1. Manifest Destiny

2. What do you do with all this land?

3. Indians…
Native Americans have lived in the blue area for many, many years.
Hunted and knew the land following their “food,” season to season.
There were a ton of competing tribes that fought each other constantly for land rights
Also, hated each other for generations.

4. Unused Land Most of established America:
from the Mississippi river - Atlantic coast line
Up to 1860
We own all of the other land so why are we not out there using it?
What “discovery” around 1849 brought Americans to California.

5. California California had been settled since before the Civil War.
In 1848, Gold was discovered
49ers went to California in hopes of becoming rich.

6. Convincing… The middle of the country was not settled
How could the government convince people to move there?

7. Propaganda
Flooded European countries with flyers and pamphlets of “Free” farm land and streets paved of gold – “It’s yours, peasant farmer!” - all you have to do is get over here and claim your land!
What do you think this was really like?

8. Now we just need to get people in these “territories”
Homestead Act – 1862

9. Homestead Act Lincoln offered people free land 160 Acres
For a small fee of $1.25 an acre, he could obtain the land after only six months’ residence.

10. Now, get there

11. Problems of travel Disease Mud Bad weather Took 4 – 6 months INDIANS!
Depending on the weather
INDIANS!

12. How do you solve this “Indian problem” after 1865?
Remember that crazy Sherman guy?
He decides to take his “total war” tactics on the road to the “territories” after the Civil War was over.
He leads a plan in which he slaughters all the food (Bison) in these territories so the Indians have no source of fur, food or hides for their tents.
He also allows his men to kill anything else they wanted to for the most part (women, children, etc).

13. Solutions Isn’t there a faster way to do this?
Think of civil war, what helped the North win?

14. Lincoln
Decided in 1862 that we should connect the East and West Coast of the U.S. with the Transcontinental Railroad
The Iron Road
What types of problems can you anticipate while building this “Iron Road”?

15. Who do you get to work on this thing?
CHINESE!!!
Originally brought here for the Gold Rush they work from California to the East.
Here is their choice: work on the choo-choo track or go back to China.
9 out of 10 workers were Chinese on the R.R.
Who do you think you get from the East Coast to work towards them after the Civil War?

16. Building the Railroad Was EXTREMELY dangerous
So they got immigrants to do it
Chinese were threatened to be shipped back home if they refused
Irish were hated in the Northern cities

17. Completion
After 7 years the railroad was finished
In Utah