Nineteenth-century western boosters encouraged settlement on the Great Plains by inaccurately claiming that: cultivation of the land would bring more rainfall. The nature of settlement in the late-nineteenth-century West created a society notable for its: complex racism.
What was the western settlement of the 1800s?
Western Settlement. Between the years 1800 and 1820 the American population nearly doubled and by 1830 a quarter of the people lived west of the Appalachians. Westward movement was made easier by government efforts to push Native American peoples even farther west. A series of new states were admitted to the Union: Indiana in 1816,...
How did the transcontinental railroad encourage settlers to settle the west?
Another reason is the Transcontinental Railroad, which allowed settlers to travel much faster than wagons. Q: How did the federal government help encourage the settlement of the West?
What is boosterism in real estate?
During the expansion of the American and Canadian West, boosterism became epidemic as the leaders and owners of small towns made extravagant predictions for their settlement, in the hope of attracting more residents and, not coincidentally, inflating the prices of local real estate.
How did the settlement of the American West begin?
Beginning of Settlement in the American West 1 Trading-Posts Built on the Missouri River. Permanent occupancy of this country of the Great Plains can be dated from the early days of the fur traders. 2 Development into Settlements. ... 3 Settlements Become Towns. ... 4 Early Settlers in Kansas and Nebraska. ... 5 Squatters Along the Trails. ...
Which Valley in the American West was also called the incomparable valley?
Since its first discovery by non-indigenous people in the mid-nineteenth century, Yosemite Valley has held a special, even religious, hold on the American conscience because its beauty makes it an incomparable valley and one of the grandest of all special temples of Nature.
Which of the following statements best summarizes the impact of internal migrations on the American West between 1877 and 1900?
Which of the following statements best summarizes the impact of internal migrations on the American West between 1877 and 1900? Internal migration depopulated some areas and resettled others.
In what ways did the West provide a safety valve for the problems in the industrial east in what ways did it reveal some of the same problems?
In what ways did the West provide a "safety valve" for the problems in the industrial East? In what ways did it reveal some of the same problems? The West provided a safety valve for those in the East who could not find work, homes, or a comfortable life because land was available and cheap.
What was the tainted money debate?
The “tainted money debate” reflected questions about the proper relationship between religion and capitalism. With rising income inequality, would religious groups be forced to support either the elite or the disempowered? What was moral in the new industrial United States? And what obligations did wealth bring?
What were the 5 reasons for westward expansion?
What were 5 reasons for westward expansion?free land railroad gold and silver adventure and opportunity cattleWhat were some challenges the cowboys faced on the long drive?Violent storms, wind, rain, moving rivers, stampedes, rustlers, hot sun, discrimination, and 15 hours on the saddle38 more rows
Why did settlers move west in the westward expansion?
Pioneers and settlers moved out west for different reasons. Some of them wanted to claim free land for ranching and farming from the government through the Homestead Act. Others came to California during the gold rush to strike it rich. Even others, such as the Mormons, moved west to avoid persecution.
Why was the west a safety valve?
By analogy with steam pressure (= the need for work), the enactment of a free land law, it was believed, would act as a safety valve. This theory meant that if the East started filling up with immigrants, they could always go West until they reached a point where they could not move any farther.
How did the federal government actively promote industrial and agricultural development in the west?
How did the federal government actively promote industrial and agricultural development in this period? High tariffs prevented competition, granted land to Railroad companies, removed Indians for farmers and mining company's.
How was the western frontier a safety valve?
The safety valve thesis is the assertion that the frontier, as a place of opportunity and escape, defused social discontent in America. "So long as free land exists, the opportunity for a competency exists, and economic power secures political power."
Which factor drew the most immigrants to the United States between 1870 and 1920?
Between 1870 and 1920, about 20 million Europeans immigrated to the United States. Many of them came from eastern and southern Europe. Some immigrants came to escape religious persecution. Many others were poor and looking to improve their economic situation.
What was the lost cause quizlet yawp?
What was the "Lost Cause?" A kind of civic movement that glorified the Confederacy and romanticized the Old South. The belief among northerners that southerners would never accept racial equality.
