The American West, 1835-1895 Work Booklet

The American West, 1835-1895 Work booklet

Name:

60 minutes 6 questions to answer. Total of 40 marks. Q1. Interpretation content to explain differences – 4 marks Q2. Interpretation provenance to explain differences– 4 marks Q3. How convincing is the interpretation? – 8 marks Q4. Describe 2 problems / solutions question – 4 marks Q5. In what ways were ……affected question – 8 marks Q6. Which was more important question – 12 marks

Timeline

1824 Bureau of Indian Affairs set up 1830 Indian Removal Act passed 1836 Oregon Trail opened 1845 Concept of Manifest Destiny becomes popular 1845 – 48 Mexican-American War 1846 - 47 Mormon migration 1849 California Gold Rush 1851- Feb Indian Appropriations Act passed 1851 – Sept Fort Laramie Treaty signed 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act passed 1857-58 Mormon War 1859 Colorado Gold Rush

Knowledge Organiser

Key events

1 1830 – Indian Removal Act – 46,000 Indians from the Eastern states are forced by the US government to re-locate to the Great Plains.

2 1836 – the Oregon Trail offers safe passage for settlers across the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains to Oregon 3 1846 – 47 – The Mormon Migration – Migration of those from the Mormon faith westwards to find their homeland. They settled in Salt Lake, Utah 4 1849 – Gold Rush – The discovery of gold in California led to huge migration to the West, over 300,000 moved by 1855 5 1851 – The Fort Laramie Treaty – An agreement between Indians and government that Indians would not attack settlers using the Oregon Trail and in exchange for large areas of land being given to Indians “for all time”

Expansion west and the effect on the Plains Indians – 1830s to 1840s

America has very different geographical regions: 1. In order to understand the events in this topic, you need to examine how the environment has influenced the American people – so we’d better start with a look at the geography of North America. 2. North America can be divided into several geographical regions, all of which are quite different from each other.

Rocky Mountains Flood Plain The Mississippi river is the fourth Lying between the Great Plains and largest river in the World. It is the west coast are the Rocky wide, slow and treacherous and it Mountains – a major mountain range. covers more than 2,500 miles. It The slopes on either side of the has 250 tributaries and its flood Rockies are heavily wooded plain covers 1.25 million square especially in the south. Towards the miles. Consequently, in times of centre of the Rockies is the heavy rainfall, this land is prone to plateaux region. It’s relatively flat flooding. This made travelling west but does contain areas of desert. difficult as this was another The mountain was 1000 km wide and barrier. over 5km high with deep ravines and high passes that were completely blocked by snow for months every winter. Wildlife

There was range of animals and birds. The most common were the The Great Plains great herds of buffalo. In the Central North America is dominated by Rocky Mountains there were black the Great Plains. The Plains are mostly a bears, grizzly bears, grey wolves, huge flat expanse of grassland. coyotes, cougars and wolverines. There are two areas: the low Appalachian Mountains plains to the east with long grass and the high plains to the west with short They were 2000 metres high with steep rock grass. The Great Plains become drier and more desert like the further south you faces and deep valleys. go. The weather across the Great Plains They kept the first white Climate varies hugely. The mountains on either settlers on the eastern sides of the Plains produce rain shadows coast of the continent. The climate was one of (regions with little rain). You often get extremes temperature with droughts in the summers and severe strong winds all year. In snow in the winter. winter these winds brought blizzards and freezing cold. Being so far from the sea means that In summer they were very there is a huge difference in hot drying up the land and temperature between summer and rivers. winter. 3

Describe 2 ways that the geography of America made it difficult to travel from the East to the West.

Lying between the Great Plains There was range of animals and birds on the and the west coast are the Rocky Great Plains. The most common were the Mountains – a major mountain great herds of buffalo. In the Rocky range. The slopes on either side Mountains there were black bears, grizzly of the Rockies are heavily wooded bears, grey wolves, coyotes, cougars and especially in the south. Towards wolverines. the centre of the Rockies is the

plateaux region. It’s relatively flat but does contain areas of One of the major obstacles when crossing the Great desert. The mountain was 1000 Plains was the Mississippi river. The Mississippi river km wide and over 5km high with is the fourth largest river in the world. It is wide, deep ravines and high passes that slow and dangerous and it covers more than 2,500

were completely blocked by snow miles. It has 250 tributaries and its flood plain covers for months every winter. 1.25 million square miles. Consequently, in times of heavy rainfall, this land is prone to flooding. This made travelling west difficult and this was another In winter the winds on the barrier. Great Plains brought blizzards and freezing cold. In summer Weather on the trail was bad. Great they were very hot drying up thunderstorms took their toll on the the land and rivers. travellers. Half a dozen people were killed by lightning strikes, many others were injured by hailstone the size of apples. Pouring rains were difficult because there was no shelter The climate was one of extremes on the open plain. temperature with strong winds all

year.

Another obstacle when crossing the Great Plains was the Appalachian Mountains. These were

2000 metres high with steep rock faces and Key: deep valleys. They kept the first white settlers on the eastern coast of the continent. Landscape

Climate.

4 Wild animals.

1. Explain why the Rocky Mountains would have made the journey west difficult ------

------2. In order to travel west travellers needed to cross the Mississippi River, why would this have been a problem?------

------3. What wildlife could be found on the Great Plains?------4. Why were the wildlife living on the Great Plains a problem for travellers making the

journey west? ------5. What were the Great Plains?------6. What was the climate like on the Great Plains?------

------7. Explain how the climate of the Great Plains was a problem for travellers making the journey west.------8. Explain why the white Americans described the Great Plains as the Great American Desert. ------

Who were the Plains Indians?

These people originally came from the plains of North Asia and spread through North America. The Native American Indians initially lived in the east of America but by the 1700s they began to move west onto the Great Plains as the east was being developed by white settlers. There were many different tribes and nations of Indians living in the Rocky Mountains, the wooded valleys and the sandy desert fringes. The different Indian Nations adapted their lifestyle to the different environments that they lived in.  We will be studying nations such as the Sioux, the Comanche and the Apache who moved onto the Great Plains after the 1700s when they were able to obtain horses from the Indians of Mexico.

Early American Government Policy towards the Plains Indians (Native Americans)

Indian Removal Act: From the early 1800s immigration to America increased and the eastern side of America began to become crowded and settlers wanted to farm the land that some of the native Americans lived on. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act was passed under President Andrew Jackson and this allowed the president to grant tribes land on the Great Plains in exchange for their land in the East. Jackson claimed that it would benefit the tribes to be moved away from settlers where they could live in peace. The Removal Act was supposed to be voluntary, but when some tribes in the south-east resisted, the US government forced them to leave.

By 1840, most of the eastern tribes had been moved onto the Plains. The intention was that Native Americans would live on the Great Plains, while settlers farmed the land in the East. The boundary between the two regions was known as the Permanent Indian Frontier. This imaginary line ran to the west of the Mississippi River. The Plains were known as One Big Reservation (land reserved for the Indians).

