GCSE History American West
Counting coup
Touching a live enemy with a coup stick and escaping unharmed to show bravery.
oregon trail 1836
Trail from independence Missouri to Oregon used by many pioneers during the 1840s that led to increased migratiom.
Mormon journey to the Great Salt Lake, Utah (stage 5) Brigham Young's return to the winter quarters
-He organised the journey for others to give them the correct instructions regarding "the Mormon trail." -It was also important to promote their successful new homr.
Joseph Smith
-Founded the Church of Latter-Day Saints -Followers known as Mormons -Persuasive public speaking meant numbers grew to several hundred by 1830 -Mormons obeyed him because he said his decisions were inspired by God and the ancient records on gold plates he translated with seer stones. -Believed in polygamy -Murdered in Illinois 1845
The Indian removal Act 1930
-Established the permanent Indian Frontier. (boundary between USA and Indian Territory) -Removed Indians from south-west to small territory that later became Oklahoma. -Many Indians died of starvation and cholera on the 150KM march.
Tipis
-Every indian family lived in a tipi made of wooden poles and buffalo skins -Cone shaped to protect against strong winds -Easily taken down so ideal for their lifestyle -Bottom can be rolled up in summer and banked with earth in winter
Family roles
-Every member equally important to survival -Men (braves) hunted and fought enemies -Women (squaws) made clothing, fed family and looked after tipi -Everyone looked after children -Elders respected for their wisdom but left behind to die if threatened survival of band
Pull factors to move west
-Freedom and independence -Manifest destiny -Fertile land -Space -Furs and fish -Victory of Mexico in 1848 meant settlers were encouraged to move to California. -Gold -1842 pre-emption act
Charles Goodnight
-A Texan who returned from the Civil War to find his herd of cattle had increased -Teamed up with Oliver Loving- an experienced cattle drover -They established the Goodnight-Loving Trail to supply meat to the army and Indian reservations
Causes of Lawlessness
-Absence of family life. -Easy availability of alcohol. -The practice of carrying weapons -lack of state status limiting law enforcement
The Indian Appropriations Act 1851
-Act that set up legally recognised reservations to protect Plains Indians from new settlers on the edge of the great plains where they hoped they would farm
Importance of the 1849 Gold Rush
-Attracted potential Miners from the US, china and Ireland who wanted to gain wealth in California. This increased the population from 15,000 to 250,00 by 1852. -Made California rich -Made San Francisco an important port -new railroad from east to west -USA a world leader in trade -Native indians wiped out -Racial conflict caused workers from China and Mexico to suffer.
Tribes
-Bands in the same tribe supported each other during crises -Tribal meetings of all the bands were held each year to arrange marriages, trade horses and discuss issues -Chiefs and elders formed tribe councils that advised tribal chiefs Some tribe were part of larger groups called nations
Warrior societies
-Best warriors from each band formed its society -Members supervised hinting and protected their bands from attack -All short raids and wars led by the war society and bands council would consult them before they made decisions
Benefits of railroads
-Building railroads created new jobs -New industries (cattle rearing, cow towns) -Agricultural produce could travel further -Farm machinery transported to homesteaders -New towns and cities along railroads -Trade with china and Japan from west coast ports -Migration west -Law officers could visit more towns and enforce law and order -Trains could transport good and supplies everywhere
Joseph McCoy and Abilene
-Came up with the idea of cattle dealing at railheads in the west rather than in cities where beef would be consumed. -Buyers and sellers would meet on neutral ground, undisturbed by mobs, rustlers or Indians -McCoy built Abilene- the first cow town, and became very rich from taking a commission on every head of cattle sold in his town
Role of buffalo and horses
-Catching buffalo easier on horse back -Every part of buffalo (except heart) used for food, clothing, tipi (survival of nomadic lifestyle) Wealth and status measure by how many horses a tribe had -Horses used in war (counting coup) -Horses carried indians and belonging on journey to find buffalo
Chiefs and councils
-Chiefs choses because of wisdom and skills as warriors -Rarely chiefs for life -Council members decided everything the band did -Chiefs and councils decided where their bands would go and how people were punished.
