1860 - 1900 • Following the Civil War, many Americans and Europeans continued to move into the WEST

1. New Inventions –people could live in harder places 2. Opportunities to own land 3. Treasure – discovery of gold and silver 4. Desire for adventure 5. New beginning for former slaves • “as far as the eye can see… hundreds of miles of GRASS.” • Between the Rockies and the Mississippi River

• Flatlands that rise gradually from east to west • Land eroded by wind and water • Low rainfall •Frequent dust storms • Only 20 inches of rain per year • Home to the buffalo – can survive in dry climate (sacred to the Indians) • High winds stir up dust and create dust storms • Because of new inventions, people saw the Great Plains not as a “treeless wasteland” but as a vast area to be settled.

1.Dry Farming 6. Beef Cattle Raising 2. Wheat Farming 7. Barbed Wire 3. Steel Plow 8. Railroads 4. Windmills 9. Sod Houses 5. Mechanical Reaper • Type of farming that allows farmers to farm without much water. • Plant seeds deeper to get more water • Popular crop = wheat • Wheat doesn’t need much water • Wheat is used to make bread and cereal • Great Plain soil was rocky • The old plows wouldn’t work • Harder steel made the plow work Water-pumping Windmills: Provided water for people and animals due to little rainfall

1. Wind turns the blades of the windmill 2. A long rod that runs down the tower moves the handle of a pump up and down 3. The water flows into an open wooden box called a trough • Mechanical Reaper (mower) reduced farm labor needs and increased production • Some areas good for cow (cattle) • Texas became the center of cattle ranching • People in the East wanted to eat beef • Barbed wire was used for fencing large ranches and farms • Built quickly and was cheap • Wood fences were expensive and hard to get (few trees for wood) • Sod = the top layer of soil and grass • Houses made out of sod (dirt) • Sod was used on the walls and roof (placed over wood beams) • Made it easier to go west • Farmers could ship their crop to the east

Transcontinental Railroad – linked the East to the West (from the Atlantic to Pacific Ocean) • Transported people and goods • Made trade easier • Started building factories in the West

• Two Railroads: Union Pacific and Central Pacific -Union Pacific: began in Omaha, Nebraska (blue) - Central Pacific: began in Sacramento, California (red)

-“Meet me in the Middle” • May 10, 1869: UP and CP met at Promontory Point, Utah…Leland Stanford, gov. of California, drove the last spike. WHO BUILT THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD? Union Pacific – 8,000 Irish and African Americans Central Pacific – 10,000 Chinese Opportunities for Land Homestead Act (1862) – government incentive that gave 160 acres (1/4 sq. mi.) if meet certain requirements: 1. 21 years old, or head of family 2. US citizens or filing for 3. Build a certain size home and live for 6 months 4. Farm the land for five consecutive years • Who likes adventure??? The West was exciting and new - People flocked to the West for adventure BOOM!! • Towns called BOOMTOWNS grew over night • Miners came from all over • Town life was expensive • Violence was part of BOOMTOWN life BUST!! • No more gold!! • A lot of people moved to new sites or back home • Now called ghost towns • Native American life changed as a result of westward expansion

Impact on American Indians: 1. Forced relocation from traditional lands to reservations 2. Assimilation and lifestyles changes 3. Reduced their homelands through treaties (promises) that were broken 4. Opposition by American Indians to westward expansion. 5. Reduced population through warfare and disease 1. Forced Relocation to Reservations • Settlers felt it was ok to take Indian land because they felt they were using the land better

• Treaties (promises) forced Native Americans on to reservations • Reservation: small piece of land designated for Native Americans • Native Americans were often tricked onto reservations Chief Joseph, Nez Percé • Nez Percé were forced onto a reservation in Idaho (1/10 of the size of their original land) • Chief Joseph led a group of 750 Indians to Canada escaping the reservation • General Oliver Howard was ordered to bring Indians back to the reservation • Chief Joseph and others were caught and surrendered at Bear’s Paw Mountain

“…I shall fight no more forever!” - Chief Joseph 2. Assimilation and lifestyle changes

Assimilation: to blend one culture with another culture

• Killed the buffalo to force Native Americans to move off their land and onto reservations

• Dawes Act – Allowed the President to divide up reservation lands into individual plots of land for Indian families. ** Tried to get Native Americans to become settled farmers and learn English 3. Reduced their homelands through treaties (promises) that were broken • Land on reservation was very poor • promised supplies, but given very little or poor quality 4. Opposition by American Indians • American Indians previously occupied the west and viewed settlers as invaders.

Examples of American Indian Opposition:

1.Battle of Little Bighorn and Sitting Bull 2.Geronimo and Apache raids Battle of Little • Many Sioux, including Bighorn Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, fled the reservation to Montana • Col. George Custer and troops were sent to push the natives back to their reservation • They met 2,000 warriors (largest Indian force ever gathered in the Plains) Refused to give up the Black Hills • Custer was defeated

“Custer’s last stand” Geronimo and Apache Raids

• Geronimo, leader of the Apache Indians in Southwest U.S. • Geronimo fought against Mexico and the United States

• Geronimo’s family was killed by the Mexican Army • Geronimo led the Apaches on many deadly raids against the Mexicans • As Americans moved west, Geronimo led attacks on U.S. • Apache believed he had special powers – walk without leaving tracks • Forced to surrender to U.S. in 1886 in Arizona 5. Reduced Population through Warfare and Disease • After Custer was defeated at Little Bighorn, U.S. Army was sent in • Sitting Bull was killed along with 120 men, 230 women and children at a creek call Wounded Knee • Battle of Wounded Knee ended the Sioux Wars • Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad helped reduce population