At this point white Americans viewed the Plains as the “Great American Desert”. They believed that its harsh climate and lack of wood and water made it unsuitable for settling.

Remember

Early American attitude to the Plains: The government gave the Native Americans the Great Plains, but only because white settlers didn’t want the land themselves. This was because they saw Native Americans as inferior so they felt it was acceptable to give them land that they didn’t think was fit to live on.

Who were the Plains Indians?

Many different Indian tribes made up the Plains Indians (for example, Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Crow). These Indians were not unified, several tribes were sworn enemies and would often go to war. However, tribes depended on each other for survival. The Plains Indians who lived in the harsh Great Plains had adapted to survival and this was their homeland. This would eventually lead to conflict as the white settlers moved in.

Indian Society Indian Beliefs

Tribes were made up of bands (10-50 families), they would often meet once/twice a year for the Buffalo hunt. Chiefs were The Plains Indians believed in the Great the leaders of Indian society and they were chosen for their Spirit who created the world. Everything was skill (leadership, spiritual, wisdom or fighting). equal and sacred – people and nature.

Famous chiefs include Red Cloud and Sitting Bull. Chiefs had no Dances were used when the whole tribe actual power as everything had to be agreed by the well - needed to contact the spirits e.g. respected tribal council - these were a group of elders, Buffalo dances. Land was sacred - medicine men and chiefs. ‘the mother’. They believed it could not be bought or owned by anyone as it Warrior brotherhoods, were trained young fighters who led the belonged to everyone. Farming or buffalo hunt and went to war. They did not have to follow mining was seen as disrespectful. council orders – which caused problems. Some land was sacred, such as the Black Hills to the Sioux – they were burial grounds.

Survival on the Plains

Survival was based on hunting buffalo and following their migration across the plains. There were millions of buffalo on the Great Plains but the Indians only hunted enough to survive. The hunting of the buffalo was a key event, with tribes from all over joining for the spring hunt and everyone was involved. The hunt was well organised – only 2-3 a year. Just enough to feed the bands. The Buffalo Dance was performed before a hunt. This was a spiritual ceremony to call the buffalo close and to pray for a successful hunt.

The women and children would process all of the buffalo so that nothing was wasted. Every part of the buffalo was used, even dung as fuel or fur for pillows whilst the tipi itself was made from 10-20 skins! The buffalo could feed the Indians for months, dried meat was eaten in the winter. Even the tongue and brain was eaten as a delicacy. The buffalo was only hunted enough to keep the population going.

The Indians lived a travelling ‘nomadic’ lifestyle – they constantly moved camps to follow the buffalo. Their method of transport was called a travois. This was a wooden sledge that could transport the tipi.

Living in tipis allowed them to pack up camp and move within minutes. Tipis were perfect for the Plains as they were made from buffalo skin so used the resources available. They were warm in winter as the sides could be banked up with earth to prevent draughts and cool in summer as the sides could be rolled up to let air in. The conical shape also meant it wouldn’t blow over in the strong winds 7 Living in tipis allowed them to pack up camp and move within minutes. Tipis were perfect for the Plains, made from wood and buffalo skin they were warm in winter, cool in summer.

Family life Indian Warfare

Each person also had a role equally Real honour came not from killing but important as the other. Working from counting coup. This was getting together was key to survival on the close enough to touch an enemy without Plains. Women (squaws) were being hurt. Taking scalps of enemies responsible the home and families. or stealing horses was evidence of They also turned buffalo remains into success. White people saw scalping as hides and meat. Men were responsible evidence of Indians being savages. for hunting, looking after the horses Indians mainly fought to protect their and protecting the bands. Elders were hunting grounds or to steal horses often members of the tribal council and not for land. War parties would and their opinions were respected. even run away from a fight if they were losing.

The role of Horses

Horses were essential to the Plains Indians, they were needed to hunt buffalo and for the constant travel. They also were important for status – men measured wealth with horses, the Comanche had over 8000 horses in a tribe of 3000. Horses were key to warfare and Indians would often raid others to steal horses. Also, horsemanship was a sign of warrior bravery.

Task: Create a mind map which shows who the Plains Indians were. It should be structured like the one below:

Indian society

The role of Horses Indian beliefs The Plains Indians Survival on the Indian Plains warfare

Family life

Describe 2 ways that the Plains Indians adapted their way of life to live on the Great Plains.

The tipi could be packed up by the The design of the tipi reflected women for transportation in ten The buffalo the building materials available minutes. This made it an ideal home could feed the on the Great Plains. There was a for the Plains Indians as they Indians for lack of trees on the Great Plains generally moved six to eight times in months, dried so the frame of the tipi was the summer following the buffalo. meat was eaten in the winter. made up of wooden poles Even the tongue arranged in a circle to reduce the

The tipi was a conical shape so it and brain were quantity of wood needed. would not blow over in high winds eaten as a that were frequently experienced on delicacy the Great Plains.

The flesh could be cooked or dried and then mixed with fat The t ipi was able to and wild cherries to preserve Every part of the buffalo was adapt to the difficult it. Preserving the meat meant used, even dung as fuel or fur for climate on the Great that the Plains Indians would pillows whilst the tipi itself was Plains. For example, in not starve and it could see made from 10-20 skins. the summer the bottom them over difficult times. could be rolled up to let air in. In winter, it could be surrounded with earth around the Horses allowed the Plains Indians to bottom to keep it warm. hunt the buffalo far more easily. The horse transformed their way of life. Indian survival was based on They were able to give up farming in hunting buffalo and the the river valley and become nomadic following of their migration hunter-gatherers living in small bands. across the Plains. There were millions of buffalo on The horse was used the Great Plains but the as a means of Indians only hunted enough transpor t for home to survive. and family.

The brain, nose, gristle and tongue Key: could be eaten raw. The tongue, Made use of the Buffalo kidneys and liver were also eaten raw. 9 Tipi

Use of a horse Indians and the buffalo

Indian survival was based The hunting of the buffalo was a key event, on hunting buffalo and the with tribes from all over joining for the spring following of their hunt and everyone was involved. The hunt had migration across the 3 key parts: plains. There were millions of buffalo on the Great Buffalo Dance Processing Plains but the Indians only hunted enough to survive. A spiritual ceremony to call The women and the buffalo close and to children would pray for a successful hunt. process all of the buffalo so that nothing was wasted. The hunt

The hunt was well organised – only 2-3 a year. Just enough to feed the bands. The warriors would stampede the buffalo and hunt them.

Describe two ways in which the buffalo was important the life of the Plains Indians. 4 marks

The buffalo hide was processed. First they were The brain, nose, gristle and tongue could pegged out to dry and scraped to remove all the be eaten raw. The tongue, kidneys and flesh. They would be tanned using the brain to liver were also eaten raw. make them soft and easy to use. The hide would then be made into leggings, shirts, dresses, winter robes and shoes. The shoulder blades were made into hoes to cultivate the land in order to farm the Great Plains.