Push factors to move west
-Collapse of wheat prices -Overpopulation -Persecution -Unemployment -Economic depression. -Safe south pass through the rockies.
1849 Gold Rush problems (consequences)
-Conflict between Plains Indians and miners as the Indians disagree with farming and mining as they view the land as their mother. Whereas the miners see it as a source of profit. -Conflict between miners due to contrasting political views of Californian locals and freed white slaves. -The decisions regarding troublesome miners were made by other miners in a bias system. -forty-niners stampeded buffalos
Impact of railroads on Plains Indians
-Crops were sown and houses built when Indians used to roam -Buffalo was harder to hunt with fences in the way -Brought white hunters who killed buffalo for sport -Stopped Indians and buffalo roaming freely -Believed railroads and settlers were working against nature and ruining sacred land
Cattle trails
-Drove Texas Longhorn to northern and eastern cities where beef was worth 10x more than in Texas -Railroads shortened the journey- Cattle were driven to railheads and finished the journey
The importance/consequences of the American Civil war.
-During the war regular troops were withdrawn having a detrimental impact on Indian relations. -War slowed rate of settlement. -After the war ended in 1865 more money become available through reconstruction to help develop the west further. -Many cattle ranchers left to go war and returned to find their cattle had reproduced a lot. - When the Civil war ended the transcontinental railroad could be built as war had ended between confederates (north) and unionists (south) -deserters/ex-soilders caused crimes due to boredom.
1862 pacific railroad act
-East track and west track joined. -gave land plots to constructors who then profited by selling them to settlers. -companies got government bonds for building the track, more money per mile.
Impact of railroads
-Helped start the USA's industrial revolution by increasing demand for materials to build the railway and by improving access to goods and markets -Improved communications an so helped ease isolation -Led to more people living in the west Destroyed the Plains Indians way of life
1840's the US gained territory in the west
-In 1845 Texas officially become part of the USA. -In 1846 the US gained control over the Oregon territory which it previously shared with Britain. -In 1848 the US won a war with Mexico and gained huge territories in the west, including California
The consequences of the transcontinental railroad of 1869
-Increased settlement -transportation of goods -Thousands of Buffalo killed by railroad workers.
Manifest Destiny
-It was gods will that white americans should settle all of America, because it was right and natural that it be so. They also wanted to spread their ideals -US government needed to populate their territory to defend it from foreign powers.
8 Problems of farming the Plains
-Lack of timber (not many trees on the Plains) -Lack of water (not enough to store) -Hard, arid land (crops wouldn't grow) -Natural disasters (prairie fires and pests destroyed crops and land -Land holdings were too small -Disease and lack of medical care (people were often ill) -Lack of education -Isolation
The Donner Party
-Led by Jacob and George Donner, they took the Oregon trail. -Left Missouri in 1846 with 60 wagons and 300 people -Had more women, elderly people and children than normal -Tried to take a short cut -Wagons broke, cattle died -Arrived in Sierra Nevada and trapped by heavy snow -Group sent for help took days -To survive both groups ate their dead Rescue parties found them
Problem of and solutions to Isolation in farming the plains
-Life was lonely and tough on the plains -Railroads improved travel and brought supplies to homesteaders, communities worked together to build schools and churches, women homesteaders formed valuable social networks
Problem of and solutions to lack of water in farming the plains
-Low rainfall and few rivers and lakes -Drills developed to find underground water and wind pumps built to bring it to the surface
Problem of and solutions to lack of education in farming the plains
-Most homesteads were too far from towns with schools -Women taught the young, as communities grew single female teachers arrived and schools developed
Moving west timeline
-Mountain men bring news of land on the other side of the Rockies -Bank crash causes economic depression -Government act makes cheap land available in Oregon -Governor of Illinois tells Mormons to leave -Gold is discovered in California -Gold is discovered in the Rockies -Gold is discovered in Dakota
The moving timeline of the mormons
-New York State 1823- Left for a new start in Ohio because the Lord commanded him to. -Kirtland , Ohio 1831-Left because Smith was tar feathered and hated when he bank went bankrupt in the 1837 economic depression so moved to quieter Missouri. -Missouri 1837- Attacked by mobs and given an extermination order by Governor Bogs becaused they supported the freedom of slaves and were sympathetic to Indians so moved to the unpopular, swampy Nauvoo. -Nauvoo, Illinois 1838- Hated by locals for polygamy beliefs, despite growing numbers of Mormon followers. In 1844, Smith was killed by a mob so they decided to create a Mormon state in unpopulated Utah. - Great Salt Lake, Utah 1847- Unpopulated land just for Mormons.
