The American Nation Chapter 19 The New West, 1865–1914 Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ

The American NationThe American Nation

Chapter 19The New West, 1865–1914

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

The American NationThe American Nation

Section 1: Indian Peoples of the Great Plains

Section 2: Mining and Railroading

Section 3: The Cattle Kingdom

Section 4: Indian Peoples in Retreat

Chapter 19: The New West, 1865–1914

Section 5: Farming

Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

Chapter 19, Section 1

Indian Peoples of the Great PlainsIndian Peoples of the Great Plains

• What was life like for the Plains Indians?• Why did the Plains Indians follow herds of

buffalo?• How did the roles of men and women differ in

the Plains Indian society?


The Plains IndiansThe Plains Indians

• Many different Native American nations lived on the Great Plains.• Some nations had lived on the Plains for hundreds of years.

Others were newcomers.• Plains Indians had a variety of cultures. Most cultures had well-

organized religions and warrior societies.• Each nation had its own language.• Most Plains Indians were farmers who lived in semi-permanent

villages. They sent out hunting parties.• Spaniards had brought horses to the Americas in the late 1400s.

When the Plains Indians acquired horses during the 1600s, their way of life changed. They used horses while hunting, moving their villages, or raiding other villages. Some Indians left their semi-permanent villages and lived their lives following buffalo.


Following BuffaloFollowing Buffalo

• Some groups of Indians lived their lives following great herds of buffalo. They lived in tepees, or tents made by stretching buffalo skins on tall poles. They carried their tepees from one place to another on a travois, or sled pulled by a dog or horse.

• There were different ways to hunt buffalo. In one method, hunters drove a herd of buffalo into a corral, or enclosure. There they killed the trapped buffalo.

• Plains Indians depended on buffalo for food, clothing, and shelter. They dried buffalo meat and called it jerky. Hides were tanned to make sleeping robes and tepee covers, and buffalo fur was woven into coarse cloth that became the outer covering for a tepee.


Roles of Women and MenRoles of Women and Men

Women• Oversaw life in the home,

gathered food, and prepared meals

• Made the tepees, raised the tepees, and took them down

• Cared for children and taught them traditions

• Made such necessary items as baskets and blankets—a woman’s skill in crafts determined her rank in society

Men• Hunted• Protected the women,

children, and elders• Passed on their skills and

knowledge to the boys• Supervised the spiritual life of

the community• Provided military leadership

—a man’s ability as a warrior earned respect from other members of his nation

Each tribe had its own way of defining men’s and women’s roles.


Section 1 AssessmentSection 1 Assessment

Plains Indians followed buffalo herds becausea) the buffalo provided their food, clothing, and shelter.b) the pursuit brought them into contact with other Indian nations.c) horses followed the buffalo herds, so it gave Indians an opportunity to

capture horses. d) the buffalo knew where the best crops were.

In Plains Indian life, the people most likely to be responsible for making tepees, taking them down, and putting them up as the group moved from place to place were

a) men.b) women.c) children.d) elders.

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Plains Indians followed buffalo herds becausea) the buffalo provided their food, clothing, and shelter.b) the pursuit brought them into contact with other Indian nations.c) horses followed the buffalo herds, so it gave Indians an opportunity to

capture horses. d) the buffalo knew where the best crops were.

In Plains Indian life, the people most likely to be responsible for making tepees, taking them down, and putting them up as the group moved from place to place were

a) men.b) women.c) children.d) elders.




Mining and RailroadingMining and Railroading

• How did the boom in gold and silver change the West?

• What problems arose on the mining frontier?• How did railroads help the West develop?


A Boom in Gold and SilverA Boom in Gold and Silver

1859 • Gold was struck in Washoe Valley in the Sierra Nevada. The strike became known as the Comstock Lode, named after Henry Comstock, a miner. A lode is a rich vein of gold or silver.

• At the Comstock Lode, heavy blue sand clogged the device used for separating out the gold. The blue sand turned out to be loaded with silver.

• Miners found valuable ore in Montana and Idaho. Others found such ore in Colorado.

