1. Chapter 5: Growth in the West
1800s America
America Spreads Across the Continent from Sea to Shining Sea…
(some of it during the Civil War times, etc)

2. Section 1: Miners, Ranchers, and Cowhands
Geography & Polulation of the West:
- not many lived in the Great Plains at first because they
thought it was empty and worthless
- Native Americans were there and most followed the buffalo herds along the plains (for food, shelter, etc)
- Railroads helped settle the West when they were built

3. Section 1: Miners, Ranchers, and Cowhands
Mining in the West:
-miners came to Colorado, Nevada, California, South Dakota, etc
- they were looking for gold and silver there
- fast population growth led to “boomtowns” popping up
- some panned for gold, many mined in the mountains for it
- life in the mine was dangerous and dirty
- many boomtowns “died” because the “boom” was over

4. Into the West
Mining Scene Clip

5. Section 1: Miners, Ranchers, and Cowhands
The Rise of the Cattle Industry:
- the RR helped beef sales because they could ship them
- people would drive cattle across the plains to RR sites
- cattle would feed on the open range on the way (grassland)
Rawhide theme song

6. Section 1: Miners, Ranchers, and Cowhands
Vaqueros and Cowhands:
- the first cowhands were Spanish in the southwest U.S. (1500s)
- they helped teach American cowhands how to work cattle
- about 1 of every 3 cowhands were Mexican or African-American

7. Lonesome Dove
Cattle Drive scene

8. Open Range
Clip about cattle industry and cattle drives (intro section)
Open Range trailer

9. Section 1: Miners, Ranchers, and Cowhands
The “Wild West”:
- towns grew very fast during this time
- there was little law and order early because of this
- some outlaws made crime a way of life there
- for protection, people took the law into their own hands (vigilante justice)
- after time, cities got sheriffs and other law enforcement
Wyatt Earp
Tombstone
trailer

10. “Wild West Towns” clip from Deadwood, SD
History Channel
“Wild West Towns” clip from Deadwood, SD

11. Section 1: Miners, Ranchers, and Cowhands
End of the Long Drives:
-the cattle boom lasted about 20 years
- in 1886, the boom came to an end because of:
1) supply increased and the price dropped severely
2) barbed wire was invented and people fenced in the open range, making cattle drives nearly impossible
3) harsh winter of led to many cattle deaths

12. End of the Cattle Drives clip
Open Range
End of the Cattle Drives clip

13. Moving to Sec. 2
Okay, so a lot of people are moving out west to move cattle, find gold, etc.
They are also building railroads across the plains (more on that later)
The U.S. government is giving away free land in the great plains as well (more on that later)
What about the people already living in the Great Plains? The Native Americans

14. Section 2: Native Americans Fight To Survive
Native American Life on the Plains
- many Plains Native Americans followed the buffalo herds
- it provided meat, skins for tepees, hides for clothing, bones and horns for tools & bowls, buffalo “chips” for fuel
- basically, everything that was able to be used, was used by the Native Americans
- the buffalo was basically sacred to them

15. Dances With Wolves
Buffalo hunt scene (8)

17. Section 2: Native Americans Fight To Survive
A Clash of Cultures:
- the government made treaties with Native Americans
- the treaties were broken when we wanted to move there
- some tribes fought against more treaties and relocation

18. Section 2: Native Americans Fight To Survive
A Clash of Cultures (con’t):
- after Cheyenne warriors attacked miners and soldiers in Colo., soldiers fired on a village in Colorado and killed 150+ men, women, and kids in the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864
- some Native Americans attacked white settlements after this, the U.S. signed the 2nd Treaty of Ft. Laramie, which gave the Native Americans land in the Black Hills, S.D. region

19. Into the West
Sand Creek Massacre (7)

20. Section 2: Native Americans Fight To Survive
Battle of Little Bighorn:
- in 1874, people found gold in the Black Hills region, causing another rush of settlers to go there
- many Sioux settled in Montana territory, under the leadership of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull
- The U.S. 7th Cavalry, under leadership of George Custer
attacked them near the Little Bighorn River in Montana
Sitting Bull
Crazy Horse
George A. Custer

21. Section 2: Native Americans Fight To Survive
Battle of Little Bighorn (con’t):
- Custer was over- confident and attacked, even though they were severely outnumbered by the Native Americans
- In a short, decisive victory, the Native Americans defeated Custer’s army, killing all 211 soldiers in the regiment
- Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull later surrendered and the battle was the last major victory for Native Americans

22. Battle of Little Bighorn site today…
Youtube clip
Battle of Little Bighorn site today…

23. Battle of Little Bighorn clip (10)
Into the West
Battle of Little Bighorn clip (10)

24. Section 2: Native Americans Fight To Survive
Resistance in the Northwest and Southwest
- the Nez Perce tribe in Oregon and Idaho region was forced off their land
- under the leadership of Chief Joseph, many of them fled to Canada while being chased by U.S. soldiers
- they were caught just before they got there, and surrendered
Chief Joseph