Problem of and solutions to Lack of timber in farming the plains
-Nothing to build houses with, to make fences to contain cattle and protect crops from buffalo and nothing to use for cooking and heating -People built sod houses made from blocks of earth, 1874 Joseph Glidden invented barbed wire, women collected buffalo and cattle dung for fuel
Government action in the production of railroads
-Pacific Railways Act- set up the Union Pacific Railroad Company to lay track east to west and the Central Pacific Railroad Company to lay track west to east, now easier during civil war with no congress opposition -Township land parcels- Given to railroad companies next to the track to help finance railroad building.
Problem of and solutions to natural disasters in farming the plains
-Pests such as grasshoppers could destroy whole seasons crop, fire spread quickly and burned everything -No solutions
Problem of and solutions to hard, arid land in farming the plains
-Ploughs often broke going through deep-rooted grass, low rainfall prevented growth of crops like maize and wheat which farmers were used to growing -Stronger machinery from eastern factories cultivated land more easily, new techniques like dry farming were used
Problems of and solutions to railroad construction
-Raising money for construction -> governments gift of free land -Difficult terrain (mountains and deserts) -> great engineers and extreme hard work of labourers -Hostile Indians attacking railroad workers -> remained a problem -Finding enough people to work -> Immigrant labour from China and Ireland -Dreadful living and working conditions -> remained a problem
Reasons for Mormon success in Great Salt Lake, Utah
-Religious faith encouraged them to work hard and prevented them from giving up -Brigham Young was in control and made good decisions -The Mormon Church owned all land, water and timber, which were allocated to families- towns ran efficiently -They dug irrigation ditches meaning farm land had enough water -A Perpetual Emigration fund allowed thousands of Mormons to emigrate to Utah from the USA and Europe -Young attracted settlers with various skills an occupations to live in new founded towns
The mormons
-Religious followers of the Later-day saint Joseph smith who settled in Utah initially around salt lake city. -Their first Church was built in 1836
Problems with cattle trails
-Rustlers and Indians could steal the cattle being driven -Grass on some trails was poor so cattle arrived in bad condition -Some trails had little access to water -Cattle could stampede and be hard to control -Trails offered no protection from dangerous wildlife like wolves -Crossing rivers could be dangerous -Quicksand -Armed mobs might try to stop cattle crossing their land to prevent cattle infections passing
Danger in journey west
-Sandstorms -Quicksand -Extreme heat -Storms -Disease -Stampeding buffalo -Hostile Indians -Lack of supplies
Why settle the Plains?
-Security- in 1783 the USA had 13 states. By 1853, wars, treaties and money meant its borders had expanded to most of modern-day America. The government worried than Mexico, France and Great Britain who had owned the land would want it back so they filled it with loyal white Americans to fight enemies and increase prosperity. -Manifest Destiny -economic depression in east
How did the government help settle the Plains?
-Selling land -Railroads -Homestead act 1862
How Indians fought
-Short raids with small groups of braves -Gained honour by 'counting coup'- touching energy with a hand or stick -Killing was rare -Scalped enemies so spirits could not fight in heaven -Retreating was a responsible action- refused to fight if they couldn't win
Problem of and solutions to disease and lack of medical care in farming the plains
-Sod houses were hard to keep clean and had no sanitation -Women cared for the sick, using their own remedies, as communities grew doctors arrived
Consequences of the US winning the war with Mexico 1848
-The Indian territory was now bordered by the new territories of California and Oregon where the government wanted potential settlers to move to. -This caused conflict between settlers and indians as they had to use the oregon trail which crossed Indian land.