1870s • Gold was struck in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Late 1890s

• Gold strikes occurred in Alaska.


A Boom in Gold and SilverA Boom in Gold and Silver

Gold or Silver StrikeGold or Silver Strike

Miners arrive and build a tent cityMiners arrive and build a tent city

Merchants arrive to supply minersMerchants arrive to supply miners

Wood-frame structures replace tentsWood-frame structures replace tents

BoomtownBoomtown

Miners move onMiners move on

Stores close and merchants leaveStores close and merchants leave

Town is abandonedTown is abandoned

Ghost TownGhost Town

Gold or silver production fallsGold or silver production falls


Problems on the Mining FrontierProblems on the Mining Frontier

• Mines and towns polluted clear mountain streams. Miners cut down forests. They also forced Native Americans from the land.

• Foreign miners were often treated unfairly. Mobs sometimes drove them from their claims. Some were heavily taxed or left to work claims abandoned by others.

• Few miners became rich. Eventually, most western mining was taken over by large companies. Individual miners were replaced by paid laborers who worked for the large companies rather than for themselves.

• Lawlessness and disorder often accompanied the rapid growth of a mining town. In response, miners sometimes organized groups of vigilantes, or self-appointed law enforcers. A common punishment was lynching.

• Sometimes, vigilantes took political control of an area. However, informal methods of governing gradually gave way to more formal arrangements.


Railroads Help Develop the WestRailroads Help Develop the West

First transcontinental railroad• A transcontinental railroad is one that stretches across a continent from coast

to coast.• The Union Pacific ran westward from Omaha, Nebraska. The Central Pacific ran

eastward from Sacramento, California. The two lines met at Promontory, Utah.• The federal government aided railroad building by giving subsidies to railroad

companies. A subsidy is financial aid or a land grant from the government. • Thousands of immigrants, especially workers from China and Ireland, built the

transcontinental railroad.Railroads promoted growth• Railroads brought people, supplies, and mail into the West. They carried heavy

loads of ore eastward.• Towns sprang up along the tracks.• The largest towns and cities developed where major rail lines met or where sea

and land transportation met.• Other cities grew where cattle trails met the railroads.



Towns grew up in the West wherever what group of people replaced the tent cities of the miners with their wood-frame buildings?

a) farmersb) cattle ranchersc) merchantsd) railroad workers

Congress helped the railroad companies bya) paying thousands of immigrants to work on the railroads.b) loaning the railroad companies money and giving them land.c) building railroad towns where the workers could live.d) planning cities wherever rail lines met.





Towns grew up in the West wherever what group of people replaced the tent cities of the miners with their wood-frame buildings?

a) farmersb) cattle ranchersc) merchantsd) railroad workers

Congress helped the railroad companies bya) paying thousands of immigrants to work on the railroads.b) loaning the railroad companies money and giving them land.c) building railroad towns where the workers could live.d) planning cities wherever rail lines met.




The Cattle KingdomThe Cattle Kingdom

• What was the Cattle Kingdom?• What was life like for a cowhand?• Why were cow towns important during the

cattle boom?


The Cattle KingdomThe Cattle Kingdom

• Wild cattle known as longhorns roamed freely across the plains of Texas.

• After the Civil War, the demand for beef increased. People in the growing cities of the East, miners, railroad crews, farmers, and the growing communities of the West all added to the demand for meat.

• Texas ranchers began rounding up herds of longhorns. Then, they drove the animals hundreds of miles north to the railroad lines on trips called cattle drives. Cattle drives took place over routes called cattle trails.


The Life of a CowhandThe Life of a Cowhand

• American cowhands learned about riding, roping, and branding from Spanish and Mexican vaqueros—skilled riders who herded cattle on ranches in Mexico, California, and the Southwest.

• The gear used by American cowhands was modeled after the gear used by vaqueros—a leather lariat, a hat like a Spanish sombrero, and leather chaps.

