BUFFALO TO PRIVIDE FOOD, AS WELL AS SHELTER, CLOTHING, AND OTHER THINGS


• THEY ORIGINIALLY USED DOGS TO HAUL THEIR POSSESSIONS AS THEY HUNTED FOR FOOD

• IN THE 1600’S NATIVE AMERICANS OBTAINED HORSES FROM SPANISH SETTLERS


• NATIVE AMERICANS OBTAINED HORSES BY TRADING FOR THEM OR STEALING THEM FROM THE SPANISH SETTLERS

• BY THE MID 1750’S ALMOST ALL OF THE PLAINS PEOPLE RODE ON HORSEBACK


• HORSES DRASTICALLY IMPROVED THE WAY OF LIFE FOR THE NATIVE AMERICANS

• IT ENABLED THEM TO BE BETTER HUNTERS

• IT MADE THEM TO BE BETTER FIGHTERS; THEY WERE ABLE TO RESIST SETTLERS AND RAILROADS


• IN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO, APACHE AND NAVAJO NATIVE AMERICANS CAPTURED HORSES TO SELL TO THE NORTHERNERST

THE THE RAILROADSRAILROADS

THE RAILROADSTHE RAILROADS

• “WITHOUT THE RAILROADS IT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A CENTURY TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN FIVE YEARS” -DAKOTA NEWSPAPER EDITOR


• THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD ULTIMATELY RESULTED IN:– THE KILLING OF THE BUFFALO AND ALL

OTHER PRARIE LIFE– OBSTRUCTION OF THE NATIVE

AMERICANS WAY OF LIFE– REMOVAL OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS

TO RESERVATIONS


• RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION BEGAN AT A FRANTIC PACE DURING THE CIVIL WAR

• THE FIRST TRANSCONTINENTAL LINE WAS COMPLETED IN 1869

• MAY 10, 1869, “WEDDING OF THE RAILS” TOOK PLACE A PROMENTARY POINT, UTAH


• THE UNION PACIFIC COMPANY WAS EMPLOYED TO BUILD THE RAILROAD WEST FROM OMAHA

• THE UNION PACIFIC COMPANY EMPLOYED MOSTLY IRISH IMMIGRANTS


• THE CENTRAL PACIFIC COMPANY WAS EMPLOYED TO BUILD THE RAILROAD EAST FROM SACREMENTO

• THE CENTRAL PACIFIC COMPANY EMPLOYED MOSTLY CHINESE IMMIGRANTS


• EACH COMPANY WAS GRANTED 16,000$, 32,000$, OR 48,000$ PER MILE DEPENDING ON THE TERRAIN

• EACH COMPANY RECEIVED LAND GRANTS ALONG THE ‘RIGHT OF WAY’ AVERAGING 640 ACRES PER MILE


• RAILROADS LED TO THE DEMISE OF THE BUFFALO POPULATION BY CUTTING THEIR NORTH TO SOUTH MIGRATION ROUTES IN HALF

• BECAME SPORT FOR VACATIONERS TO SHOOT BUFFALO FROM TRAIN WINDOWS


• IN 1871 IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT BUFFALO LEATHER COULD YIELD A PROPHET

• PROFFESSIONAL HUNTERS WENT OUT WEST AND KILLED MILLIONS OF BUFFALO FOR THEIR HIDES


• TRAINLOADS OF BONES WERE SHIPPED EAST TO MAKE FERTILIZER OR CHARCOAL

• BY 1886 ONLY A FEW HUNDRED BUFFALO WERE LEFT

• AND THESE WERE DEEP IN THE CANADIAN WOODS

THE ENDTHE END

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Chapter 7: Unit I LIFE ON THE WESTERN PLAINS. THE LAND