Buffalo hair was used for rope. The hooves were Fat for soap, the tongue for a The horns of the buffalo could made into rattles, hairbrush and the bones were be used for cups and ladles. the rawhide was

used for knives. Whilst the rawhide could be made into drums and used for containers and the bones were made

medicine bags. into dice.

The flesh could be cooked or dried and then mixed with fat and wild cherries to preserve it. Preserving the meat meant that The stomach was made into the Plains Indians would not buckets, cups, dishes and starve and it could see them over cooking pots. Whilst the hide

difficult times. could be used as a Tipi Buffalo dung was covering. The hair of the used for fuel. buffalo was also used for pillows. The beard of the buffalo was

made into ornaments for the weapons. The bones were made into knives, arrow heads, and, war clubs. Whilst the rawhide was made into stirrups, shields, knife cases and bullet Key: pouches. Entertainment Homes

Food Tools

Clothing Warfare

Importance of the buffalo

Warfare – Buffalo hunts were the centre of warrior life, it was where boys became men during the twice yearly hunts to improve their skills. The bones were used to make knives whilst sinews were used as bowstrings. Society – The buffalo was central to Indian society, for men, women and children. Men went on the hunt and women and children processed the kill into useful items. Many tribes and bands would join together for the spring hunt, bringing together communities of Indians. The buffalo was central to Indian beliefs, they would do the buffalo dance before the hunt and even bury the heart out of respect for the buffalo and nature. Life – Every part of the buffalo was used, even dung as fuel or fur for pillows whilst the tipi itself was made from 10-20 skins! The buffalo could feed the Indians for months, dried meat was eaten in the winter. Even the tongue and brain were eaten as a delicacy. The buffalo was only hunted enough to keep the population going.

1. What was the buffalo dance?------

---- 2. How would the Plains Indians hunt the buffalo? ------

------

3. Give TWO examples of how the Indians used the buffalo ------

------4. Explain how the buffalo helped the Plains Indians to survive on the Great Plains------5. Explain why the buffalo hunts were the centre of warrior life. ------6. Explain why the buffalo was central to the Plains Indian society.------

------12 ----- 7. How long could a buffalo feed a tribe of Indians? ------Find and fix the historical errors

Indian marriages Buffalo intestines Plains Indians hunted Plains Indians were were always arranged were used for buffalo five times a nomadic hunter- by the elders. buckets and cooking year. gatherers. vessels.

Indian warriors would The buffalo dance Famous Indian chiefs The council of the never steal horses was completed after were named after Nation made from other bands. the buffalo hunt. their visions – Red decisions about Bull and Medicine whether to go to war. Cloud.

Men were responsible All the men of a band Indians scalped their Counting coup meant for providing shelter belonged to a warrior enemy to show their that Indian warriors - building the tipi. society. bravery. were cowards.

The Early Movement West (1840s and 50s)

Early Migration West

The first whites to move west were the mountain - men, who went to the Rockies to hunt and collect animal furs (beaver, bear) in the 1820-30s. They were not settlers but did return and tell tales of the rich lands in the West, which interested those in the East.

Discovery of the Oregon Trail

In 1824, a path was discovered through the Rockies to the West and this was used by the pioneers (first settlers) into the West. It became the Oregon Trail and the final destination was the new state of Oregon. In 1841, the first wagon train travelled the 3,200km trail which led from Missouri, through the Plains, Rockies to Oregon. It was a risky and dangerous journey.

Why did people migrate West?

In the early 1840s, white Americans developed a very different vision of the West. People from the East began to make the long and difficult journey across the Great Plains and through the Rocky Mountains to the Far West of America. By 1850, around 105,000 people had moved to live in the west-coast territories of Oregon and California; by 1860, the number was 443,000.

People were prepared to travel the Plains because there were factors “pushing” them away from the places where they lived, and partly because there were things about Oregon or California which “pulled” them west.

In 1840, many people in the US believed that there were two places that sounded like heaven on earth. The first was California. Trappers described it as a place where the sun always shone and fruit grew everywhere. The second place was Oregon. The trappers described this as a place where there was a never-ending supply of furs, rivers that were full of fish and land that was perfect for farming.

People moved West for many reasons: economic, territorial, and religious or simply for the adventure of starting a new life.

Push Pull Factors Reasons Push factors Pull factors are are those those that that force encourage or push people to people to migrate migrate.

Define these key terms:

Push factors: ------Pull factors: ------14

Use the information on the previous page to complete the table below. This will help you understand the reasons why white Americans travelled west:

Factors pushing white Americans west: Factors pulling white Americans west:

Choose TWO colours. Use one colour to shade the push factors and the other to shade the pull factors on the table below. Make sure to add a key.

Looking at both the push and pull factors which do you think most encouraged more white Americans to travel west? You should explain your judgement using evidence from the previous two activities.

------

The table below contains six different reasons white Americans travelled west in the 1830’s and 1840’s. Read back through the information above and find examples for each.

Problems in the east New opportunities in the west: Push factors

Pull factors Religious reasons Economic reasons

The idea of Manifest Destiny:

The opening of the Oregon Trail (a route across the Plains and Rocky Mountains leading to Oregon) led to more Americans settling in the West. Some Americans began to accept the idea that the United States should occupy the whole continent from coast to coast. For many, this was also a religious idea. They believed that it was God’s will that they spread Christianity and Democracy. This idea became to be known as Manifest Destiny and it was first used by a journalist called John L. Sullivan. Some Americans also believed this was right due to the view that the Native Americans who occupied the Plains were savages. Americans believed that they were racially superior and they thought that they should “civilise” the Plains Indians. Many even considered it right for the USA to go to war to gain control of the West. A new treaty gave the USA control of Oregon in 1846.

By filling this land with ______from the US, people made the

______west knowing they were ______something for their country and for ______. They would bring Christianity and ______. There was no need to worry about the

______Indians – they had no right to the land because they ______it! The settlers thought they would bring

______to the Indians. They might have to fight for these lands but they felt they were in the ______because it was their ______destiny!