• Work on a cattle drive was hot, dirty, tiring, and often boring. The day was long—up to 18 hours. Cowhands faced many dangers, including prairie dog holes, rattlesnakes, fierce storms, raging grass fires, and attacks from cattle thieves.

• One of a cowhand’s worst fears was a stampede.• Cowhands usually earned low wages.


Cow TownsCow Towns

Cattle drives ended in cow towns such as Abilene, Wichita, Caldwell, and Dodge City, that had sprung up along the railroad lines.

Cow towns had• great pens in which to keep cattle.• dance halls, saloons, hotels, and restaurants.• settlers who wanted to build a real community.• doctors, barbers, artisans, bankers, and merchants.• a general store and churches.


Railroads, Cattle Trails, and Mining CentersRailroads, Cattle Trails, and Mining Centers



After the Civil War, the demand for beef increased becausea) people began to eat in restaurants more often.b) Mexico began to import American beef.c) people had been eating fish, but after the war, meat became more

popular.d) the populations of eastern cities and western communities were

growing.

American cowhands learned about riding, roping, and branding froma) Hawaiian paniolos.b) Spanish and Mexican vaqueros.c) mounted Confederate troops.d) Plains Indians.





After the Civil War, the demand for beef increased becausea) people began to eat in restaurants more often.b) Mexico began to import American beef.c) people had been eating fish, but after the war, meat became more

popular.d) the populations of eastern cities and western communities were

growing.

American cowhands learned about riding, roping, and branding froma) Hawaiian paniolos.b) Spanish and Mexican vaqueros.c) mounted Confederate troops.d) Plains Indians.




Indian Peoples in RetreatIndian Peoples in Retreat

• What promises did the government make to Indians?

• Why did buffalo begin to disappear?• How was the movement west a major factor in

the end of the Indian way of life?• Why did reformers fail?


Promises to Native AmericansPromises to Native Americans

Fort Laramie Treaty

• In 1851, officials met with Indian nations near Fort Laramie, Wyoming, and asked them to stay in a limited area. In return, the U.S. government promised money, animals, tools, and other goods.

• Officials told the Indians that the lands reserved for them would be theirs forever.

• In 1858, gold was discovered at Pikes Peak—on land promised to Cheyennes and Arapahos. Miners rushed in and officials forced the Indians to give up the land.

• Some Indians refused and attacked white settlers.

The Chivington Massacre

• In 1864, Colonel John Chivington led his militia against a Cheyenne village. The Indians raised a white flag of surrender and the United States flag. Chivington ignored the flags and slaughtered men, women, and children.

• The brutality of the Chivington Massacre outraged people across the country.


Promises to Native AmericansPromises to Native Americans

The peace commission

• In 1867, the government established a peace commission to end the wars on the Plains. The commission urged Native Americans to settle down and farm as whites did.

• The commission urged Indian children to attend white schools.

Reservations • In 1867, southern Plains Indians signed a new treaty. They moved to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma.

• Many northern Plains Indians agreed to live on reservations in present-day South Dakota.


The End of the BuffaloThe End of the Buffalo

Huge herds of buffalo lived between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. The herds diminished for several reasons.• Disease, drought, and destruction of the areas in which

they lived caused the herds to shrink.• During the 1830s and 1840s, buffalo robes became popular.

Professional buffalo hunters killed many buffalo for their skins.

• Buffalo hunting became a popular sport where railroads cut through the areas in which the animals lived.

• Indian peoples hunted buffalo much more efficiently.


The End of the Indian Way of LifeThe End of the Indian Way of Life

Settlers and miners continued to move into the West. Their way of life brought an end to the Indians’ traditional way of life.

Custer’s Last Stand

• In 1874, gold was discovered on the Lakota reservation in the Black Hills region. Miners rushed in.

• Led by Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and other Lakota chiefs, the Indians fought back.

• In June 1876, to protect the miners, Colonel George Custer led soldiers into the Little Bighorn Valley.

• Nearly 2,000 Lakota warriors attacked Custer’s troops. Custer and all his men were killed.

• The United States Army eventually defeated the Lakotas and Cheyennes. The Lakotas gave up most of their claims to the Black Hills.