25. Section 2: Native Americans Fight To Survive
Resistance in the Northwest and Southwest (continued)
-- In the southwest, the Navajo and Apache tribes were also forced off of their land by the U.S. soldiers
- after the U.S. burned crops and homes, about 8,000 Navajo had to walk to a reservation in New Mexico
- the Apache tribe was forced to settle on a reservation in Arizona
Geronimo

26. Massacre of the Buffalo scene (5)
Dances With Wolves
Massacre of the Buffalo scene (5)

28. Section 2: Native Americans Fight To Survive
A Way of Life Ends:
- buffalo herds were nearly wiped out by hunters who used mainly the skins, etc. for making $$$
- this severely hurt the Native American way of life, forcing many of them to surrender and go to reservations
- many fled the reservations to gather for the Ghost Dance spiritual gathering in the Pine Ridge (South Dakota) reservation to celebrate Wovoka’s vision of the buffalo return
Dances with Wolves
Buffalo death scene…
Next slide
Wovoka
Youtube Ghost Dance

29. Section 2: Native Americans Fight To Survive
A Way of Life Ends (continued):
- the U.S. thought they were gathering to prepare for war
- the U.S. sent the army to gather up the Native Americans
- as the Sioux were giving up their weapons, a shot was fired, leading to U.S. troops opening fire and killing about 300 men, women, and children in the Wounded Knee Massacre
Youtube Wounded Knee

30. Ghost Dance Tension and Wounded Knee Massacre (12)
Into the West
Ghost Dance Tension and Wounded Knee Massacre (12)

31. Section 2: Native Americans Fight To Survive
The Dawes Act Fails
- Some white Americans had been calling for better treatment and better policy toward Native Americans
- many felt that assimilation was necessary to make it work
- they felt that Native Americans needed to be “ American-ized”
- the Dawes Act was passed that divided reservations into segments for them to farm, then sold leftover land to settlers

32. Section 2: Native Americans Fight To Survive
The Dawes Act Fails (continued)
- this didn’t work very well as many Natives didn’t want to farm or didn’t have the skills, tools, training, or money to do it
- another attempt to “Americanize” the Native Americans was using special schools for children to teach them American values, etc.
- this also was a sad chapter of U.S. history as we tried to “erase” their culture

33. Native American schools clip (8)
Into the West
Native American schools clip (8)

34. Into the West
Closing Comments

35. Moving to Ch. 5, Sec. 3 “Life in the West”
The legend of the “wild west” has been in movies, songs, paintings, etc. for many years
But what was life really like in the west?
We’ll see in this section…

36. Section 3: Life in the West
Women in the West
- Many times, people forgot how much women helped on farms
- they lived miles from others, were family doctors, cooked,etc
- most held traditional jobs of teaching, sewing, laundry, etc.
- a few were outlaws, ran hotels, some gambled, etc
- the state of Wyoming was first to give the right to vote

37. Section 3: Life in the West
The Rise of Western Cities
- Cities seemed to grow overnight due to population booms
- different things led to the rise of cities over time
- San Francisco, CA: the gold rush brought many people in search of “instant” riches
- Denver, CO: mining and railroads drew people to move there
- Omaha, NE: the cattle yards there and meatpacking plants brought work and people
- Portland, OR: fishing, grain, and lumber markets drew people there

38. Section 3: Life in the West
Mexicanos in the Southwest:
- New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and California were under Spanish control before U.S. did
- After 1840s, white settlers began arriving for farming, etc.
- Many Mexicanos lost land and power when U.S. courts did not recognize previous land grants

39. Section 3: Life in the West
The Myth of the Old West:
- in the 1890s, the myth of the west grew, becoming a “fantasy” of heroes, gunfights, Indians, etc.
- spread through the use of dime novels, etc.
- stories were exaggerations or just plain fiction
- Buffalo Bill Cody’s “Wild West Show” was a huge production that traveled to cities, showing what the “Wild West” was like (but it wasn’t! It was exaggerated)
Youtube
Disney’s
WWS
Youtube
parade

40. See “Hidalgo” clip (next slide)
Buffalo Bill’s
Wild West Show
(also addresses battle of wounded knee)
(Stop at 9:00 mark after Annie shoots the bulbs)

42. Some Myths/Legends of the “Wild West”
Annie Oakley - female gunslinger Youtube
Billy the Kid - famous outlaw
(Young Guns trailer)
Buffalo Bill Cody - Wild West Show (lived in North Platte, NE) (Disney)
Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday- famous lawman (Tombstone trailer)

43. Section 3: Life in the West
The Real West
- Many people who really helped in the West were ignored
- vaqueros were Spanish cowhands who helped a lot
- “Buffalo soldiers” (African Amer.) fought for the army
- Legends often told of Native American attacks on settlers, but ignored the breaking of treaties and massacres by US
- the governments role of helping people in settling the West was often downplayed

44. Moving to Section 4 Farming and Populism
How did many of the farms of today in Nebraska get started during this era?
How did the U.S. government get people to move to the Great Plains region?

