Westward Expansion
By: Bailee Newcomer
MANIFEST DESTINY
Manifest Destiny plays a huge role in westward expansion, it help everyone realize that they need to move west to help create to new land and help the United States be complete.
Without manifest destiny, the US wold not be complete.
Mining in the West (special interest)
Although the California Gold rush was important, there were other mining that helped out the westward expansion. Gold and silver was found near Denver, the Comestock Lode was developed in Nevada, and minerals were found in Montana, Idaho and Oregon.
Mining in the west helped out the US in many ways. It helped the population grow. People from all around the world knew that there was gold, and they would travel here to hopefully get rich.
My opinion on mining in the west is that it was a smart way for people to get rich, but also a smart way for the economy to grow. When the settlers move west, it helps the west grow and get more money, which will then help to lead new inventions.
Inventions: the action of inventing something, typically a process or device.
Mining: the process or industry of obtaining coal or other minerals from a mine.
Population: all the inhabitants of a particular town, area, or country.
Wealthy: having a great deal of money, resources, or assets; rich.
Bankrupt: (of a person or organization) declared in law unable to pay outstanding debts.
Expansion: he action of becoming larger or more extensive.
They would use many different tools. A tool they would use is shovels, to help dig and look for coal. This also helped with industry and people getting rich, it was a very important tool that was used.
Important Places Were...
- **California**
- Colorado
- Nevada
- Montana
- Oregon
The Indian Wars
There was the Sioux Indian Wars-- the Santee Sioux had given up their lands, which was most of southern Minnesota, in exchange for a very small reservation on the south bank of the Minnesota River. The intrusion by settlers on reservation land and the unfair practices of a lot of American traders also helped provoke Sioux tribe’s hatred. So, the Sioux were giving the courage, brought on by the young men to fight in the Civil War. The mix of hatred, hunger and the weakness of the Minnesotans and the local military created a very powerful situation that only needed a spark to bring on a battle.
Intrusion: the action of intruding.
Battle: a sustained fight between large, organized armed forces
Reservation: an arrangement whereby something, especially a seat or room, is booked or reserved for a particular person.
Revolution: a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system.
The indians would use man made weapons or tools, such as bow and arrows, tomahawk weapons, war club weapons, knife weapons and lance weapons.
“A long time ago this land belonged to our fathers; but when I go up to the river I see camps of soldiers here on its bank. These soldiers cut down my timber; they kill my buffalo; and when I see that, my heart feels like bursting; I feel sorry." -Santana, Chief of the Kiowas, 1867. U.S. Bureau of Ethnography Annual Report, 17th, 1895–96.
http://www.smithsoniansource.org/content/dbqs/westwardexpansion/impact_westward_expansion.pdf
Fourt Laramie
Sioux Indian Wars
Settlers Invading Native Americans Land
Era of the Cowboys
- The cowboys started their route in Texas, and started to travel west
- Many people viewed the cowboys as a hero, facing the dangers of traveling west
- There was a bad winter, and all of the cowboys cattle was destroyedE, leaving a bloody mess
- Because of the terrible winter, the cowboy era was ended, just as quick as it started
The cowboys used horse and cattle drives to get to the new land that they wanted.
Heroic: having the characteristics of a hero or heroine; very brave.
Cattle: large ruminant animals with horns and cloven hoofs, domesticated for meat or milk, or as beasts of burden; cows.
Crops: a cultivated plant that is grown as food, especially a grain, fruit, or vegetable.
"The cowboy became the symbol for the West of the late 19th century, often depicted in popular culture as a glamorous or heroic figure. " http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/timeline/riseind/west/
Settlers and Farmers on the Plain
HOMESTEAD ACT:
- opened up settlement in the western United States, allowing any American, including freed slaves to settle down.
- put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land, but you had many obligations to do.
- the families had barely any resources to start farming, so it was hard to get the job done.
- even though the land was the families, it was the landowners job to make sure they did all their work, so it fell into their hands.
Settlement: a place, typically one that has hitherto been uninhabited, where people establish a community
Obligations: an act or course of action to which a person is morally or legally bound; a duty or commitment.
Moving West: moving to find new land
Tools they would use are farm tools, to help farm their crops and build the fences. They also had linens and weapons to help protect themselves.
May 20, 1862
. . . . Provided, that any person owning or residing on land may, under the provision of the act, enter other land lying contiguous to his or her said land, which shall not, with the land already owned and occupied, exceed in the aggregate one hundred and sixty acres
http://www.smithsoniansource.org/display/primarysource/viewdetails.aspx?PrimarySourceId=1022
Building of the Transcontinental Railroad
- the railroad helped expand the population in the US, more people could travel
- the railroad helped with getting traded goods from one side of the US to the other, this helped people get rich, which is what they wanted when moving west
- this helped communication a lot quicker, instead of sending a letter that would take months to get to the other side, you could just send it on the railroad.
Transcontinental: (especially of a railroad line) crossing a continent.
Transportation: the action of transporting someone or something or the process of being transported
Communication: he imparting or exchanging of information or news.
"Officials and workers of the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railways held a ceremony on Promontory Summit, in Utah Territory—approximately thirty-five miles away from Promontory Point, the site where the rails were joined—to drive in the Golden Spike on May 10, 1869. The spike symbolized completion of the first transcontinental railroad, an event that connected the nation from coast to coast and reduced a journey of four months or more to just one week"
Western Entertainment
What children would do:
Children had more free time than adults, but not as much..
- Children would play with other children outdoors
- They would go swimming
- They made their own toys to play with
- Girls would practice sewing
- Girls would also make their own dolls to play with.