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American History II, Note Set #1: Settling the WestI. “Manifest Destiny”: the idea that Americans had been given North America by God, who wanted them to settle it all and push out the Indians, Mexicans, and anyone else who got in the wayA. The Oregon TerritoryFirst white settlers arrived in the 1830sBy 1841, the Oregon Trail had been well-establishedB. CaliforniaCalifornia became part of the U.S. at the end of the Mexican War in 1848Discovery of gold later that same year would lead to a rush of American settlersII. How Did Settlers Travel West?A. Wagon TrainsGroups of about 20-40 wagons per “train”Conestoga Wagons covered about 15 miles/day for 5-6 monthsTrains had to get through mountains before the first snow, or else … disasterThe Donner PartyDonner and his companions took a new route to California through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, but became trapped by winter snowsAfter eating all of their supplies and animals, half of the group starved to death; the rest resorted to cannibalism – eating their dead friends and family to surviveC. Yankee Clippers (ship)Quicker, more expensive, but still risky, trip by ship to CaliforniaYankee Clippers traveled around the southern tip of South AmericaIII. Why Did Settlers Move West?A. Religion: The MormonsVictims of persecution over their religious practices, including polygamy (allowing men to have multiple wives)Their founder, Joseph Smith, was murdered in 1844The Mormons finally settled near the Great Salt Lake in Utah in 1847, under Brigham YoungB. MiningMining created “boom to bust” cycles where towns would be built in a short period of time and then abandoned (ghost towns) when the mines were exhausted’49ers: After the discovery of gold, over 300,000 gold-seekers called “’49ers” flooded into CaliforniaThis led to the rise of San Francisco and Sacramento as a major citiesThe Comstock Lode: silver mine discovered by Henry Comstock in 1859Virginia City, NV went from zero to a population of 30,000 then crashed when the silver ran out in 1898 (today, pop. = only about 1500 people)C. FarmingThe Great Plains: With no trees and no water, farm life on the Plains was challengingSod Houses: No trees for wood, so houses were built from sod – bricks of tough grass and dirt; settlers also burned sod and dried dung (poop) for heat and cookingWith little surface water available, settlers had to drill deep wells (300 ft+)Temperatures: Summer = 100° +, winter = 0° or lessPrairie fires, swarms of grasshoppers, tornadoes, blizzards, thunderstorms – all were obstacles to overcomeMany settlers who went west just picked a spot and built a farm – they did not have any legal claim to the land; this is called “squatting”U.S. Government later protected squatters by guaranteeing them the right to buy up to 160 acres for $1.25/acreThe Homestead Act (1862): $10 fee bought 160 acres of public land, but the occupant only got the deed after living there for 5 yearsAnyone could file a claim, (except former Confederate soldiers), so immigrants and freed slaves began to flood the westIn total, over 1.6 million homesteads were awardedThe Morrill Land-Grant Act (1862): Each state was given 30,000 acres of federal land for each member of the state’s Congressional delegationStates could sell the land for money to create of colleges to teach agriculture and military skillsThe Oklahoma Land Rush (1889): Due to demand for land, Congress allowed settlers to claim land in Oklahoma (land that had been set aside as Indian Territory)April 22, 1889: Thousands gathered on the border to race to claim a share of 2 million acres; some (called “Sooners”) snuck into the territory early to lay claim to the best landD. RanchingSpanish had introduced cattle to the region in the 1600s; herds had been left to roam free and had evolved into the tough, lean Texas LonghornsMost cattle ranching took place in New Mexico & TexasEarly ranchers used the Open Range, the open grasslands on the Great PlainsRailroads built in the 1860s allowed more cattle to be moved east for use as foodCowboys were a mix of poor whites, Latinos, and former slavesE. New Opportunities for MinoritiesWomenIn the West, women could own property & businesses, become influential community leadersMost were farmwives, some worked as cooks or laundresses, still others worked as prostitutesA few were even adventurers, such as Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane BurkeImmigrants in the WestThousands of Irish immigrants moved to the Midwest in the mid-1800sThousands of Chinese immigrants arrived in California seeking jobsBoth groups played a major role in building the West’s railroadsAfrican-AmericansWorked on the railroads and as cowboysMost moved West to claim their own farmlandSome served as “Buffalo Soldiers” in the US Army during the Indian WarsNickname “buffalo soldiers” came from the Native Americans they fought, who admired their dark, curly hair and fierce fighting ability, both of which reminded the Indians of the buffalo ................
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