45. Section 4: Farming and Populism
U.S. Government Encourages Settlement
- in 1862, the Homestead Act was passed by Congress
- this gave 160 acres of free land in the West to anyone who was willing to farm it for 5 years
- many people took advantage of this offer, including immigrants
from Europe and African Americans (“exodusters”) looking for “new lives”

46. Section 4: Farming and Populism
Life on the Farming Frontier - life was not easy on the farm
- farmers had to adapt in many ways to make a living there
- had to make their house out of sod because of few trees
- had to dig deep wells to get to underground water
- had to use “cow pies” for fuel to heat, cook, etc.

47. Section 4: Farming and Populism
Life on the Farming Frontier (con’t)
- key inventions:
steel plow for cutting through the sod
windmill to use wind to pump water;
barbed wire for fencing in the land;
reapers to harvest crops faster/easier

48. Homestead Monument video (12)
Video Clip
Homestead Monument video
(12)

49. Section 4: Farming and Populism
Problems of Farmers:
- more food grown = more supply
- more supply = falling prices and farm economic problems
- machinery cost more $, and railroads were over-charging
- famers formed the Grange, which helped meet the social and economic needs of farmers (help them work together)
- they started cooperatives, which are organizations owned and run by the members, which allowed them to store crops in their buildings and negotiate better prices for them

50. Section 4: Farming and Populism
The Rise of Populism - the Populist party was mainly farmers
- they wanted a “free silver” policy that would have used silver instead of gold to back U.S. dollars
- this would raise prices by causing inflation (more dollars)
- in 1896, William McKinley defeated William Jennings Bryan (from Nebraska) of the Populist Party for U.S. President
William McKinley
William J. Bryan

51. Section 4: Farming and Populism
Closing the Frontier
- in 1889, the Oklahoma land rush signaled the “closing of the West” because the last “open” land in the U.S. was to be given away (it was meant to be for the Native Americans
- America was basically now completely settled, and the population of the U.S. was spread across the country
Youtube clip
From “Far and Away”
“Sooners” story

52. Moving to Ch. 6, Sec. 2
One of the great influences on westward expansion was the building of the Transcontinental Railroad
This had a great effect on Nebraska as well in particular
Let’s find out more…

53. Chapter 6, Section 2: Railroads Transform the Nation
Deciding to Span the Continent
- In 1862, Congress passed a bill calling for two companies to build a railroad that crossed the entire country
- the Central Pacific would start in California and go East
- the Union Pacific would start in Nebraska and go West
- the government offered them 20 square miles of land for every mile of track that they laid. The RR could sell it for money

54. Chapter 6, Section 2: Railroads Transform the Nation
Building the Railroad:
- Due to the mining boom, the Central Pacific faced a shortage of workers to build tracks
- they decided to hire Chinese immigrant workers, who were not very well liked by many people in California & the West
- this was a great move, because they worked very hard, got sick less (drank tea instead of the water), etc.
- the Union Pacific hired former soldiers from the Civil War, freed slaves, and many immigrants from Ireland, etc.

55. Chapter 6, Section 2: Railroads Transform the Nation
Railroads Tie the Nation Together
- the RR lines met in 1869
- a “Golden Spike” ceremony was held to celebrate the meeting of the two lines in Promontory Point, Utah
- hundreds of people gathered as the president of the Central and the vice president of the Union Pacific drove the last spike in
- even though they both missed, the telegraph still sent the news that America was now connected
- the Chinese workers didn’t get the credit deserved

56. Chapter 6, Section 2: Railroads Transform the Nation
Railroad Time
- America had to change their time system now
- before, each town had it’s own “solar time” based on the sun
- four new time zones were set up that we still use today

57. Chapter 6, Section 2: Railroads Transform the Nation
Economic and Social Changes:
- the RR had a huge impact!
1) Linked the economies of the west and east (shipping)
2) Helped people settle the West (jobs, travel, etc)
3) Weakened Native American life in the West (buffalo lost, etc)
4) People relied less on the environment (not near water)
**many towns (especially in Nebraska) grew up along the RR lines that are still there today because of the railroad being built**

58. Railroad building and Golden Spike
Into the West
Railroad building and Golden Spike

59. Impact of Western Expansion of the U.S.
Population shift to west coast and great plains (East coast still has the most though)
Native American way of life pretty much wiped out
Farming in the plains increased
New towns formed
Railroad transformed travel
What else do you think?