The Journey West – Problems and the Donner Party

The Oregon Trail was 3200 km long, or 3800 km long if you used the California Trail – it could take between 8-9 months to travel from Missouri to your destination. Each trail crossed the Great Plains and then crossed two mountain ranges, the Rockies and the Blue Mountains or the Sierra Nevada. They were steep, there was little to hunt and the weather could be bad. This did not stop a wide range of people attempting the trek. The migrants included Americans, Norwegians, Swedes, Germans, Irish and Canadians. In parts of the Far West as many as 25 per cent of the population were foreign-born. 17

Whatever, their background, migrants to the Far West faced a long and difficult journey. The early migrants were often guided by mountain men and Native Americans, but it was their own stamina, courage and good luck which determined whether they would succeed

Preparation and Problems on the Journey

As the trip went on, the oxen and horses grew more tired and No matter how careful people were, they weaker. The supplies ran out. The people became desperate had accidents and became sick during the for food. They began to toss out heavy items – furniture, trip. Children and adults fell from the slow clothes and tools to lighten the load for the weak animals. moving wagons and were crushed beneath

the heavy wheels. Some people People got sick from drinking bad water or milk from There were attacks by drowned while cows that ate poisonous weeds. Most people who died bandits. Helpless travellers trying to swim during the trip west became ill from diseases for had their horses, food and across rivers. equipment stolen by thieves which there was no cure at the time such as typhoid, who sold the items to the next mountain fever, dysentery, cholera, flu, measles and smallpox. group+ of travellers who passed through. Weather on the trail was bad. Great thunderstorms took their toll on the travellers. Half a dozen people were killed by lightning strikes, many Travellers needed to make sure others were injured by hailstone the size of apples. Pouring rains were that they left at the right time difficult because there was no shelter on the open plain and the covered of the year. If they left too wagons eventually leaked. early, the grass wasn’t long enough and the oxen would Key: starve. If you left too late, it might be getting cold and close Weather Accidents to winter by the time they got 19 Diseases and illness close to Oregon. Winter conditions made it hard to Supplies Attacks travel through the mountains

Design an Instagram post to show what the journey

across the Great Plains would have been like. Use

the template below to help you.

What have you learnt so far?

Give THREE problems migrants Give ONE push factor from Describe what is meant by the faced on the Oregon Trail. the East. term manifest destiny?

Explain what the term Give THREE uses of the What was the One Big “nomadic” means. buffalo. Reservation?

Give TWO pull factors to the What does “polygamy” mean? What did Plains Indians live in? West.

Who migrated west?

Pioneer farmers went west in the 1840’s for a variety of reasons. For some it was the pull of good farming land, a better climate or simply the excitement of something new. Others were pushed by the effects of the economic depression in the eastern states that began in 1837 and led to wage cuts, increased unemployment and the loss of savings when banks collapsed. This depression also had a negative impact on farmers in the Mississippi valley as crop prices fell, leading some of them to move further west for a new start in the fertile farmlands of Oregon and California.

The 1849 Gold Rush

In 1848 a carpenter building a saw mill in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range discovered gold.

News of this discovery spread slowly at first until it was picked up by a San Francisco newspaper. Then it spread rapidly across the USA and beyond. Within days, men were making their way to the Sierra Nevada with pickaxes and shovels to seek their fortune. Some of the first miners needed little more than a frying pan to find the gold deposits in the rivers and streams which flowed from the mountains. But this “placer gold” was just the run out from the huge deposits deeper in the mountains. Soon, diggers began to open small mines to extract the nuggets of gold.

In December the President confirmed that the reports of gold coming from the territory of California were indeed true. This was the spark which ignited the frenzy of 1849. Wild stories began circulating of men making $1000 a day in California (the average wage was $2 – 3 a day).

Soon the overland trails were packed with men desperate to get to the gold fields and claim their share of the rocks. Over 50,000 Americans headed to California in 1849 alone. Many of them used the California Trail to make their way west. These miners became known as the 49ers.

Americans were not the only people who were determined to try their luck in California. Thousands of gold diggers headed to the American West from Europe, Mexico and China.

Consequences of the Gold Rush

Thousands came from all over the world including over 25,000 Chinese miners who sailed from Hong Kong. These ‘Forty Niners’ came for the chance to make it rich and for a new start in cities like San Francisco. As a result, California's population grew from 15,000 in 1848 to 300,000 by 1855. Mining towns grew like Virginia City. As the population grew, more people moved west to become shopkeepers, bartenders and tradesmen selling mining equipment and essentials. However, most migrants did not find gold and either left or settled as farmers.

Life as a miner was hard, even before reaching California. There were many deaths from cholera on the journey between 1849 and 1853. Only a lucky few found gold in California. Surface gold (panning) was limited and soon grew scarce. Some miners returned home but others couldn’t afford to. Living and working conditions were poor. There was little hygiene, disease was common and nutrition among miners was poor. Miners who couldn’t find gold worked for mining companies in dangerous conditions for low wages. When not working, people turned to drinking and gambling which often led to trouble in mining towns.

By 1852, the surface gold in California had nearly all gone. Instead of individual men panning for gold in streams and rivers, big companies now began to employ hundreds of men to dig out ton after ton of quartz crystal. The quartz was crushed in giant “stamp mills” before being dropped into chemical vats to dissolve the worthless minerals and release the gold within. By 1852, 108 crushing mills dominated the Californian gold scene. Those miners who had hoped to get rich quick were soon found working for tiny wages at one of these huge mills. Many more of them just returned home penniless.

The Californian gold rush had a lasting impact on the American West. California became a US state in 1850. Mining towns grew up in the mountains and San Francisco expanded rapidly, becoming a major city with a thriving sea port and its own newspapers and police force. Lumbering (cutting down trees) and farming spread across California to supply the towns with wood and food. Surplus goods could be sent by ship from San Francisco to the East. This was a slow journey so the demands for a railroad link to the East grew.

For the Native Americans the Californian gold rush had serious consequences. In 1848, some Indians began to dig for gold alongside Americans, but the forty-niners often drove them into the mountains and shot them. This violence was encouraged by the Californian government. In the 1850s a law was introduced which stated that any Indian who could not prove he had a job could be arrested and sold to white settlers as slave labour. Hundreds of men, women and children were captured and sold in this way.

Native American tribes living in California suffered as a result of the Gold Rush. The Native American population in California dropped from around 150,000 to less than 30,000 during 1845 – 1870. This was the result of violent attacks, epidemics and being driven off their land. Mining methods also caused devastation to the land. Mining companies realised that it was quicker and cheaper to use high-powered water jets to release quartz from the mountains. Whole hillsides were eaten away by the process, which then clogged the rivers with rocks and gravel. Flooding became a major problem and some towns were completely washed away. Further damage was caused by the chemicals used to extract the gold, which killed fish and wildlife. The lands of the Native Americans were being seriously harmed by the mining activities of white Americans. Before long, some tribes were struggling to survive.

Read the information above and answer the following questions:

1. How did California’s population change between 1848 and 1855?------

2. Explain why life was hard for miners even before reaching California------3. Identify TWO reasons life as a miner was hard. Support with detailed historical knowledge from the information above.------23 ------

Read the information above and answer the following questions:

4, How did the search for gold change by 1852?------

5. What lasting impact did the Californian gold rush have on the American West?------

6.. What happened in 1848 to the Indians who tried to dig for gold alongside Americans? .------7. What law was passed in 1850? ------8. How did the Native American population in California change between 1845 and 1870? ------9. Explain why the Native American population in California declined between 1845-1870.------10. How did mining methods devaste the landscape?------

Tell me three…….. facts about the Plains Indians

reasons white Americans made the journey west

problems on the journey west

Mormon migration and settlement in Salt Lake

Not all Americans had the same vision of the American West. The Mormons were a religious group founded by Joseph Smith, who came from New York. Smith claimed that God had shown him a secret book, written on gold plates. In 1830, he published The Book of Mormon which he claimed was a translation of these gold plates. The book said that Jesus had come to America after his resurrection to start his true Church there. Smith’s followers, who became known as Mormons, believed they should help rebuild Jesus’ Church in America The Mormons were a religious group established by Joseph Smith, who claimed an angel had told him God had buried two golden plates in his back garden. Smith said he translated them and this became the ‘Book of Mormon’. It became the basis of a new religion, which faced hostility from the majority Christian US.

