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Questions and Answers
How did the actions of the Mountain Men contribute to the westward expansion of the United States?
How did the actions of the Mountain Men contribute to the westward expansion of the United States?
- By mapping the land and interacting with Native American tribes promoting fur trade. (correct)
- By discovering gold, which led to a surge in population growth.
- By constructing the transcontinental railroad, which facilitated travel.
- By establishing religious settlements that attracted migrants.
What was the primary significance of the Oregon Trail in the context of 19th-century American history?
What was the primary significance of the Oregon Trail in the context of 19th-century American history?
- It marked the boundary between the United States and British territories in the Pacific Northwest.
- It facilitated westward expansion, enabling settlers to reach the Oregon Territory. (correct)
- It served as a trade route for transporting goods between the East Coast and Europe.
- It was primarily used for military expeditions during the Mexican-American War.
What factors contributed to the dire circumstances faced by the Donner Party during their journey to California?
What factors contributed to the dire circumstances faced by the Donner Party during their journey to California?
- Their decision to take an unproven shortcut, compounded by harsh winter conditions. (correct)
- A strict adherence to religious practices that delayed their expedition.
- Unexpected wealth from gold discovery that caused infighting.
- A lack of navigation skills, resulting in them landing in the wrong territory.
What was a significant negative consequence of Manifest Destiny on Native American populations?
What was a significant negative consequence of Manifest Destiny on Native American populations?
Why did the Mormons migrate west to Utah in the mid-1800s?
Why did the Mormons migrate west to Utah in the mid-1800s?
How did the discovery of gold in California in 1848 impact the region's development?
How did the discovery of gold in California in 1848 impact the region's development?
In what ways did the stagecoach contribute to the development of the American West?
In what ways did the stagecoach contribute to the development of the American West?
What role did Mary Fields, also known as 'Stagecoach Mary,' play in the history of the American West?
What role did Mary Fields, also known as 'Stagecoach Mary,' play in the history of the American West?
How did the Pony Express impact communication across the western United States despite its short operational period?
How did the Pony Express impact communication across the western United States despite its short operational period?
How did the telegraph transform long-distance communication in the 19th century?
How did the telegraph transform long-distance communication in the 19th century?
What role did the 'long drive' play in the economic development of the American West?
What role did the 'long drive' play in the economic development of the American West?
How did the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad affect labor practices on the West Coast?
How did the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad affect labor practices on the West Coast?
How did the Homestead Act of 1862 incentivize westward expansion?
How did the Homestead Act of 1862 incentivize westward expansion?
What was the significance of the Sand Creek Massacre in the history of U.S.-Native American relations?
What was the significance of the Sand Creek Massacre in the history of U.S.-Native American relations?
What event triggered the violation of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, leading to conflict in the Black Hills?
What event triggered the violation of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, leading to conflict in the Black Hills?
What was the key outcome of the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876?
What was the key outcome of the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876?
How did Joseph Glidden's invention of barbed wire impact the landscape and economy of the American West?
How did Joseph Glidden's invention of barbed wire impact the landscape and economy of the American West?
What was the central idea behind John O'Sullivan's concept of 'Manifest Destiny'?
What was the central idea behind John O'Sullivan's concept of 'Manifest Destiny'?
What role did leaders like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse play in the history of the American West?
What role did leaders like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse play in the history of the American West?
What was the primary purpose of establishing off-reservation boarding schools for Native American children?
What was the primary purpose of establishing off-reservation boarding schools for Native American children?
What did the Wounded Knee Massacre symbolize in the context of U.S.-Native American relations?
What did the Wounded Knee Massacre symbolize in the context of U.S.-Native American relations?
What was the main task of Buffalo Soldiers?
What was the main task of Buffalo Soldiers?
What did the U.S. Census Bureau's declaration of the end of the frontier in 1890 signify?
What did the U.S. Census Bureau's declaration of the end of the frontier in 1890 signify?
According to Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis, how did the frontier influence American democracy and character?
According to Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis, how did the frontier influence American democracy and character?
How would the painting 'American Progress' likely be viewed today considering modern perspectives on westward expansion?
