Settling the West: Guided Reading: Lesson 1 Miners and ... · Web viewSome settlers began raising cattle on the _____ after the Civil War. 7. Cattle from the East could not survive

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Settling the West

Guided Reading ActivitySettling the West, 1865–1890Lesson 1: Miners and RanchersReview Questions: OutliningDIRECTIONS: Read the lesson and complete the outline below. Refer to your textbook to fill in the blanks. When a question has more than one blank, answers should be separated by a comma and a space. (example Texas, longhorn)

I. Growth of the Mining Industry

1. ________________ staked a claim near Virginia City, Nevada, that turned out to be nearly pure silver ore.

2. Almost overnight it went from a town of ________________ people to almost _____________ people.

3. Most mining ______________ did not survive when the mines closed, instead they went ______________ and most residents left.

4. ________________ was a process that used simple equipment such as picks and pans.

5. ________________ was a mining process that removed large quantities of earth.

II. Ranching and Cattle Drives

6. Some settlers began raising cattle on the ________________ after the Civil War.

7. Cattle from the East could not survive on tough prairie grasses, but the ______________ could survive in the harsh climate.

8. Cattle ranching grew in part because of the vast areas of grassland owned by the ____________________ .

9. The ________________ covered much of the Great Plains and provided land where cattle ranchers could graze their herds free of charge.

10. In 1866 ranchers drove about 260,000 cattle to ________________ ; this was the first "long drive."

III. Settling the Hispanic Southwest

11. ________________ taught American cowhands their trade and enriched the English language with words of Spanish origin.

12. ________________ were the majority of the population in New Mexico.

13. Spanish-speaking immigrants to Southwestern cities settled in neighborhoods called ________________ .

Summary and ReflectionDIRECTIONS: Summarize the main ideas of this lesson by answering the question below.

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14. How did mining and cattle ranching help prepare Western territories for statehood.

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Guided Reading ActivitySettling the West, 1865–1890Lesson 2: Farming the PlainsReview Questions: Identifying Supporting DetailsDIRECTIONS: Read each main idea. Use your textbook to supply the details that support or explain each main idea. When there are multiple blank lines, fill in the first line then the second with the answers separated by a comma and a space.(Example: Great Plains, construction)

A. Main Idea: During the late 1800s, construction of the railroads encouraged settlement of the Great Plains.

15. Detail: The Great Plains were once called The Great American Desert because of the scarcity of ________ and ________ .

16. Detail: The population of the Great Plains grew steadily after __________________ .

17. Detail: One important factor that spurred population was the construction of the ___________________ .

18. Detail: In the year ________ , settlement increased because of the passage of ___________________________ .

19. Detail: The law entitled settlers to _______ acres and title to the land after living there _______ years.

B. Main Idea: New farming techniques and new inventions helped to make the Great Plains the Wheat Belt of the United States.

20. Detail: One new farming method of planting seeds deep in the ground was called __________________; farmers planted seeds deep in the soil where there was enough ________ for growth.

21. Detail: Two inventions that made harvesting large wheat crops easier were the _____________ and ___________.

22. Detail: The Wheat Belt included parts of the Dakotas and the states of __________ and __________.


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23. Detail: In the 1880s a severe __________ destroyed much of the wheat crop and turned the soil to ___________.

24. Detail: However, by the 1890s wheat prices dropped because of _______________.

25. Detail: In 1889, an event called the ________________________ opened one of the last large territories for settlement.


26. What were the factors that contributed to the development of the Great Plains as a major agricultural region?

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Guided Reading ActivitySettling the West, 1865–1890Lesson 3: Native Americans Review Questions: Using Headings and SubheadingsDIRECTIONS: Locate each heading below in your textbook. Then use the information under the correct heading and subheading to help you write each answer.