In the 1830s, the Mormons attracted large numbers of followers. Many people were attracted by the Mormons’ belief in shared ownership of land and property. For many poor Americans, this seemed like a promise of a better life. However, the Mormons were unpopular with those who disagree with their vision of land ownership, and who felt that Joseph Smith acted like an all-powerful king among his people. The Mormons’ opposition to slavery also made them unpopular with slave holders. In addition, the Mormons were very aggressive in trying to convert people to Mormonism and even practised polygamy to increase their numbers more rapidly. One Mormon leader, Brigham Young, had 55 wives in his lifetime.

Faced with increasing hostility, the Mormons had already begun to move westward, settling in Nauvoo, Illinois in 1838. However, they were not able to stay long. In 1846, Joseph Smith was murdered by a mob. Brigham Young took over the Mormon leadership and encouraged his followers to leave Nauvoo and build God’s kingdom in the Far West instead. He hoped this would put the Mormons out of harm’s way.

1. Kirtland Ohio. The Mormons were successful in Kirtland, but 3. Nauvoo, Illinois during the 1837 Depression In Nauvoo, over 35,000 the Mormon bank collapsed Mormons settled. and many lost their savings However, when Smith so they moved on. said God approved of 2. Independence, Missouri polygamy (having more The Mormons moved to than one wife) it led to Independence but were criticism and outrage. very unpopular as they Smith was arrested in were antislavery in a slave June 1845 and a mob owning state. They were murdered him the same forced to leave in 1838 year. after riots.

Brigham Young decided to move the Mormons because he wanted to create an independent Mormon state where they could live freely. He chose Salt Lake Valley – conditions there were dry and harsh, but it was “a place on this earth that nobody else wants” and it was part of Mexico, not the US. The Mormons planned to leave Illinois in the spring of 1846, but due to an increase in anti-Mormon violence they had to leave in February. This rushed departure meant that they left supplies behind and were disorganised. Unlike the emigrants on the Oregon Trail, the Mormons travelled on foot, pulling all their possessions in heavy hand carts. Conditions were hard – it was a cold winter and there was deep mud. Their progress was very slow, which meant they couldn’t complete the journey that year.

They stayed in Winter Quarters by the Missouri River over winter. By the spring of 1847, around 400 Mormons had died from disease, the cold and lack of supplies. They set off again in April 1847 and organisation improved. They were divided into groups led by captains under the strict overall command of Young.

After nearly 1300 miles, The Mormons arrived at Young’s destination: the Great Salt Lake which lay between the Rocky and Sierra Nevada Mountains. Here in 1847 the Mormons founded Salt Lake City. By 1852, over 10,000 people had come to make that vision a reality.

To avoid the dangers of travelling in winter, Young and Mormon settlers stayed at Winter Quarters in Omaha in 1846/7.

In April 1847 an advance party of 150, led by Young, set out for Salt Lake Valley. They used the Oregon Trail and the Californian Trail

In July 1847 as Brigham Young arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, another party of 1500 Mormons set off with a clear route to follow thanks to the advance party. They arrived in August 1847.

Between 1847 and 1869, 70,000 Mormons followed the Mormon Trail to the Salt Lake Valley. It had been a complete success.

What have you learnt about the Mormons so far?

The Mormons were a …………………………group founded by ……………………………………………………. Smith’s followers became known as ………………………….. and in the 1830s they attracted large numbers of followers. However, the Mormons were unpopular; some disagreed with their vision of …………………………………………………….., and felt that Joseph Smith acted like an all- powerful …………………………..among his people. The Mormons’ opposition to …………………….. also made them unpopular with slave holders. In addition, the Mormons were very aggressive in trying to convert people to Mormonism and even practised ……………………………. to increase their numbers more rapidly. Faced with increasing hostility, new leader, ………………………………, encouraged his followers to leave Nauvoo and build God’s kingdom in the Far West instead. He hoped this would put the Mormons out of harm’s way. Brigham Young wanted to create an…………………………………….. Mormon state where they could live freely. He chose ………………………………………………– conditions there were dry and harsh, but it was “a place on this earth that nobody else wants” and it was part of ………………………………, not the US.

The Mormons planned to leave Illinois in the spring of ………………., but due to an increase in anti-Mormon …………...... they had to leave in February. This rushed departure meant that they left ……………………….. behind and were disorganised. The Mormons travelled on foot, pulling all their possessions in heavy ………………………………………..Conditions were hard – it was a cold winter and there was…………………………………. Their progress was very slow, which meant they couldn’t complete the journey that year. They stayed in ……………………………………… by the Missouri River over winter. By the spring of 1847, around …………….. Mormons had died from disease, the cold and lack of supplies. They set off again in April 1847 and organisation improved. They were divided into groups led by captains under the strict overall command of Young. After nearly 1300 miles, The Mormons arrived at Young’s destination: the Great Salt Lake which lay between the …………….. and ………………………………….

Mountains. Here in 1847 the Mormons founded Salt Lake City. By 1852, over 10,000 people had come to make that vision a reality.

Rocky, Joseph Smith, king, Mexico, hand carts, land ownership, Sierra Nevada, Winter Quarters, Salt Lake Valley, deep mud, independent, polygamy, religious,

slavery, Brigham Young, Mormons, 1846, violence, supplies, 400

Why was Brigham Young so important to the Mormons success?

Brigham Young’s leadership was important to the success of the 1. Young spoke with trail guides and explorers to migration to the Salt Lake Valley find out as much as he could about Salt Lake Valley so he could be as prepared as possible. 2. Before leaving Illinois he organised a count of people (3200) and wagons (2500) to enable him to Brigham Young’s Plan plan the logistics – what each person would need 1. Ensure a safe journey west to survive 2. Farm an arid landscape and provide 3. Young built the ‘Winter Quarters’ so families fresh water 3. Allocate land for each family could take shelter in the winter of 1846 4. Become self-sufficient and free to 4. The advance party was well supplied/prepared worship with food, equipment and a boat. They even 5. Encourage mass Mormon settlement signposted the way for those that followed, 6. Keep order with no conflict highlighting water sources, setting up river

crossings and planting crops. This allowed the success of later journeys. 5. Migrants were divided into manageable groups with its own leader who kept control and knew the plan so if they got lost they would know what to

do. They were encouraged to stop at rest stops for repairs, to avoid exhaustion and for safety.