How would the painting 'American Progress' likely be viewed today considering modern perspectives on westward expansion?
How do modern views on Manifest Destiny differ from those held in the 1800s?
How do modern views on Manifest Destiny differ from those held in the 1800s?
What is a key critique of historical portrayals of westward expansion regarding indigenous rights?
What is a key critique of historical portrayals of westward expansion regarding indigenous rights?
How do modern environmental concerns challenge the traditional view of westward expansion as solely a positive force?
How do modern environmental concerns challenge the traditional view of westward expansion as solely a positive force?
What was one unintended negative consequence resulting from westward expansion?
What was one unintended negative consequence resulting from westward expansion?
How did westward expansion potentially intensify the debate over slavery in the United States?
How did westward expansion potentially intensify the debate over slavery in the United States?
What was the effect of increased resource extraction during the westward expansion?
What was the effect of increased resource extraction during the westward expansion?
What was a significant difference in the opportunities available to women in the West compared to the East during the 19th century?
What was a significant difference in the opportunities available to women in the West compared to the East during the 19th century?
What was a significant impact of the transcontinental railroad on the economy of the West?
What was a significant impact of the transcontinental railroad on the economy of the West?
Flashcards
Mountain Men
Mountain Men
Early pioneers and fur trappers who explored the Rocky Mountains in the early 1800s, opening up the West.
Oregon Trail
Oregon Trail
A 2,000-mile route used by settlers moving westward to Oregon Territory in the mid-1800s.
Donner Party
Donner Party
Pioneers stranded in the Sierra Nevada who resorted to cannibalism to survive a harsh winter.
Manifest Destiny
Manifest Destiny
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Mormons
Mormons
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Brigham Young
Brigham Young
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1848 Gold Rush
1848 Gold Rush
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Stage Coach
Stage Coach
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Mary Fields
Mary Fields
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Pony Express
Pony Express
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The Telegraph
The Telegraph
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Long Drive
Long Drive
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Transcontinental Railroad
Transcontinental Railroad
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Homestead Act
Homestead Act
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Sand Creek Massacre
Sand Creek Massacre
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Black Hills
Black Hills
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George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
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Joseph Glidden
Joseph Glidden
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John O'Sullivan
John O'Sullivan
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Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull
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Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse
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Battle of Little Bighorn
Battle of Little Bighorn
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Off-Reservation Boarding Schools
Off-Reservation Boarding Schools
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Wounded Knee Massacre
Wounded Knee Massacre
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Buffalo Soldiers
Buffalo Soldiers
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End of the Frontier
End of the Frontier
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Frederick Jackson Turner
Frederick Jackson Turner
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Study Notes
- Early pioneers and fur trappers who explored the Rocky Mountains in the early 1800s were called Mountain Men.
- They opened up the Western United States.
- They did this by:
- Trading furs
- Mapping the land
- Interacting with Native American tribes
- The Oregon Trail was a 2,000-mile route used by settlers moving westward to Oregon Territory in the mid-1800s.
- It was dangerous but vital for westward expansion.
- The Donner Party was stranded in the Sierra Nevada mountains during a harsh winter in 1846-47 while traveling to California.
- They resorted to cannibalism to survive.
- Only half of them made it to California.
- Manifest Destiny was the belief that it was America’s destiny to expand across the continent.
- It was the idea that the U.S. should stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
- It also meant spreading American values.
- It justified U.S. expansion.
- Manifest Destiny led to:
- Annexation of territories
- Conflicts like the Mexican-American War
- Displacement of Native Americans
- Economic growth, territorial expansion, and increased national pride were pros of Manifest Destiny.
- Displacement of Native Americans, conflicts with Mexico, and slavery debates over new territories were cons.
- Mormons are a religious group led by Joseph Smith, and later Brigham Young, who sought religious freedom.
- The Mormons migrated west to Utah in the mid-1800s to escape persecution in the East.
- Brigham Young was the second leader of the Mormon community after Joseph Smith's death.
- Young led the Mormons to Utah.
- There, they founded Salt Lake City.
- Gold was discovered at Sutter’s Mill in 1848.
- This led to a mass migration to California in 1849 (the "49ers").