I. Struggles of the Plains Indians

27. What are nomads?

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28. What was a main source of food of the Plains Indians? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

29. Why did the Sioux agree to live on reservations? _____________________________________________________________________


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_____________________________________________________________________

30. Who were the Lakota? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

31. When was the U.S. Army defeated in Red Cloud’s War? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

32. Where was Sand Creek and what occurred there? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

33. Why was the Indian Peace Commission a failure? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

34. What was the purpose of reservations? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

II. The Last Native American Wars

35. When did the Battle of the Little Bighorn occur and what was the result? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

36. Who was George A. Custer?


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_____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

37. What Nez Perce chief spoke these fateful words, “From where the sun now stands, I will fightno more forever”? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

38. Where did the Lakota Ghost Dancers and their families lose their lives in a final battle with the U.S. government? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________

39. What law gave Native Americans lots of land on the reservations and citizenship if they lived on them for 25 years? _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________


Geography and History ActivitySettling the West,1865–1890Resources/Population, 1850–1900“Go West, Young Man”During the nineteenth century, the American West had the mystique of a place to make one’s fortune. For many, the allure of the West centered around the possibility of greater freedom and the availability of free or cheap land. To others, the real draw was the possibility of getting rich. The discovery and mining of gold


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and silver greatly contributed to the mystique of the West.

The Transcontinental RailroadThe first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869. This rail line connected the West with the rest of the nation and enabled a truly national economy to develop. It also opened up the resource-rich West to easier migration. The placement of the transcontinental railroad was no accident. Its route enabled easier access to mineral resources in the West. Exploitation of those resources was made possible by the rise in population in the states along the railroad’s route.

Caption: Mineral deposits in the West helped to spur vast migration to the Western states and territories. At the same time, the Native American population declined.


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Directions: Answer the questions below in the space provided. Understanding Concepts

41. Why do you think the discovery and mining of silver and gold contributed to the mystique and allure of the West?

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42. Why was the transcontinental railroad placed where it was?

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43. Why do you think the Native American population declined steadily between 1850 and 1900?

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Applying Concepts

44. Other than the possibility of getting rich, why else might people have moved West in the late Powered by Cognero Page 7

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nineteenth century?

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45. Do you feel that any part of the United States today has the kind of mystique the West enjoyed during the nineteenth century? Why or why not?

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Economics of History ActivitySettling the West, 1865–1890 The Homestead Act Economics Terms to Knowproperty rights legal ownership and control of tangible or intangible possessions

mortgages installment debts owed on buildings or land

commodities goods that can be bought and sold in bulk at a relatively fixed price In 1862 Congress passed the Homestead Act. For a $10 registration fee, an individual could file to claim a tract of public land. A homesteader could claim up to 160 acres of land and would receive a title to the land after living there for five years. Later government legislation increased the size of the tracts available. The purpose of the Homestead Act was to encourage settlement on the Great Plains. With their property rights assured, more settlers than ever began moving to the Plains.

The Homestead Act assured the property rights of Plains settlers, but it did not ensure economic success. Free land provided farmers with a head start, but they needed to purchase supplies and equipment. Most farmers had to take out mortgages in order to pay for the needed supplies and equipment. Owing money to a bank meant that farmers had to make regular payments. Their ability to make money over and above what they owed depended on the price of the commodities that they grew, mainly wheat.


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Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division (LC-DIG-ppmsca-08375)Caption: Nebraska homestead, 1880s

Since homestead farmers generally had little or no savings to lean on when times were tough, they had to sell their crops as soon as they were harvested in order to meet their monthly mortgage payments. Because wheat prices fluctuated with the season, the necessity to immediately sell crops made it difficult for farmers to earn a lot of money. Prices are generally determined by supply and demand. Wheat prices changed with the seasons, because while demand—the amount people wanted to eat—would stay relatively constant, the supply of wheat changed throughout the year. Prices were higher in the winter, when supply was lower, but most farmers could not afford to hold on to their wheat that long. They had to sell when the price was low.

Applying Economics to History

46. How did owing money to a bank prevent farmers from getting the highest price possible for their crops? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

47. Why do you think wheat prices were higher in the winter? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

48. Why do you think farmers chose to settle on the Great Plains even though it was difficult to make money as a homestead farmer? ___________________________________________________________________


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Biography ActivitySettling the West, 1865—1890George Custer, 1839–1876