Survival in the Salt Lake Valley

The Great Salt Lake valley was a harsh, arid landscape - the lake was too salty and the land was too poor to grow crops on. However, under Young’s leadership and central plan the Mormons succeeded in settling in the Salt Lake Valley.

Everyone fully obeyed Irrigation systems were Young created new Young set up Salt Lake Young as he was Gods built to bring in fresh settlements e.g .Las City in the new state of prophet and he kept water, this meant crops Vegas with skilled Utah. He began to use strict control. Young could grow. Young people like blacksmiths missionaries to bring in decided the church organised the settlers to provide the specific more Mormons, they owned all the land, not to build, operate and products they needed; created a fund to pay individuals and they maintain these systems. food, crops, minerals for their travel. In would be given a and timber. This would 1855, 4225 converts share for their needs allow the Mormons to arrived in Utah. (farms) become self-sufficient.

Describe 2 problems faced by the Mormons when they settled at the Great Salt Lake

The climate in Salt Lake was very severe and Salt Lake was a “desolate and forsaken changeable. The winter weather was bitterly spot”. There was little rain resulting in cold and many crops were destroyed by the a lack of fresh water. The Mormons winter frost which could lead to shortages of

could not survive without fresh water. food. They needed it not just for drinking but also for their cattle and their

crops.

The Great Salt Lake and There were not enough people for the community surrounding lands were

to be self-sufficient. The Mormons had no hardly ideal for

manufacturers, and although they tried to set up settlement. The lake was industries, they failed, so necessary items often salty and it was had to be made by hand. therefore difficult to

grow crops.

Salt Lake Valley was not a welcoming place. There was very little wood for building and fuel, Brigham Young wanted the Mormons to barely any fresh water for drinking and watering crops and it had never be free to follow their own beliefs and been farmed before. customs. They needed political independence to do this. In 1848, the USA defeated Mexico in war. The valley

of the Great Salt Lake became part of the USA. The Mormons settling at Salt Lake were starting from scratch. In

order for them to set up a new community they had to build Key:

roads, irrigation systems, Climate and geography. transport systems and

communication systems, as well as Location. social institutions such as schools. Not enough people to be self- These all had to be built with very few resources and by people with sufficient. very little experience of building. 29 Lack of resources.

Inside each section of the wagon wheel write one problem the Mormons faced in the Great Salt Lake using the information above.

Once completed this will make an excellent revision aid.

Describe two solutions that helped the Mormons settle in the Great Salt Lake.

The Salt Lake Valley is owned by Mexico. This was good as the United Brigham Young built irrigation systems to bring in fresh water to improve the quality States government could not interfere in the initial set up. of the soil. The Mormons used streams of melted snow from the mountains to irrigate the soil to allow plants to grow.

Everyone fully obeyed Young as they believed that he was God’s prophet Brigham Young created new settlements and this allowed him to keep strict such as Las Vegas with skilled people like control. Young decided the church blacksmiths to provide the specific owned all the land, not individuals and products they needed; food, crops, they would be given a share for their minerals and timber. This would allow the needs (farms). Mormons to be self-sufficient.

Brigham Young set up Salt Lake City in the new state of Utah. He began to use Missionaries went to Europe and South missionaries to bring in more Mormons. America to gather converts. Their journey These tended to come from the poorer was organised by ship to America and then sections of society, so a Perpetual by wagons across the Plains, using the Emigrating Fund was established in 1849 to existing resting stations. pay for their travel. In 1855, 4225 converts arrived in Utah. The population grew, the Mormons became nearly self- Key: sufficient and they hoped to live in peace

Use of natural resources

Brigham Young charged travellers Location they chose to settle in. who crossed the Great Salt Lake

Valley to help with funds. The charging of travellers.

Use of missionaries to increase the Brigham Young organised population of the Great Salt Lake. the settlers to build, operate and maintain the Organisation of the Mormons irrigation systems. 31

Use the information on the previous pages to complete the table below. This will help you understand the problems the Mormons faced, once they reached the Great Salt Lake, and how they tried to overcome them.

Problems faced by the Mormons: Solutions to these problems.

What have you learnt so far?

What is the manifest Give TWO examples Where did the Give TWO factors destiny? of disease that Mormons decide to that pushed people people suffered from travel to? from the east of during their journey America? west?

Who were the Why was it important What happened to Name the original Mormons? to leave for the east the Donner Party? founder of the at the correct time Mormon religion? of year?

Where could white Who were the 49ers? What does the word How did the Mormons Americans find “polygamy” mean? acquire the money to examples of manifest build a city? destiny?

Give TWO problems Name the second What was the Give TWO factors the Mormons faced leader of the Mormon Perpetual Emigrating that pulled people to when they arrived at religion? Fund? the west of America? the Great Salt lake.

Which of the following was the most important reason for Brigham Young’s decision to move the Mormons west in 1846. • Persecution Brigham Young decided to move the Mormons further • The US Government? west because of persecution. This was because when the Mormons settled in Missouri. They were The Mormons were persecuted because people were constantly attacked by mobs who believed the afraid of their large and growing numbers. People Mormons were fraudsters and just after money. Many feared that the Mormons would take over the Mormons were murdered. Eventually the governor of

government and law courts. People disliked the Missouri declared the Mormons public enemies and encouragement Mormons gave to slaves and to freed Joseph Smith was imprisoned. Rumours spread of how slaves to join them. the Mormons were befriending Indians and trying to convert them to Mormonism. Also people started The rapidly growing and tightly-knit Mormon talking about how the Mormons apparently were communities had the potential to exercise considerable freeing slaves. This caused public outburst and the political power and this created tension with the US Mormons were driven out of the state. government.

Brigham Young decided to Brigham Young decided to move the The Mormons were persecuted move the Mormons further

Mormons further west because of because they cut themselves off west out of the control of the from ordinary people who they called persecution. This was because when the US government. He thought Mormons lived in Kirtland the non- 'the Gentiles'. A group of Mormons that they needed somewhere Mormons began to grow envious of the called the Danites attacked Gentiles, isolated and unwanted by Mormons success. This was because by and robbed them. others to avoid future 1831 Mormonism had over 1000 members confrontation. The Great Salt and the number of Mormon businesses Increasing violence between Lake Basin was extremely was also growing. As the Mormon society Mormon and non-Mormon settlers remote, and at that time was grew bigger and began to out-number the finally prompted the governor of outside the USA. It was 1000 non-Mormons, the gentiles were waiting Missouri to issue an order: "The miles from the nearest for an opportunity to get rid of them. In Mormons must be treated as significant town in the East, 1837 the banks collapsed and there was a enemies and must be exterminated and so a very long way from

huge financial crisis. The people blamed or driven from the state, if their persecutors. the Mormons and chased Joseph Smith necessary for the public good." and his people out of Ohio. This was to Joseph Smith and some other be the first of many reasons why the Mormon leaders were imprisoned as Brigham Young decided to Mormons moved westward. hostages until the remaining move the Mormons further Mormons left Missouri. Brigham west because he felt the Young avoided arrest and organized Mormons would be safer out The Mormons were persecuted. This was because many non-Mormons believed that the Mormons across the Mississippi of the reach of the US the Mormon faith was a fraud and many River to Illinois during the winter government and at this point clergymen said that the book of Mormon and spring of 1838-39. The actions the Great Salt Lake was still in was blasphemous as the Mormons said of the US government therefore Mexico. that they were God’s chosen people. showed the Mormons they were not safe to practice their religion in the east.