What was the term given for a new emasculated condition that was marked by depression indigestion hypochondria and extreme nervousness?
Americanitis. for a new emasculated condition that marked by depression, indigestion, hypochondria, and extreme nervousness.
Which of the following was a response to both immigration in the 1850s and the Immigration depicted in the graph?
Which of the following was a response to both immigration in the 1850s and the immigration depicted in the graph? Immigrants were provided social support in settlement houses. Immigrants were restricted from gaining the right to vote in elections.
How did westward movement affect the South?
The westward expansion carried slavery down into the Southwest, into Mississippi, Alabama, crossing the Mississippi River into Louisiana. Finally, by the 1840's, it was pouring into Texas. So the expansion of slavery, which became the major political question of the 1850's, was not just a political issue.
How did the rise of industrialization and the growth of cities change American society?
The Industrial Revolution caused towns to turn into cities, and existing cities to swell, both in terms of population—with new arrivals from Europe and rural areas of the United States—as well as their geographic footprint, now that they were home to factories and other buildings required in manufacturing.
What was the most important export from the United States by the mid-nineteenth-century quizlet?
What was the most important export from the United States by the mid-nineteenth century? The first industry to be shaped by the large factory system was: textiles. Which of the following was NOT a way in which westward movement affected the South?
When did the Southern opposition to homesteading the West vanish?
Southern opposition to homesteading the West had vanished with secession in 1861.
When did internal migrations occur in the West?
Summarize the impact of internal migrations on the American West between 1877 and 1900.
How many Chinese miners died in the Riot?
a race riot killed over 50 Chinese miners
American West History: Settlement Overview
The American West was once pristine, native land, undiscovered by Europeans. Beginning in the early 19th century, people began to move west of the Mississippi into the unfamiliar lands that lay beyond.
The Settlement of the West: Background
The settlement of the west truly began after the Revolutionary War (1775-1776) when Americans were granted the ability to move beyond the Appalachian Mountains into the Ohio River Valley. The Proclamation of 1763 (largely ignored by colonists), stated that settlements further than the Mississippi were forbidden.
Why Did Settlers Move West?
Various reasons inspired people to expand westward in the 19th century, though two reasons were generally cited more than others. Economic opportunity, or the chance to strike it rich, was the first. The second was a chance at social mobility and progress, which was also tied to monetary desires.
The Settlement of the West During the Late 19th Century
In 1848, when the Mexican-American war ended and more swaths of land were added to the United States' territory, Manifest Destiny was officially considered "complete." Homesteaders were rushing to the frontier in the thousands, the railway connecting east to west was nearly complete, and the United States was happy for the time being with its massive territory.
Where did the settlers settle in the wilderness?
Only a few, the more adventurous and those loving the wild frontier life, pressed across the wooded hills of Missouri, or the rolling pastures of Iowa, to make settlement on the untried prairies. They were bold hearts who first found passage over the yellow flood, and established their homes in the heart of the wilderness.
What did the first comers do in the prairie?
Led by prejudices engendered in the experiences of the East, they shunned the open prairie, holding it as of little value. In the timber by the river’s edge, or in the midst of those small groves common to the country, they built their log huts and led lives of privation, hardship, and occasional peril.
What were the workers at the Fort Lisa?
There were the trader and his clerk, wood-cutters and hay-makers, who were also boatmen upon occasion, probably a few white trappers under contract, with a worker or two in wood and iron. Sometimes, as at Fort Lisa, Nebraska, opposite Council Bluffs, Iowa and some others of those larger posts up the river, women braved the wilderness to be with the men they loved.
What did the Travelers' published letters, the reports of explorers, private messages to friends, all serve to?
Travelers’ published letters, the reports of explorers, private messages to friends, all served to increase steadily the inflowing tide. Soldiers whose terms of service had made them familiar with the country settled there; hunters, charmed with the rare beauty of this prairie land, became permanent residents; and the trader was ever close at hand with his stock of goods.
How much was corn worth in 1858?