PHOTO: ©Historical/CORBIS

Born in 1839 in Ohio and raised in Michigan, George Armstrong Custer, who graduated last in his class at West Point, became an unlikely hero during the Civil War. As a young cavalry commander, Custer distinguished himself in several battles, gaining a reputation for being impetuous. His favorite weapon was his cavalry saber, used in close fighting. After General Robert E. Lee's retreated from Gettysburg, Custer pursued him so closely that his horse was shot, leaving him seriously injured. In another battle, Custer’s color bearer was shot, and Custer protected the flag himself in the midst of battle. Custer’s tireless pursuit of Lee was credited with hastening the Confederate surrender. His daring battlefield exploits earned him several promotions, including the brevet (temporary) rank of major general. Following the war, Custer experienced changes in rank, and some of his actions led to court martial and suspension in 1867. Because of increasing hostilities with the Plains Indians, he was reinstated the following year to command the Seventh Cavalry in Kansas. A flamboyant officer, Custer wore buckskins for battle and velveteen in camp. The Cheyenne called him “Yellow Hair” because he wore his curly blond hair to his shoulders.

In 1876, pressure from settlers led to the United States government attempting to force the Plains Indians onto reservations. Custer, now a lieutenant colonel, had been marching to cross the Little Bighorn River and join other forces for an attack. After encountering a large Sioux and Cheyenne camp, he ignored these previous borders. On the morning of June 25, 1876, Custer’s 600 troops attacked a large village comprised of Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho along the banks of the Little Big Horn River in present-day Montana. Greatly outnumbered by Native American warriors led by chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, Custer and more than 200 troopers in his immediate command were killed in the attack.


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The Battle of Little Bighorn was a victory for Native Americans, but it also caused a backlash from the United States. Government troops soon overtook the area, killing or relocating the Native Americans there.

49. How did Custer’s actions in the Civil War indicate what he might do in other combat situations?

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50. What might explain Custer’s enduring fame and popularity?

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Biography ActivitiesSettling the West, 1865-1890 Native Americans

Chief Joseph, 1840–1904


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PHOTO:©The Granger Collection, New York Chief Joseph succeeded to leadership of the Nez Perce nation in 1873 during a crisis. Some years before, gold had been discovered on Nez Perce land in Oregon’s Wallowa Valley. Some Nez Perce had signed treaties giving up their land to white settlers, but others, including Joseph’s father, had refused. Instead, these Nez Perce pursued a “nontreaty” policy: they did not provoke trouble with whites but refused to leave their lands. Joseph continued his father’s policy, but came up against the American government’s determination to have Nez Perce lands. In 1877 General Oliver O. Howard ordered Joseph and his people to peacefully leave their ancestral lands, or be forcibly removed. Reluctantly, Joseph decided to leave in peace. Before he could do so, however, some Nez Perce killed several whites as revenge for acts of terrorism by settlers. In retaliation, General Howard sent troops to capture Joseph and his people. Knowing that his small band stood no chance of defeating the United States Army, Joseph quickly decided to escape to Canada. With fewer than 200 warriors and nearly 600 women and children, he began a trek northeastward, engaging the army only when he had no other choice. Weaving through four states, crossing the Rockies in what is now Yellowstone National Park, Joseph and the Nez Perce made it to the Bear Paw Mountains. After traveling more than 1,000 miles, the exhausted band was only 40 miles from the safety of the Canadian border. Chief Joseph let his people stop to rest, which proved a costly error. On September 30, 1877, the Nez Perce were surprised by 500 soldiers. Although he had only 87 warriors left, Joseph decided to fight rather than surrender or escape by abandoning the wounded, women, children, and aged. Instead of attacking, the troops surrounded the Nez Perce and conducted a five-day siege. Chief Joseph was finally forced to surrender, vowing, “I will fight no more forever.” Chief Joseph and his people were taken to a reservation in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma. Later, in 1885, Joseph was moved to the Colville Reservation. He devoted the rest of his life to trying to better the lives of his people, writing An Indian’s View of Indian Affairs in 1897, and traveling to Washington, D.C., in 1903 to urge better treatment of Native Americans. His pleas to be allowed to return to his ancestral lands in Oregon were ignored, and he died the following year.