Reasons for mormon persecution
-Their success -Their blasphemy -Their desire to free slaves and be friends with Plains Indians. -Practice of polygamy
The Knight party
-They took the Mormon trail. -They faced strong, unpredictable winds which meant they struggled to set up tents. -They had to pay a toll fee to some Indians to cross awkward bridges. -They were attacked by Indians. -They had no wood, limited food and starving livestock that were transporting goods. -The journey was months long
Mormon journey to the Great Salt Lake, Utah (stage 2)
-Thousands of cabins, known as the winter quarters were build for families to shelter under. -However many died there from lack of food, supplies and widespread disease.
Why Indians fought
-To demonstrate skills, bravery and courage -To protect hunting ground -To revenge or honour -To capture hoses or weapons -To help tribal unity -For chiefs to test their power and position -For elders to control the younger braves
Why did the US government need railroads to connect the east and west coasts?
-To enable troops to be moved around to control Indian uprisings -To allow all american to keep in touch- national unity -To help fulfil white Americans Manifest Destiny by making it easier to migrate and secure more areas of the country -To let federal law officers reach new settlements that were having law and order problems -To transport goods to ports in Oregon and California which were well positioned to trade with the Far East
The 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty
-Treaty separated Indians and settlers through reservations and hunting areas. (first reservations, destruction of nomadic lifestyle) -Indians promised not to attack Settlers on the Oregon Trail. -Indians promised to allow road surveyors in exchange for an annuity of $20,000 (destruction of way of life.) -Involved the Arapaho, Cheyenne, Crow and Sioux nations. -Some Indian Nations did not understand the terms of the treaty.
Cow towns
-appeared at railheads where cattle were bought and sold -Abilene, Dodge City and Newton were cow towns which had plenty of water and grass for cattle -Cattle dealers, cowboys and saloon and hotel owners all made money from the business
Attempts to tackle lawlessness
-grand juries in courts -vigilante groups -Militia units -County sheriffs and city Marshals.
Problem of and solutions to Land holdings being too small in farming the plains
-the 160 acres allocated in the homestead act could not support the average family -The Timber and Culture Act 1873 let homesteaders have another 160 acres if they promise to plant trees on half of it, the Desert Land Act 1877 let settlers buy 640 acres of desert land cheaply
Cattle industry timeline
1. Ranches in Texas 2. Civil war 3.Cattle driven to eastern states in dangerous conditions 4. Turned back by homesteads due to texas fever. 5. John Iliff starts ranching on the great plains after learning the cold temperatures kills texas fever in 1859. 6.Goodnight loving trail to fort Sumner 1866 6 Railroad expansion and cattle wagons 8. 1885 end of drives due to increased use of railroads and open ranches 10. Joseph Mccoy and Abiilene 1881 11. The great die up of 1886-87 leads to end of open range and start of closed range
Mormon journey to the Great Salt Lake, Utah (stage 1)
A pioneer band had to travel through the Great plains and the Rocky mountains so food and equipment was put into wagons to improve survival resources. A small group set off across Mississippi to build rest camps for others in 1846.
Vigilante groups
A self-appointed group of citizens who undertake law enforcement in their community, without legal authority because the legal authorities are inadequate.
The 1842 Pre-emption act
Act that encouraged settlers to stake a claim for ownership of land because it allowed them to buy 160 acres of land, for $1.25 per acre.
The 1866 southern land act
Aimed to help poor, confederate tenant farmers settle and freed slaves on the the plains after the war by sharecropping. However sharecroppers were not paid, yet gave poor families a fresh start.
Railroad impact on farming
Allowed transportation of goods and equipment
Gustavus Swift and the refrigerated railroad car 1878
Allows transportation of cattle and meat to be kept fresh on journey east
What time of year did wagon train usually begin?
April or May
Great Salt Lake problems: making decisions
Brigham Young was trusted to make decisions as he ensured their successful safe journey.
