WESTERN EXPANSION

CHAPTER 2

•Take sheet from chair and start

on bellwork/task focus.

2.1 TERRITORIAL EXPANSION

TEXAS: INDEPENDENCE AND ANNEXATION

• Manifest Destiny – U.S. leaders and citizens believed it to be destiny to expand and possess land to the West• Middle of the nineteenth century

• Mexico gained independence from Spain• Gained control of Texas with large number of

U.S. settlers• General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna gained

control over Mexican Government • Sam Houston launched a rebellion in Texas

• March 2, 1836 Texas declared an independent republic• The Alamo – a battle fought between Santa

Anna’s men and Texans • Every Texan who fought perished in battle or captured

and killed

• Texans defeated Santa Anna and took him hostage• For freedom, Santa Anna promised to recognize the

Republic of Texas

• Texas becomes part of the U.S. • Asked to be annexed• Andrew Jackson in favor but know northern states would

oppose a large slave state• Texas stayed independent until 1845

• Election of 1844• Texas annexation was critical issues in election • Split the Democratic Party • James K. Polk – first “dark horse” (unexpected winner)

presidential nominee • Called for annexation of Texas and Oregon• Defeated the Whig Party

•Whigs and Democrats were dominate political parties at this time.

OREGON TERRITORY

• After Polk settled with Texas, he turned his attention to Oregon.• Great Britain and U.S. jointly occupied Oregon • Polk argued the U.S. should claim territory up to

54˚40’N because of citizen population • Polk ready to fight – Great Britain willing to give

it up because it was no longer profitable; U.S. important consumer of British goods• Oregon became territory 1846

SOUTHWEST TERRITORIES

• 1848 Mexico and U.S. signed treaty after U.S. defeated Mexico in war• Mexico surrendered New Mexico and

California territories• 1853 boundary dispute sill remained with

Mexico

• President Franklin Pierce sent James Gadsden to purchase land from Mexico for transcontinental railroad• Gadsden Purchase - $10 Million for present-

day New Mexico and Arizona

• Gold Rush of 1849• Settlers discovered gold north of Sacramento,

California• Gold seekers come from all over the world• Congress admitted California to the Union as a

state in 1850

2.2 CULTURAL CLASHES

EUROPEAN MIGRATION

•With expansion west came a migration of settlers with different motivations• Catholics hoped to read the message of

Jesus to Native Americans• Gold Rush of 1849 – became major reason

for conflict between settlers and Native Americans• Comstock Lode – region in Nevada with

largest load of precious ore

• 1862 Congress passed two pieces of legislation to encourage western settlement• Homestead Act – anyone who agreed to

cultivate 160 acres of land for five years would have title to that land from federal government• Morrill Land-Grant Act – millions of acres

given to state governments to sell as agriculture colleges; teach farmers how to use new technology to farm the Midwest

• Oklahoma land rush• 50,000 people on horseback, bicycle, wagon,

and on foot gathered waiting for the gun how to open the Oklahoma territory• “The Sooner State” – people tired to jump the

gun to get a head start and get to Oklahoma sooner

WOMEN OF THE WEST

• Enjoyed greater freedom• Required women to take on men's jobs• New freedoms attracted women to the west

AFRICAN AMERICANS OF THE WEST

• Before the Civil War, many African Americas in the South were slaves• Black Exodus – African Americas who left

the south after the Civil War• Large number migrated; became carriers or

cowhands• Large number of cowboys were African

Americans• Serve in west as United States Army• Buffalo Soldiers – name given by Native Americans

who fought against them; all black regiments

CHINESE IMMIGRANTS

• Chinese immigrants arrived in California• Population grew rapidly• Came to find work building railroads• Major role in building western railroads• Connecting eastern and western railroads

• Citizens did not like Chinese immigrants• Felt they drove price of labor down and stole

jobs from Americans• Racism/Nativism – opposed to immigration • Trust – did not trust Chinese because of

appearance, dress, language

• Chinese Exclusion Act – prohibited people from china from immigration to the United States • Not repealed until 1943