- It contributed to California’s rapid growth and its eventual statehood.
- The Stage Coach was a horse-drawn vehicle.
- It transported passengers and mail across long distances in the 1800s.
- It was a major mode of travel before the railroad.
- Mary Fields delivered mail on the route from the railroad to the post office in Montana.
- She's known as "Stagecoach Mary" and one of the first African American women to work as a mail carrier.
- The Pony Express was a mail delivery system operating from 1860-1861.
- Relays of riders on horseback carried mail across the western United States in about 10 days.
- The Telegraph was invented by Samuel Morse.
- It allowed long-distance communication via electrical signals.
- It drastically reduced the time it took to send messages across the country.
- The Long Drive was the overland journey of cattle herds from Texas to railheads in Kansas and other places.
- This is where they could be shipped to eastern markets.
- The Transcontinental Railroad was completed in 1869.
- It connected the eastern U.S. to the west.
- Workers who built the railroad were mainly Chinese immigrants in the west, and Irish immigrants in the east.
- The Homestead Act was a law passed in 1862.
- It provided 160 acres of public land to any settler who would farm it for at least five years.
- It encouraged westward expansion but was often difficult to fulfill.
- In 1864, Colorado militia attacked a peaceful Cheyenne village at Sand Creek.
- They killed over 100 people, mostly women and children.
- The Black Hills were sacred land to the Lakota (Sioux) people.
- They were part of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie.
- Gold was discovered in the area and the U.S. government broke the treaty, leading to conflict.
- The Lakota resisted U.S. encroachment, leading to battles like the Battle of Little Big Horn.
- In 1874, gold was discovered in the Black Hills.
- This led to a rush of settlers and violated the Fort Laramie Treaty.
- this resulted in conflict with the Lakota.
- George Armstrong Custer was defeated at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.
- His forces were overwhelmed by a combined force of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho.
- Joseph Glidden invented barbed wire in 1874.
- Barbed wire helped farmers fence their land in the West, becoming essential for ranching.
- John O'Sullivan coined the term "Manifest Destiny" in 1845.
- He argued that it was America's mission to expand across the continent.
- Sitting Bull was a Lakota Sioux leader who led his people during the Great Sioux War.
- He helped defeat Custer in the Battle of Little Bighorn.
- Crazy Horse was a Native American warrior and leader of the Lakota.
- He fought in several battles, including Little Bighorn, and resisted U.S. expansion.
- The Battle of Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass happened in 1876.
- U.S. Army forces under Custer were defeated by a combined force of Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho.
- It was a major victory for Native Americans.
- It led to increased U.S. military efforts to subdue them.
- Off-Reservation Boarding Schools were established to assimilate Native American children into Western culture.
- They removed children from their tribes and families.
- The goal was to "civilize" Native Americans by teaching them English, European customs, and Christianity.
- The schools aimed to erase Native American cultures.
- This led to trauma, loss of identity, and disruption of family bonds.
- In 1890, U.S. Army soldiers massacred around 300 Lakota Sioux at Wounded Knee in South Dakota.
- This included women and children.
- It marked the end of armed Native American resistance to U.S. government policies.
- Buffalo Soldiers were African American soldiers who served in the U.S. Army, mainly in the West, during the post-Civil War era.
- They were tasked with protecting settlers and fighting Native American tribes.
- The "closing" of the American frontier occurred in 1890.
- The U.S. Census declared that the frontier was no longer a continuous line of unsettled land.
- This marked the end of an era of westward expansion.
- Frederick Jackson Turner argued in 1893 that the existence of the frontier was central to the development of American democracy and character.
- The closing of the frontier marked the end of a key chapter in American history.
- The painting "American Progress" by John Gast depicts the westward expansion, with Columbia bringing civilization and progress.
- Today, this painting would likely be viewed critically.
- Modern views would consider Manifest Destiny, the displacement of Native Americans, and environmental concerns.
- Today, we recognize the negative impacts of expansion on indigenous populations and the environment.
- The painting would be critiqued for ignoring the suffering and displacement of Native Americans.
- Environmental concerns would challenge the idea that western expansion was solely a positive force, as it led to the destruction of natural habitats.
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