U.S. Westward Expansion: Key Events and Impacts

Factors that led to the settlement include economic opportunities, land availability, and adventure.

Policies aimed at controlling Native American lives included relocation, treaties, and military actions.

The mining industry drove economic growth and migration, leading to towns and social changes in the West.

Ranching rose due to cattle demand, contrasting with farmers' struggles for survival and land.

The far West had a mix of ethnic groups, leading to cultural synergy and tensions.

A sharpshooter who gained fame in the 19th century, known for her performances in Wild West shows.

A Chiricahua Apache leader who resisted U.S. and Mexican forces after personal tragedy in 1851.

A showman who created Wild West shows and helped popularize the frontier experience.

A movement aimed at improving the treatment of Native Americans.

Book by Helen Hunt Jackson exposing Native American mistreatment.

Organization advocating for the assimilation of Native peoples into American culture.

Legislation that divided tribal lands into parcels, ending tribal governance.

The process of integrating Native Americans into white American culture.

A spiritual revival movement among the Lakota Sioux.

Military conflict resulting from attempts to suppress the Ghost Dance.

Major silver discovery in Nevada that fueled mining in the West.

Geronimo escaped from a reservation in 1877, leading raids for eight years.

In 1886, Geronimo surrendered to U.S. troops and was relocated to Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Geronimo sold autographs and items at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.

The Great Plains is a semiarid region with short grasslands and little tree cover.

In 1878, Powell questioned the viability of farming in western lands, suggesting larger land for livestock.

The government encouraged westward settlement by offering free or cheap land to settlers.

Railroads transformed the western region by facilitating transport and settlement.

Treaties were ignored by American settlers, leading to conflicts with Native Americans.

Mexican vaqueros earned one-third to one-half the wages of whites, while blacks were usually paid on par with whites.

The Civil War influenced increased racism and segregation in society.

By the end of the 19th century, five million Texas longhorn steers were grazing in the Southwest.

The extension of railroads opened a growing market for beef in the East, aided by refrigerated cars.

The Homestead Act of 1862 granted 160-acre lots to settlers who would farm them.

Farmers in the West faced harsh climates, falling crop prices, and debts leading to bankruptcy.

After 1878, rainfall and innovations like steel plows increased crop yields and lowered food prices.

Great Plains saw immigrants from Europe, with states like Nebraska hosting many Germans, Swedes, and Danes.

Women played a crucial role in pioneer communities, supporting families and contributing to survival.

Pioneers' practices damaged ecosystems, leading to the near extinction of bison and harm to Native cultures.

Chinese immigrants faced harsh treatment and discrimination from white settlers during westward expansion.

The expansion represents freedom, democracy, and renewal, often depicted romantically in culture.

Historian who wrote about the significance of the West just after the frontier was declared closed.

Limerick reconceived the significance of the West, focusing on Native American and Latino perspectives.

The narrative of cowboys spreading civilization often overlooks the impact on Native Americans.

Mormons moved to Utah for religious refuge, led by Brigham Young.

Mormons practiced polygamy, leading to social tension and criticism.

The U.S. government banned plural marriages, enforcing control over Mormons.

Californios lost land and rights despite the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo's promises.

Mexican American miners faced discrimination through a tax targeting them.

By 1900, Mexican Americans lost political power due to bias and land loss.

Juan Jose Herrera led this group to protect rights of the marginalized in New Mexico.

Chinese immigrants arrived in California during a broader movement in the 19th century.