EUROPEAN AMERICANS AND MEXICANS

• Annexation of Texan and Mexican-American war made relation between U.S. and Mexico tense• Mexicans did have a positive effect on

settlers in the western region• Taught white settlers how to herd, raise, and

drive cattle to market• Cowboy hats and chaps were also adopted by

white settlers

NATIVE AMERICANS

• European Americans had conflict with Native Americans living in the west• Buffalo – great source of food, clothing, and shelter

for Plains Indians • Settlers killed great number for hides and make way

for the cattle industry• Plains Indians would no longer continue their way of

life• Caused a dramatic decline in the population of Native

Americans

• Ranching took more land from Native Americans for railroads, towns, and cattle

• Native Americans were forced to relocate to reservations – land set aside for Native Americans just to be forcibly moved again and again because of gold being discovered• Native Americans grew tired of this and violent

wars broke out

NATIVE AMERICAN RESERVATIONS

• The Sand Creek Massacre and The Battle of Little Bighorn• Sand Creek Massacre – 270 Native American

dead; most were women and children• Cheyenne forced to give up claims to land given to

them • Warriors raided mining camps and local settlements• U.S. forces surprised Cheyenne at Sand Creek in

Colorado Territory

• The Battle of Little Bighorn – General Custer attempted to surprise and defeat the Sioux in Montana • Known as “Custer’s Last Stand”

• Last greatest victory for Native Americans

• Sioux and Cheyenne surrendered to U.S. troops to moved to land in the Dakotas and Oklahoma

• Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce• Nez Perce – tribe bed by Chief Joseph• Forced to leave land• Warriors killed several white settlers without

Chief Joseph’s blessing• Joseph ordered to comply with move to

reservation • Troops attacked tribe while moving them

• Joseph and Nez Perce retreated and planed to avoid U.S. troops and escape into Canada• Caught thirty miles for the border• Forced onto reservation in Oklahoma• Many died due to sickness and malnutrition

• Wounded Knee• last notable armed conflict between U.S. and Native

Americans• “Ghost Dance” alarmed settlers and sent U.S. Army• Believed Sioux leader Sitting Bull was trying to start

an uprising

• The Dawes Act• Congress passed 1887• Assimilate Native Americans – force them to

became part of mainstream society• Abolished tribes and separated reservations

into land for individuals • Huge failure – did not want to give up tribes, no

interest in farming

GROUP ASSIGNMENT

• Create a poster that shows the social, political, and economic antagonism that occurred once westward expansion began to occur. It should be formatted like a graphic organizer using the information that we covered today. Every person must have a rough draft and the final copy will be the group poster.

2.3 RAILROADS, FARMING, AND THE RISE OF POPULISM

THE TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD

• Railroads became important means of transportation in the U.S.• Transcontinental Railroad• Union Pacific – Eastern rail company• Central Pacific – rail company from California • Irish and Chinese workers• Promontory Point – city in Utah were

transcontinental railroad met to unite the East and West

FARMING, RANCHING, AND MINING

• Many people moved West intended on farming• Adapt to terrain different from the East• Technological Advances:• John Deere’s steel plow – allowed farmers to

cut through prairie sod• Windmills – allowed farmers to harness wind

power to push water to the surface• Barbed wire – made it possible for farmers to

fence in there livestock and land• Railroads – import needs/ship products to

other parts of the country

• Cattle Ranching • used ranching techniques of Mexicans• Growth of cattle contributed to slaughter of

buffalo• Land taken from Native Americans• “Cowboys” • Moved cattle on long drives to be shipped by train to

market• Became legendary figures in Western culture

• Mining – became important with discoveries of gold• Mining camps and towns were established• Boomtowns – mining towns that were booming

with minerals• Ghost towns –mining towns that were not

booming anymore and everyone has left

FARMER COOPERATIVES

• 1870’s – 1880’s – overproduction cased prices to drop• Farmers making less money/rising cost of

equipment and railroads• Farmers went into debt; lost their farms and

land • Cooperatives – farmers pulled their

resources together to purchase new equipment and sell crops • Began to build political influence

THE POPULIST MOVEMENT

• Populist Movement – formed because of concerns of the farmers• Low prices for their goods and the crop lien

system (farmers borrow money against crops; slip further into debt)• Populists wanted to regulate railroad prices for

farmers on hauling products and machinery• Appealed to “common man” – working class in

the Northeast, South, and West• Omaha Platform – unlimited coinage of sliver,

government regulated railroads/industry, graduated income tax, election reforms

• Green Backs – paper money• Printing more paper money would ease the

farmers’ burdens of raising prices

• Free Silver Policy – base the U.S. dollar on silver and gold• Populists believed this would pump money

into the nation’s economy and ease financial pressure on farmers.

• Election of 1896• Economic depression• President Cleveland seemed vulnerable• Free sliver became major issue

• William Jennings Bryan• Democratic Party nomination• Backed means to spur inflation and raise prices

of for farmers• Populist Party backed Bryan• Could not overcome a split in Democratic party• Republican Party candidate William McKinley

won election