1. Settling the West

2. People Move Out West
After the Civil War, many people started moving out west
What was the draw?
Silver
Gold
Land
Were there whites there already?
Yes: Mormons in Utah, Settlers in Oregon, Some here and there
Big influx of migration in the 1860s and 1870s

3. Mining
Minerals like ore, gold, silver, and copper attracted men to the west
Comstock Lode
1859 Six-Mile Canyon, NV
Henry Comstock claimed area of near pure silver
Huge boom of people
Town had 30,000 with opera house, European shops

4. Boomtowns and Ghost towns
Booms
Crime an issue as people fought over land and profits from the gold/silver/copper, etc.
Vigilance Committees
Tried to take law into own hands since law enforcement was scarce
Women – barmaids, laundresses, “ladies of the night,” dancers, etc.
Busts
Once the ore was extracted, the economy tanked, and many towns were left deserted.

6. Cattle Ranching Cattle ranching on the Great Plains
At first, not practical – dry land, hot
Longhorn cattle – brought up from Mexico could handle the climate
Mexicans introduced cattle ranching throughout southern and central U.S.A.
Before Civil War: cattle not popular
After Civil War: cattle became lucrative
Many slaughtered to feed armies
Railroads across America made it easier to do business
Long drives of cattle to get to the railroads

8. Homestead Act 1862 Gov’t supported
$10 fee got you a homestead (up to 160 acres of public land…once lived there 5 years, it’s yours)
At first difficult to find crops that thrived in the dry plains.
WHEAT!