In the Spring of 1859, a number of farmers began operations in the rich Arkansas River bottoms. Corn was then worth from five to fifteen cents a pound, and a successful crop was as valuable as a gold mine.
How did the Santa Fe trade affect Kansas?
The Santa Fe trade had much influence on the early settlement of Kansas ; and the Mormon migration, together with the opening of the Oregon Trail, on that of Nebraska. The more rapid development of the southern Territory can also be traced to the struggle against slavery bringing to Kansas soil ardent sympathizers with the North and the South, respectively, in the fiercely raging controversy. While the main outfitting of the caravans bound for Santa Fe occurred at Independence, Missouri, the necessities of the trade early developed a considerable settlement at Council Grove, Kansas.
When did the whites settle in Kansas?
There was, however, very little permanent white settlement in either Nebraska or Kansas until after 1854, at which date these Territories were legally organized. Previous to this, the entire region had been designated merely as the “ Indian country,” and its population consisted of little more than wandering trappers and hunters, scattered fur traders with their few employees, and those men interested in the Santa Fe trade. Yet as soon as these Territories were formally thrown open to settlement, the rush across the border began. The local census in 1855 credits Kansas with a population of 8,501, which increased in five years to 107,206. In Nebraska, the growth was less remarkable, its population in 1855 was 4,494, and in 1860, 28,441. In both cases, the settlements were almost totally confined to the river bottoms and within a comparatively short distance of the Missouri River.
How did the Homestead Act affect the American West?
Therefore, new laws allowed settlers to acquire up to 1,120 acres when used in conjunction with the preemption and homestead laws. To promote the growth and preservation of timber on the western prairie and to ad- just the Homestead Act to western condi- tions, Congress passed the Timber Culture Law of March 3, 1873, which was intended to promote the planting of trees. The Desert Land Act of March 3, 1877, intended to promote the establishment of individual farms, was actually backed by wealthy cattle- men. Neither law proved successful. The Timber and Stone Act of June 3, 1878, put almost 3.6 million acres of valuable forest land into private hands before it was finally re- pealed in 1900. The act applied only to lands “unfit for cultivation” and “valuable chiefly for timber” or stone in California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington and was extended to the remainder of the public domain (ex- cept Alaska) in 1892. It allowed claimants to buy up to 160 acres at $2.50 an acre. A tim- ber magnate could use dummy entrymen to grab the nation’s richest forest lands for little cost. The act was so unsatisfactory that the General Land Office recommended its repeal almost annually between 1878 and 1900. Land fraud became so bad that Congress in 1879 created the first Public Lands Commission to look into revising land laws but paid little attention to its recommendations. The head of the General Land Office, William A. J. Sparks, declared in 1885 that “the public domain was being made the prey
How was the West settled?
How the West Was Settled. The 150-Year-Old Homestead Act Lured Americans Looking for a New Life and New Opportunities. By Greg Bradsher. W. hen the war for American independence formally ended in 1783, the United States covered more than 512 million acres of land. By 1860, the nation had acquired more than 1.4 billion more acres, ...
How did the Homestead Act help the economy?
Homestead laws, despite their inadequa- cies, did foster economic growth , which was certainly in the national interest. They enabled large numbers of people of modest means to obtain farms, either free or at rela- tively low cost. The United States’ greatest period of ag- ricultural expansion was between 1860 and 1920. It is probably safe to say that Homestead Act accounted for a substantial proportion of the new farms opened during that period. And certainly the Homestead Act left an important legacy in the develop- ment of the country. In 1936, the year after most homestead- ing was effectively ended, Congress created the Homestead National Monument of America in Beatrice, Nebraska, as a me- morial to all the settlers who had built the American West and to commemorate the changes to the land and the nation brought about by the Homestead Act of 1862. P
Where did homesteading occur?
During the first decade of the 20th cen-tury, homesteading increased in the plateau and basin states, as settlers moved into the cold desert of southern Oregon and into interior Washington, California east of the Sierras, and Arizona. Homesteading did not increase in Alaska, despite the gold rush. The Enlarged Homestead Act of February 19, 1909, increased the maximum permis-sible homestead to 320 acres of nonirri-gable land in parts of Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Arizona, and Wyoming. The law responded to the dryland farming movement that grew soon after the turn of the century. Lands previously thought to be useful only for grazing now became valuable for agriculture as farmers adopted techniques of deep plow-ing, compacting, summer fallowing, and seeding drought-resistant crops. As with the 1862 Homestead Act, the homesteaders had to reside on the land.