Chief Joseph and the Nez Percés

• The Nez Percés lived in the Snake River valley where Oregon, Washington, and Idaho meet. In 1855, some Nez Percés signed a treaty giving up some of their lands.

• Gold strikes brought miners onto Nez Percé land.• The government ordered the Nez Percés onto a

reservation. Nez Percés who hadn’t signed the treaty refused. Led by Chief Joseph, many fled to Canada.

• Army troops followed the fleeing Nez Percés. Finally, Chief Joseph decided he must surrender. After a journey of more than 1,000 miles, nearly half of his people had died.

Apache Wars In the Southwest, the Apaches resisted giving up their lands. One leader, Geronimo, waged war off and on for 10 years. From Mexico, he led raids into Arizona and New Mexico. His surrender marked the end of the Wars for the West.




Reformers Fail to Help Native AmericansReformers Fail to Help Native Americans

Reformers Spoke Out• Susette La Flesche, daughter of an Omaha chief, wrote and

lectured about the destruction of the Native American way of life.• Helen Hunt Jackson published A Century of Dishonor, telling the

story of broken treaties.The Dawes Act• In 1887, Congress passed the Dawes Act. It encouraged Native

Americans to become farmers. Some tribal lands were divided up and given to individual Native American families.

• The act was unsuccessful. To Native Americans, land was meant to be an open place for riding and hunting. As a result, Indians often sold their share of land for low prices.

• The federal government took away the power of Indian leaders and appointed government agents to make decisions instead.



In the Fort Laramie Treaty, the government promised Native Americans that certain lands would be theirs forever. That promise was broken because

a) Native Americans refused to accept the agreement.b) the buffalo herds were shrinking on those lands, and the Indians no

longer wanted to live there.c) gold was discovered and the miners and settlers who rushed in

demanded protection from the Indians.d) the railroad was built across those lands.

One reason the great buffalo herds disappeared was becausea) they moved farther north, into Canada.b) after Indians were forced onto reservations, there was no longer any

reason for such large herds of buffalo.c) along rail lines, hunters shot buffalo for sport.d) Native American nations competed to see which could kill the most

buffalo.





In the Fort Laramie Treaty, the government promised Native Americans that certain lands would be theirs forever. That promise was broken because

a) Native Americans refused to accept the agreement.b) the buffalo herds were shrinking on those lands, and the Indians no

longer wanted to live there.c) gold was discovered and the miners and settlers who rushed in

demanded protection from the Indians.d) the railroad was built across those lands.

One reason the great buffalo herds disappeared was becausea) they moved farther north, into Canada.b) after Indians were forced onto reservations, there was no longer any

reason for such large herds of buffalo.c) along rail lines, hunters shot buffalo for sport.d) Native American nations competed to see which could kill the most

buffalo.




FarmingFarming

• Why did farmers and other settlers move west?

• What was the Oklahoma land rush?• Why was life hard for Plains farmers?• Why did farmers help form the Populist

Party?


Farmers Move WestFarmers Move West

In 1862, Congress passed the Homestead Act. The law promised 160 acres of free land to anyone who paid a small fee and farmed the land for five years.

Immigrants and easterners

These people rushed to accept the offer of free land. They planted wheat and corn. By 1900, half a million Americans had set up farms under the Homestead Act.

Exodusters African Americans joined the rush for homestead land. In 1879, a group of African Americans moved to Kansas. They called themselves Exodusters. Between 40,000 and 70,000 African Americans had moved to Kansas by 1881.

Los Mexicanos The Southwest already had a large Spanish-speaking population, many the descendants of people who were there before the Mexican War. Spanish-speaking southwesterners called themselves Mexicanos. White Americans were known as Anglos. As Anglos gained the best jobs and land, some Mexicanos formed organizations such as the Hispanic-American Alliance (1894) to protect their rights.


The Oklahoma Land RushThe Oklahoma Land Rush

• As free land elsewhere began to disappear, the federal government forced some Indian nations in Oklahoma to sell their land so it could be homesteaded.

