Moving West After The Civil War

Review Questions

What minerals were found in the West that attracted settlers?

• Gold and silver• Copper• Iron• Zinc• Coal

What are the Rocky Mountain states?

• WY• CO• MT• ID• UT• NV

What were dangers on the cattle drives?

• stampede

• rustlers

• no water

• Indians

How did cattle get from KS to Chicago, IL?

• Railroad

In what battle did the Indians defeat the army in 1876?

• Battle of Little Big Horn

Who were the 2 leaders at Little Big Horn?

• Sitting Bull-Sioux• George Custer-Army

What were Indian reservations?

• Land set aside for Indians • Ended their way of life

Who was Chief Joseph?

• Leader of the Nez Perce• Led long journey trying to escape the army• “I will fight no more forever!”

What happened at Promontory Point, UT?

• Joining of the first Transcontinental RR• Union Pacific and Central Pacific RR

Companies

What 2 ethnic groups helped build the RR?

• Chinese • Irish

Why was the Homestead Act so important?

• Gave free land to settlers on the Great Plains

Why did the newly freed slaves move to the Great Plains?

• Homestead Act - free land• Called Exodusters

Describe the Great Plains to each other

• Flatlands rising east to west• Grassland (prairie)• Low rainfall (dry)• Wind/water erosion• Dust storms

What are the Great Plains states?

Name the inventions/adaptations that made living on the Great Plains

possible• Windmills• Sod houses• Steel plow• Barbed wire• Railroad

• Dry farming• Beef cattle raising• Wheat farming

Why did the Homesteaders build sod houses?

• No trees available• Easiest natural resource

How did barbed wire end the open range?

• Cheap fencing that divided up the land

What crop worked well on the Great Plains?

• wheat

Make up a quote

• Indian• Cowboy• Sodbuster• Miner• RR Co owner• Soldier fighting the Indians

• Chief Joseph• George Custer• Ranch owner

Discussion

• All the reasons people moved West• How the railroad changed life in the West• All the ways the Indians used the Bison

Which would you be? Why?

Rancher

Soldier

Cowboy

Indian

Sodbuster

Miner