The Mormons were persecuted. This was Key: because of Smith’s declaration that God Persecution had said that the Mormons could practice polygamy. This led to conflict with both 34 The US Government Mormons and non-Mormons.

Read the information above and answer the following questions:

1. Explain what is meant by the term persecution------

2. Explain how the Mormons were persecuted in 1846 ------3. Explain how persecution led the Mormons west.------4. Explain how the US government provided Brigham Young with a reason to move the Mormons west in 1846. .------

Plains Indians Brigham Young Miners

Which of the following was the most important reason why white Americans travelled across the Great Plains in the 1840s and 1850s: Some of the farmers in the • Religion Mississippi valley were beginning to In 1837 the United States was hit • Economic opportunity? feel “crowded”. This was because the by an economic depression. In the population in this area was increasing East banks collapsed and people Farmers in the Mississippi valley and so people were having to live lost their savings, wages were cut faced ruin because the price of closer together. by 40% and unemployment wheat and corn they grew had increased. collapsed. They began to wonder – The Mormons moved west because of why not go west? Things could not religious persecution. Non-Mormons Manifest Destiny was another be worse and they might even be believed that the Mormon faith was a religious reason white Americans better. fraud and many clergymen said that travelled west. This was because the book of Mormon was offensive as many white American Christians The West offered land in the Mormons said that they were believed that it was God’s will that enormous quantities. In California God’s chosen people. Smith’s they spread Christianity and it was there for the taking. In declaration that God had said that Democracy across the continent of 1842, the government passed a the Mormons could practice polygamy America. This gave them a belief law that said if a farmer also led to conflict with both that their country was supported by squatted on a piece of land, built Mormons and non-Mormons. God and that they had a religious a house and cleared the trees mission. Many Americans also then he could buy the land at a Religious persecution initially drove believed they had a duty to ‘civilise’ minimum price. This meant that if the Mormons out of New York the Plains Indians by converting you moved west and worked hard State, then out of Kirtland, Missouri them to Christianity. Belief in on the land you would not be and finally Nauvoo where their Manifest Destiny was published in wasting your efforts. leader Joseph Smith was killed. many newspapers and the Therefore the new Mormon leader, government actively promoted the In the early 1840’s reports Brigham Young, decided the idea to encourage people to began to make their way back Mormons would cross the Great migrate. East about how wonderful the Plains to establish a Mormon far West was. Some of these In 1848 a carpenter building a community in Salt Lake, Mexico as reports were from missionaries saw mill in the foothills of he said that the Mormons would who wanted more people to California’s Sierra Nevada never be free to practice their come and help them convert the mountain range discovered gold. religion in the United States. Indians to Christianity; others News of this discovery spread came from people who were slowly at first until it was In 1845, journalists and politicians hoping to make money from the picked up by a San Francisco in the East began to suggest that it new settlers. newspaper. Then it spread was the “Manifest Destiny” of rapidly across the USA and white Americans to settle the Some individuals moved west to sell beyond. Within days, men were whole of North America. In other food and equipment to the miners. making their way to the Sierra words, the settlement of the West Miners spent most of their hard- Nevada with pickaxes and was God’s plan for the continent. earned money on the most basic shovels to seek their fortune. supplies. At the height of the boom in Some of the first miners 1849, a single egg could cost the needed little more than a equivalent of $25, coffee cost more Key: frying pan to find the gold than $100 per pound and replacing a deposits in the rivers and pair of worn out boots cost more than Religion streams which flowed from the $2,500. mountains. Soon, diggers began 36 Economic to open small mines to extract opportunity the nuggets of gold. Use the information on the previous pages to complete the table below. This will help you understand the reasons why white Americans travelled across the Great Plains in the 1840’s and 1850’s:

Religious reasons: Economic opportunity:

Complete the following two pages from memory. Once you have completed

everything you can. Reread your notes and add any missing information in green pen. Give two reasons why the white Americans would view the Great Plains as uninhabitable: Why did a belief in Manifest Destiny lead white Americans to travel west? ------

When white Americans Why were white Americans pushed west? Why were white travelled west what landscape Americans pulled ------would they cross? west? ------How did travellers prepare for the journey west? ------

------

------How did travellers prepare for the journey west? What problems would travellers face when travelling west? ------38 ------Why did the Pioneer farmers travel west? Explain who the 49ers were and why they went west.

------

Explain what life as a miner was like.

------

What problems did the miners face in Explain the effects of the gold rush. Explain the journey the Mormons the new mining towns? ------took when they moved west to Salt Lake Valley. ------Who were the Mormons? ------Explain why the Mormons moved west ------to Salt Lake Valley. ------Why did the Mormons choose to settle at ------Salt Lake Valley? Explain the problems the Mormons faced ------at the Great Salt Lake? ------39 ------

------How did the migration ACROSS the Great Plains affect the Plains Indians in the 1840s and 50s?

US Government Policy towards Indians 1830-51

The first people living in America were the Native Americans (Plains Indians). The east of America was made up of tribes such as the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chickasaw and Seminole. Over time white settlers from other countries began exploring and looking to establish new colonies in America. These white settlers landed on the east coast of America. They wanted to farm in the east in areas which were occupied by Native America tribes. Many US citizens saw the Native American way of life as inferior and uncivilized – they wanted them to be moved off the land so that it could be farmed and settled. Before 1830, the government treated the Indian lands as sovereign nations (belonging to them) and would negotiate over land. In 1824, the Bureau of Indian Affairs was set up to manage the white’s relations with Indians, especially when the whites began to expand west. They also pursued a policy of making the Native Americans in the East change their lifestyle to fit in with that of the white Americans. Tribes such as the Cherokee had changed some of their lifestyle to fit in – but people still didn’t see them as equal.

In 1830, the Indian Removal Act was passed under President Andrew Jackson – this authorized the president to grant tribes land on the Great Plains in exchange for their land in the East. Some tribes refused to be moved. The Cherokee tried to resist through legal means, but they were eventually forcefully marched by the US soldiers to the Plains in 1838 – it has been estimated that around 4000 out of 15,000 died on the journey. The Seminole of Florida fought US soldiers from 1835 – 1842, but eventually surrendered and moved West. By 1840, most of the eastern tribes had been moved onto the Plains – around 70,000 – 100,000 people in total. The intention was that Native Americans would live on the Great Plains, while settlers farmed land in the East – the Plains would be like one large Indian reservation. The boundary between the two regions was known as the Permanent Indian Frontier.

