Westward Expansion“The Great Plains”

The Great Plains• Pre Civil War viewed as a “treeless

wasteland” - was now seen as a vast area for

settlement and opportunity- Western settlement was aided by

new inventions and Technologies- http://www.solpass.org/7ss/standards/StudyUSII.2.htm

Transcontinental Railroad

Transcontinental Railroad• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcAoIlyw9i0&feature=related

• Completed May 10, 1869• The Last Golden spike was driven at

Promontory Point in Utah• The Union Pacific (east) and the Central

Pacific (from the West) had laid over 1700 miles of track

• *** Most important reason for Westward Expansion****

Effects of the railroads• Towns grew along the rail line• Transported goods to cities and larger

markets• Increased demand for Steel, coal and

construction work• led to increase in farming and cattle ranching• Established 4 time zones (1883) made official

in 1918 by Congress

Inventions and Adaptations• There were a total of 8 adaptations and

inventions that helped settlers to survive the harsh climate they are:

• (1)Railroads (most important)

• (2)Dry Farming- to plant seeds deep into the ground where there was some moisture

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48H7zOQrX3U&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&safe=active

More Inventions and Adaptations

• By 1870’s the (3)steel plow was invented that could break through the tough layers of sod.

• Farmers could use (4)windmills to pump water out from under the ground and developed (5)barbed wire to protect their land

(6)Sod HousesBuilt using rectangles of Sod, was similar style to an igloo. Was very well insulated, but also very damp.

A Nebraska Sod HouseSodbusters- Name given to the plains farmers

(7)Beef Cattle RaisingIn the early 1800s, cattle ranches began appearing on the Great Plains, especially in Texas. Demand for beef was high, and as railroads developed, ranchers would drive their cattle north to meet up with the lines.

(8)Wheat FarmingFarmers adopted an improved strain of Russian wheat which required less water and grew well in the dryer soil of the Great Plains.

Closing the FrontierImpact on Native Americans

The Plains Native Americans

Lived a nomadic life. They followed their main source of food, The buffalo. Warfare, the loss of the Buffalo and disease brought from settlers nearly wiped out the Native American population.

Conflict on the Plains• Even though most tribes were nomadic, They

were forced onto reservations.• The reservations were on poor land that was

low quality for farming. • The Native Americans lost their sacred land,

were robbed of their nomadic lifestyles and forced to assimilate into American culture.

Conflict on the Plains• The battle of Little Big Horn – The government wanted to violate a treaty

with the Sioux to mine for Gold in the Black Hills of the Dakotas – Sioux Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse

defeated Lt. Colonel George Custer –Custer and his entire command lost their

lives

Conflict on the Plains• The Massacre at Wounded Knee– In an act of desperation, The Sioux began

performing a ritual known as the Ghost Dance– Officials found the dance alarming and banned it.

Chief Sitting Bull was accidentally shot and killed.– The rest of the Sioux tribe fled to Wounded Knee,

While there, the army surrounded, shot and killed the entire tribe.

**Biggest conflict between settlers and Native Americans was how land should be owned and used **

Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce

• In 1877 the Government demanded that they move their tribe to a reservation in Idaho . •The tribe reluctantly agreed until Chief Joseph found out that members of his tribe attacked a bunch of White Settlers.

More Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce

To save his tribe, they tried to escape to Canada

They made it 3 months and traveled 1000 miles. Chief Joseph surrendered just 40 miles short of Canadian border.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hJFi7SRH7Q

His famous quote

• “From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever”• This was his surrender to being forced to move his tribe onto a reservation.