• The government announced that farmers could claim free homesteads in Oklahoma, but they could not stake their claims until exactly noon on April 22, 1889.

• On the appointed day, as many as 100,000 people lined up at the Oklahoma border. At noon, a gunshot rang out. People charged into Oklahoma. However, some people had sneaked in sooner and staked out the best land.


Lives of Plains FarmersLives of Plains Farmers

Wood Was Scarce

People were forced to build houses of sod—soil held together by grass roots. These sod houses leaked when it rained.

Sodbusting The soil was covered with a layer of thick sod that could crack wood or iron plows. In 1877, a new steel plow allowed sodbusters, or Plains farmers, to cut through the sod.

Plains climate When too little rain fell, crops died. In summer, grass fires traveled swiftly across the plains, and swarms of grasshoppers ate everything in their path. In winter, deep snows buried farm animals and trapped families inside their homes.

Women on the Plains

Women made clothing, soap, candles, and other goods by hand. They preserved food. Most schoolteachers were women. Because pioneer families usually lived miles apart, they looked forward to church services and social events.

An unexpected problem

Before long, farmers began to sell huge amounts of wheat and corn. The more they sold, the more prices plunged. When wheat prices fell, farmers could not repay their debts.


Farmers Begin to Work TogetherFarmers Begin to Work Together

The Grange • In 1867, farmers formed the National Grange. Grangers worked to boost farm profits and reduce the rates they paid railroads for shipping their grain.

• Grangers set up cooperatives, where groups of farmers pooled their money to buy seeds and tools wholesale. Wholesale means buying or selling something in large quantities at lower prices.

• Grange leaders urged farmers to vote only for candidates who supported their aims.

Farmers’ Alliance

• The Farmers’ Alliance organized in the 1870s.• They also set up cooperatives and warehouses.• The Farmers’ Alliance spread from Texas through the

South and into the Plains states. • Alliance leaders tried to join with factory workers and

miners who were angry about how they were treated.


The PopulistsThe Populists

Populist goals

• Populists demanded that the government help raise farm prices and regulate railroad rates.

• They called for an income tax, an eight-hour workday, and limits on immigration.

• They demanded “free silver,” which meant that they wanted all the silver that was mined to be turned into money. They said free silver would increase the money supply, which would make it easier for farmers to repay debts. Eastern bankers and factory owners argued that increasing the money supply would cause inflation, or increased prices.

In 1892, farmers and labor unions joined together to form the Populist party.


The PopulistsThe Populists

Populist and the Election of 1896

• Populists influence grew. In 1892, the Populist candidate for President won a million votes. In 1894, the Populists elected six senators and seven representatives.

• In 1896, the Populists nominated William Jennings Bryan for President. He believed that the nation needed to increase the supply of money.

• Democrats and Populists supported Bryan. Bankers and business people supported the Republican candidate, William McKinley.

The end of the Populists party

• Bryan narrowly lost the election. The Populist party broke up soon after. One reason was that the Democrats adopted several Populists causes. Also, good times returned, and people worried less about railroad rates and free silver.



Because there was so little wood on the Plains, many farmers built their homes out of

a) brick.b) adobe.c) cement.d) sod.

Farmers formed the National Grange, which helped them by setting upa) cooperatives where the farmers pooled their money to buy large

quantities of seeds and tools at low prices.b) banks that farmers could count on to loan them money when crops

failed.c) a political party that would nominate candidates who understood farm

problems.d) a bigger money supply so farmers could pay their debts.





Because there was so little wood on the Plains, many farmers built their homes out of

a) brick.b) adobe.c) cement.d) sod.

Farmers formed the National Grange, which helped them by setting upa) cooperatives where the farmers pooled their money to buy large

quantities of seeds and tools at low prices.b) banks that farmers could count on to loan them money when crops

failed.c) a political party that would nominate candidates who understood farm

problems.d) a bigger money supply so farmers could pay their debts.



Documents

The American Nation Chapter 19 The New West, 1865–1914 Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