At this point, settlers viewed the Plains as “The Great American Desert” – they didn’t want to settle there themselves because they thought the conditions on the Plains were unsuitable for living and farming. The government gave the Native Americans the Great Plains, but ONLY because white settlers didn’t want the land themselves. This shows the attitude of many white people towards the Native Americans – they saw them as inferior, so felt it was acceptable to give them land they themselves didn’t think was fit to live on.

Gradually, settlers began to use the Great Plains – land that had been promised to the Native Americans. Settlers moved across the Great Plains on their way to the west coast. In the 1850s, people began to see the possibility of settling on the Plains – it wasn’t quite the “Great American Desert” they had thought. In 1854, the government opened up Kansas and Nebraska for settlement. As more settlers started to cross the Great plains, tension grew between them and the Plains Indians. There was a lack of understanding between settlers and Indians

To settlers, it seemed that the Plains Indians had no system of government, that their warfare was cowardly and their religion just superstition. They had different views on land ownership. Native Americans believed that the land was everyone, but settlers wanted to own, farm and exploit land. Settlers thought that the Plains Indians’ nomadic lifestyle was uncivilised and that they wasted the land. Native Americans thought that the settlers ruined the land. Significant numbers of settlers moved beyond the Permanent Indian Frontier and across the Plains to reach lands in the west from 1843. Many more came with the Californian Gold Rush of 1849. The settlers disrupted the buffalo herds which the Plains Indians relied on, and polluted water sources, bringing diseases such as cholera. As a result, Plains Indians became more hostile. They sometimes attacked wagon trains, which increased the settlers’ fear and distrust. The settlers also felt threatened by the Indians’ inter-tribal conflict.

2. Find and fix the 10 errors

The first people living in America were the white Americans. Many US citizens saw the Native American way of life as superior Over time Native American settlers from other countries and civilized – they wanted them to be moved onto the land so that began exploring and looking to establish new colonies in it could be farmed and settled. They also wanted the Native America. They wanted to farm in the east in areas which were Americans in the East to change their lifestyle to fit in with that of occupied by white Americans. the white Americans. Tribes such as the Cherokee changed some of their lifestyle to fit in – but people still didn’t see them as equal. In 1830, the Indian Removal Act was passed under By 1840, most of the eastern tribes had been moved onto the President Andrew Jackson – this authorized the president to Plains – around 70,000 – 100,000 people in total. The intention was grant tribes land in the east in exchange for their land on the that Native Americans would live on the Great Plains, while settlers Great Plains. Some tribes refused to be moved, but they were farmed land in the East – the Plains would be like one large Indian eventually forcefully marched by the US soldiers to the reservation. The boundary between the two regions was known as Plains. the Permanent Indian Frontier.

4) Describe two problems / differences / solutions (4 marks) 5 mins

Gradually, settlers began to use the Great Plains – land that Significant numbers of settlers moved beyond the Permanent had been promised to the Native Americans. Settlers moved Indian Frontier and across the Plains to reach lands in the west across the Great Plains on their way to the south coast. In from 1843. Many more came with the Californian Gold Rush of 1749. the 1850s, people began to see the possibility of settling on The settlers disrupted the buffalo herds which the Plains Indians the Plains – it wasn’t quite the “Great American Desert” they relied on, and polluted water sources, bringing diseases such as had thought. As more settlers started to cross the Great cholera. As a result, Plains Indians became more hostile. They plains, tension grew between them and the Plains Indians. sometimes attacked wagon trains, which increased the settlers’ fear There was a lack of understanding between settlers and and distrust. Indians

Structure:

Write TWO paragraphs. They should include the following: One problem that ……faced was……..

This was a problem because………. Another problem that …….faced was…….. This was a problem because……..

Advice: Ma ke sure that you read the question carefully. If there is a date in the question then link your answer into it. Support your answer with detailed own knowledge to prove how/why it answers the question.

Possible questions:

Describe 2ways that the geography of America made it difficult to travel from the East to the West. Describe 2 problems of crossing the Great Plains. Describe 2 problems faced by miners during 1849. Describe 2 problems faced by the Mormons when they settled in Salt Lake. Describe 2 solutions that helped the Mormons settle in the Salt Lake. Describe 2 solutions that helped the Mormons cross the Oregon Trail. Describe 2 problems the Indians faced on the Plains. Describe 2 solutions that the Indians had for helping them to survive on the Plains Describe 2 ways the buffalo was important to the lives of the Indians. Describe 2 features of Indian culture and religion. Describe 2 features of Indian warfare. Describe 2 government solutions to the Indian problem. Describe 2 features of the tipi that solved the problems of living on the Plains Describe 2 features of Indian culture. Describe 2 ways that the horse was important to the Plains’ Indians. Describe 2 features of Plains’ Indian religion and beliefs Describe 2 features of Indian culture and religion. 42 Describe 2 differences between White Americans and the Plains Indians. Describe 2 ways the white Americans viewed the Plains Indians as uncivilised. Describe 2 reasons white Americans followed the belief in Manifest Destiny Describe 2 ways that the Plains Indians adapted their way of life to live on the Great Plains. 5) In what ways were………… affected by ………..(8 marks) 10 mins

Structure:

One way lives were affected was……This was because…….(give detailed knowledge with full examples). As a result lives were affected because (summarise HOW LIVES CHANGED)

Advice:

Write at least TWO paragraphs

The focus must be on explaining WHY …….. were affected not just describing how.

Remember you can usually split your paragraphs into positive for the white Americans and negative for the Native Americans.

You only have time to focus closely on the question so don’t mention anything irrelevant.

Possible questions:

In what ways were the lives of the Indians affected by the arrival of the white settlers on the Great Plains?

In what ways were the lives of Americans affected by the actions of the US government?

In what ways were lives of Americans affected by the opening up of the West?

In what ways were the lives of Americans affected by the belief in Manifest Destiny?

In what ways were the lives of Americans affected by the Californian Gold Rush?

In what ways were the lives of Mormons affected by persecution

6) Which of the following was the most important reason why………..(Two different reasons will be given in bullet points) (12 marks) 15 mins

Structure: One important reason why ………. For example……… ………was a second reason for ………..This was because…….. In conclusion …….was the most important reason. This was because………….

Advice:

Write about each bullet point in separate paragraphs.

Include detailed facts that are clearly relevant to helping you answer the question.

The focus must be on explaining why.

At the end of your answer, make a clear judgement – use the word “whereas” to show you are analysing the different factors.

Don’t just write everything you know about each bullet point. Only include the details that are relevant and always focus on how those details actually answer the question.

Possible questions:

Which of the following was the more important reason why white Americans travelled across the Great Plains in the 1840s and 1850s:

• Religion Economic opportunity?

Which of the following was the most important reason for white settlers moving west:  Problems in the East  New opportunities in the West

Which of the following was the most important reason why the Plains Indians were able to survive on the Great Plains.  The buffalo  The tipi

Which of the following was the most important reason for Brigham Young’s decision to move the Mormons west in 1846. 44  Persecution  The US Government