closing of the plains
Malin, Joe, Devin and Cesar
government policies impact
The first phase of the government’s plan for settlement was building the Transcontinental Railroad. The railroad provided a way to bring settlers and manufactured goods west and ship their agricultural and mining produce east, it was also essential to the rapid development of the west. The second phase of the government’s plan was a liberal land distribution policy that made it possible for many people to homestead.
The governments impact on the closing of the plains was that they rapidly increased expansion into the west with the two key elements of transportation and cheap land. The government quickly achieved its goal of persuading people to move west, settle on farms, and push back the frontier.
Enviormental Impact
The environmental impact of closing the plains caused some drastic changes. By closing the plains you are taking jobs away from "cowboys" who are often referred to as ranch hands due to the fact that they help the owner keep the ranch working. The beef barons would lose a ton of money because there product is beef and cattle, by taking the plains away you are taking the cattle's home away and that would mean less cattle and for the barons, reducing their profit margin causing them to lose money.
interaction between Americans and American Indians
When the Americans started to move westward with their cattle on the plains, it caused the Indians to move even more west. The cattle from texas were moved west and north from Texas into Kansas and Oklahoma. In 1851, the United States introduces a Concentration Policy which forced American Indians north or south of the white settlements. Some of the natives weren't thrilled to hear about the policy and warfare was constant. The whites were able to move about with their cattle that was transported using the Transcontinental Railroads. The whites wanted to move into the mid-west because the cattle would have goo grazing land and fewer bandits. Throughout the spread of cattle and relocation of American Indians, eventually in 1866, the Cattle Drive began.
was the national identity defined or redefined
Expansion into the west help redefine the national identity by finding different types of precious minerals, this helped expand railroads, the invention of barbed wire and the improvement in windmills. This attracted ranchers and farmers that introduced a new type of economy
closing of the plains
environmental impact
closing of the plains
americans and american indians
closing of the plains
national identity