How many homestead patents were issued in the 1880s?
During the 1880s, nearly 193,000 home- stead patents were issued, nearly three times as many as in the previous decade. This re- sulted, by the late 1880s, in the public do- main rapidly diminishing. In 1887 Congress, seeking to satisfy the nation’s hunger for land, adopted a policy of giving individual farms to reservation Indians and opening the remaining Indian lands to settlers. The Great Sioux Indian Reservation in South Dakota and Chippewa lands in Minnesota and other Indian land was opened to settlement. The most famous opening was the “land rush” in Oklahoma. In 1885, Congress authorized the Indian Office to extinguish all native claims to the two unoccupied portions of the region—the Oklahoma District and the Cherokee Outlet. For the next three years, Indian agents did nothing, knowing that any settlement would doom the whole reservation system. During that time, “boomers” continued moving into the areas. Western pressure forced the Indian Office in Washington to act. In January 1889, the Creeks and Seminoles were forced to sur- render their rights to the Oklahoma District in return for cash awards of nearly 4.2 mil- lion dollars. Two months later, Congress officially opened the district to settlers un- der the Homestead Act and authorized the President to locate two land offices there. Acting under those instructions, President Benjamin Harrison announced that the Oklahoma District would be thrown open at noon on April 22, 1889. Thousands of people gathered for a land rush. A few days before the opening, they were allowed to surge across the Cherokee Outlet on the north and the Chickasaw reservation on the south to the borders of the promised land. Most waited along the southern border of Kansas and the northern boundary of Texas. Rumor had it that many had already sneaked across the border to establish the town of Guthrie hours ahead of schedule, thereby earning the name “sooners.” On the morn- ing of April 22, 100,000 persons surround- ed the Oklahoma District. By sunset, every available homestead lot had been claimed, over 1.9 million acres. Oklahoma City had a population of 10,000 tent dwellings by that night and Guthrie, nearly 15,000. The rush also resulted in the creation of the towns of Kingfisher, Stillwater, and Norman. A little over a year later, on May 2, 1890, Congress created the Oklahoma Territory. After the Oklahoma Territory was set up in 1890, its population was increased dur- ing the next years by a series of reservation “openings.” The Sauk, Fox, and Potawatomi lands, 900,000 acres in all, were thrown open in September 1891; the 3 million acres of the Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation went in April 1892. The latter were quickly settled by 30,000 waiting homesteaders. A more dramatic rush occurred at noon on September 16, 1893, when 100,000 to 150,000 home seekers rushed the 6.5 mil- lion acres of the Cherokee Outlet.
What was the purpose of the Homestead Act?
During the 1840s, the call for homestead legislation received sup- port from eastern labor reformers, who envisioned free land as a means by which industrial workers could escape low wages and deplorable working conditions. Congress did, on occasion, offer free land in regions the nation wanted settled. But the landmark law that governed how public land was distributed and settled for over 100 years came in 1862. The Homestead Act, which became law on May 20, 1862, was responsible for helping settle much of the American West. In its centennial year in 1962, President John F. Kennedy called the act “the single greatest stimulus to national de- velopment ever enacted.” This past year marked the 150th anniversary of the Homestead Act. The provisions of the Homestead Act, while not perfect and often fraudulently manipulated, were responsible for helping settle much of the American West. In all, between 1862 and 1976, well over 270 million acres (10 percent of the area of the United States) were claimed and settled under the act.
How many acres did the Homestead Act give?
Pre–Homestead Act legislation included the Armed Occupation Law of 1842, which offered 160 acres to each person willing to fight the Indian insurgence in Florida and occupy and cultivate the land for five years. Between 1850 and 1853, Congress offered 320 acres to single men and 640 acres to couples settling in the Oregon Country.