Township constable/city Marshall
Elected official responsible for running the town/city jail and enforcing law in city boundaries.
The transcontinental railroad of 1869
Connected the Central Pacific and the union Pacific railroads so the whole of the USA was connected.
When did Plains Indian wars usually occur?
During the Summer months, as winter was extremely cold on the Plains.
Indian trade and intercourse act 1834
Gave Indians the territory of Arkansas and established the permanent Indian frontier.
How the government helped the building of railroads to settle the plains?
Government gave land on either side of new railroad tracks to the railroad companies, encouraging them to expand the tracks across the plains.
grand juries
Groups that presented judges with names of people suspected of crimes and determined if they would be charged.
Mormon journey to the Great Salt Lake, Utah (stage 3)
He set up a safe route from the winter quarters to fort laramie so they could avoid any possible conflict with other travellers. They set up ferries accross rivers and planted crops for future group. A pioneer band went first to ensure safety.
1837 Sod buster (steel plough)
Helped farmers plough their land more effectively.
Great salt lake problems: education
It was unsuccessful as they were badly equipped and only ran for 3 months as families needed help on farms.
militia units
Military unit in a civilian populations to use in an emergency
Reservation
Monitored land set aside for Plains Indians to live on.
Brigham young
Mormon leader who moved his followers to Utah to practice their religion in peace after the murder of Joseph Smith
Sioux
One of the important Plains Indian nations.
Bands
Plains Indians lived in groups called bands made up of several families -Most people in a band were related to each other -Led by chiefs and councils. -Survival and protection of the band as a whole was more important than individuals within it.
County Sheriff
Responsible for law enforcement and tax collection in a county. Ran the county jail and appointed deputies with no training sometimes causing conflict.
How government homestead act helped settle the plains?
Settlers could officially claim 160 acres to live on and farm. After five years homesteaders were sold a certificate of ownership for $30
Claim jumping
Stealing someone else's land or mining claim that often caused conflict in towns as community courts were bias to their friends.
Great salt lake problems: Land allocation
The Mormon Church owned all land, water and timber, which were allocated to families depending on their needs so towns ran successfully.
Plains Indian beliefs about land
The Sioux believed they come from the land and use farming as harming their mother. Higher land such as the black hills was seen as sacred as it was close to the spirits.
The American Civil war
The civil war between the Northern (Union) and the southern (confederate) US states between 1861-65
How did government selling land helped settle the plains?
The government sold off public domain land which anyone had been allowed to live on. It was divided into 640-acre plots sold for $1 per acre. Ordinary people couldn't afford them so businessmenn bought then sold for a profit
Mormon journey to the Great Salt Lake, Utah (stage 4) reaching the great salt lake
They built a ferry to cross the lake and chose the same route as the donner party.
Great salt lake problems: Lack of water
They dug irrigation ditches from the mountains and had timetables when families could collect their water.
Great Salt lake problems: Lack of wood for building materials
They found a successful alternative to wood in spanish bricks (clay heated in the sun)
Great Salt Lake problems: The Mormon came under US ownership in 1846
They had a smaller territory with less land, that become the territory of Utah
Great Salt Lake problems: Lack of Mormon settlers
They persuaded thousands of European converts to move to Utah, to make it a state.
What was the bureau of Indian affairs? (1824)
US war department set up to manage the relationship with Plains Indians.
Great Salt Lake problems: iron
Unsuccessful as they struggled to mould it.
Great Salt Lake problems: Making clothes
Was unsuccessful as they did not have spinning and weaving machine.
In 1849 Bureau of Indian affairs moved from war department to department of inferior
Were now treating Indians as an interior problem rather than a war problem, they just tried to civilise Indians.
-More whites were moving west from the east to the west so Indians and whites needed to be separated. -They wanted to civilise Indians who did not agree with farming.
Why did pressure begin to grow on the government to change their policy towards the Plains Indians?
1874 barbed wire (Glidden)
fenced in livestock preventing rustling.
dry farming
planting seeds deep in the ground where there was enough moisture for them to grow after snow or heavy rain