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51. What caused Chief Joseph to flee to Canada, and why were he and his people captured?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

52. What was the Nez Perce nontreaty policy and how did it affect government policy?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

53. Why did Chief Joseph take the Nez Perce to Canada rather than fight the army troops?____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Biography ActivitySettling the West, 1865—1890


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Sitting Bull, 1831?–1890

PHOTO: ©The Granger Collection, New York

The great Lakota chief Sitting Bull was born Tatanka Iyotake around 1831 in the Dakota Territory. He faced his first battle at age 14, in a raid against the Crow tribe. As a young man he joined two groups, a warrior society known as Strong Heart and a group that worked for tribal welfare, Silent Eaters. Sitting Bull became chief of the Lakota Sioux nation when he was 37 years old. A holy man as well as a warrior, Sitting Bull led Native Americans in sun dances and prayers to the Great Spirit.

The Black Hills gold rush in 1874 brought prospectors to the Sioux holy lands in search of riches. When the Sioux fought the incoming prospectors, the U.S. Army retaliated. Sitting Bull relocated his people to present-day Montana, and eventually reached the valley of the Little Bighorn River. A vision he experienced while performing a traditional Sun Dance led him to believe U.S. troops would soon return. He was right. On June 25, 1876, the U.S. Seventh Cavalry under the command of George Custer attacked the large Native American encampment. Custer and his entire immediate command of soldiers were killed.

After his victory at the Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull led his people to Canada to avoid the reservation system. In 1881, with his people facing starvation, Sitting Bull led them to Montana. He asked his son to hand the commanding officer of Fort Buford his rifle, hoping to show that “he has become a friend of the Americans.” Sitting Bull also asked it to be remembered that “I was the last man of my tribe to surrender my rifle.” Four years later, he briefly joined Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. He was killed by a Lakota, as he had seen in a vision five years before: A Lakota policeman shot him in a scuffle trying to keep the great chief from joining a Ghost Dance, which had been outlawed.

54. Describe two qualities that made young Sitting Bull a good choice for chief of theLakota people? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

55. How did Sitting Bull wish to be remembered?


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Biography ActivitySettling the West, 1865-1890

Helen Hunt Jackson, 1830–1885

PHOTO: ©Bettman/CORBIS

Helen Hunt Jackson overcame personal losses to become one of the finest American writers of the nineteenth century. In addition, her major nonfiction work, A Century of Dishonor, helped to awaken both the public and the federal government to the suffering of Native Americans.

Helen Marie Fiske was born in Massachusetts where her father was a professor of literature and classical languages. Her mother died when Helen was 14, and her father died three years later. In 1852 she married Edward Hunt, an officer in the United States army. She had two sons, but her husband and both sons died within the next ten years. Helen Hunt began writing to escape her despair and grief over her family’s deaths. Her first published works were poems that appeared under a pen name, then magazine articles under her own name. By the 1870s, her work had appeared in nearly every leading publication of the era, and she was recognized as a leading literary figure. Her poems were collected and published in several volumes, and much of her fiction and nonfiction also appeared in book form, although often under a pen name.

In 1873 Helen Hunt went to Colorado for her health; there she met and married William Sharpless Jackson, a wealthy banker. She devoted all her energies to her literary career, but, until 1879, her writings were not concerned with any kind of social reform. In that year, however, she listened to chief Standing Bear of the Ponca nation tell of the wrongs done to Native Americans. She began intensive research into the federal government’s treatment of Native Americans. The result of her research was A Century of Dishonor, published in 1881. As soon as her book was printed, Jackson sent a copy to every important official involved with Native American affairs.


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Jackson’s book led to her appointment as a special commissioner to investigate the living conditions of California’s Mission Native Americans. Fearing that A Century of Dishonor was too scholarly to win a wide readership, she restated her findings in the form of a fictional novel. Jackson hoped to produce a novel that would awaken the public to the abuses suffered by Native Americans just as Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin had awakened public sentiment to the injustices of slavery. The result, the romantic novel Ramona, published in 1884, portrayed the California Native Americans as victims of greedy American settlers. Enormously successful, Ramona went through more than 300 printings and was eventually made into three different movies.

Shortly after the publication of Ramona, Helen Hunt Jackson slipped in her home and broke her leg so severely that she never walked again. She died not long after her accident at age 54.

56. Why did Jackson write Ramona? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

57. What prompted Jackson to write A Century of Dishonor? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

58. Why did Jackson become a writer? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


Documents

Settling the West: Guided Reading: Lesson 1 Miners and ... · Web viewSome settlers began raising cattle on the _____ after the Civil War. 7. Cattle from the East could not survive