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Fur trading and gold were present
Natives survived through hunting and gathering
Weather was extreme and the buffalo did roam
250,000 Pueblo and Plains Indians remained in the Western half of the country
About 2/3rds of all Native Americans in the US lived on the Great Plains
Their lives centered on the buffalo and horse.
Labor was divided by gender sometimes led to equality
Reservation Day schools established
Tribal clothing and hairstyles banned
Students could only speak English
Students were taught to farm and fix machines
Land ownership for native: The Dawes Act (1877)
Divided tribal lands into individual family plots
160 acres for family head
80 acres for single adults
40 acres for dependent children
Surplus sold to white settlers to fund Indian schools
Land held in trust for 15 years could not be sold leased by speculators
US citizenship would be granted after 25 years
Later altered by law, mixed heritage Indians can sell land
The final blow: Elimination of the buffalo
Destroyed during the building of the Transcontinental RR, by the Army and by western tourists
Professional hunters killed 3 million a year between 1872-1874
Alcoholism, unemployment and poverty were common on reservations
Inspired by the Gold Rush of 1849
Some walked; others rode on horses or in wagons
The trip was difficult took months, was risky, over tough terrain, was lonely, messy, etc
Crossing the Rockies was perhaps the most treacherous part
Free land was promised to settlers to encourage westward movement
Homestead Act of 1862
100 million acres total sold to settlers
$10 fee and promise to cultivate it for 5 yrs
160 acre plots European immigrants recruited through ads
600,000 families took advantage of the giveaway
Timber Culture Act of 1873
160 acres promised to those who agreed to plant 25% of the land with trees
10 million acres given led to forestation
Desert Land Act of 1877
Encouraged by cattle ranchers, allowed takers to get up to 640 acres
In arid states only required the land to be irrigated
Ranchers used hired hands to file claims
Timber and Stone Act of 1878
Allowed residents of CA, OR and WA to buy up to 160 acres for $2.50 per acre
Lumber companies had employees file for land claims
Sailors were persuaded to file claims and were paid in beer or cash
New lands Reclamation Act of 1902
Set aside proceeds of land sales in 16 states to finance irrigation projects
Dams, canals and irrigation systems were created
Railroad companies also sold right of way lands to immigrants and corporations
Most settlers (66%) who gained land were unable to make their claims successful
Governed by officials who had near absolute power
Dependent upon the federal government and patronage
Speculators and political party influence were common
People went to CA after the Gold Rush of 49
Half went to provide goods and services
Placer mining panning for gold was the common technique for prospectors
Required little equipment, money or skill
Rarely yielded great riches--quickly replaced by corporate mining
Corporate mining was needed for deep veins and shafts
Henry Comstock discovered the Comstock Lode in Nevada
Produced over $306 million in gold and silver from 1859-1879
John Mackay's Big Bonanza was the richest mining strike in history
Found in 1873 at a depth of 1167 feet
Mackay became the richest man in the world, earning $25 a minute
More strikes of gold and silver were made in WA, ID, NE, CO, MT, AZ and the Dakotas
Mining camps were wild and were ruled by simple democracy
Mining camps were filled with men at a ratio of 2 to 1
Respectable women were rare
Housekeeping and cooking could also earn women some $$$
Miners from minority groups were common (33-50 % of all miners)
Riots and taxes began to limit minority participation and profits
The mining boom ended in 1890 with varying effects
Women brought civilizing influences to converted mining camps
Western territories achieved statehood because of increased population
Increased silver supplies led to political disputes over currency
A few became very wealthy most simply subsisted
Ghost towns and displaced natives of the Dakotas remained
Open Range Ranching was the norm from 1865-1885
About half of the cowboys were black or Mexican; fewer opportunities for advancement for these cowboys
Cattle towns were generally safe and peaceful with strictly enforced rules
The open range ended in the early 1900s with bitter disputes between cattle and sheep Ranchers
Exoduses (former slaves) moved to KS and homesteaded 20,000 acres
A large number of former slaves also moved to OK
Dry farming helped to compensate for the lack of rainfall
New strains of wheat were developed or imported
Chilled iron plow, harvesters and cord binders, and threshers were crucial equipment
Bonanza Farms became more common required lots of machinery and outside capital
Oliver Kelley founded the Grange (1867)
Provided social, cultural and educational activities form farm families
Political involvement was banned, but the ban was generally ignored
Grew to 800,000 members in 20,000 chapters by 1875
Set up co-ops and led to the development of the Farmers Alliance
Farming became more professional, and the successful farmer had to be knowledgeable in
science, business management, markets trends, and politics
Rural Free Delivery was helpful in bringing the outside world to the farm
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