Settlement FAQs

what factors contributed to the settlement of the american frontier

by Jacquelyn Runte Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

What Factors Contributed to American Expansion in the 1800s?

  • 1 An Overflowing Population The swelling American population played a large part in the decision Americans made to head west. ...
  • 2 The Government Opens Up New Land The American government itself encouraged its citizens to move west, in large part by acquiring new territory from foreign powers. ...
  • 3 Pacific Expansion ...
  • 4 Seeking Expansion Beyond Borders ...

Full Answer

What were the effects of the settling of the frontier?

The shifting frontier had devastating effects on Native American cultures. White settlers pushed Indian tribes off their lands. Resistance by the tribes often led to wars with the U.S. military, wars the tribes usually lost.

What two things were the main contributors to the closing of the frontier?

With these two key elements—transportation and cheap land—the government rapidly achieved its goal of persuading people to move west, settle on farms, and push back the frontier.

Which development contributed most to the closing of the American frontier?

The transcontinental railroad became the catalyst for much of the new conflict. Before its completion, the only Americans to venture westward had done so on horseback or Conestoga wagon.

What is the most significant thing about the American frontier?

The most significant thing about the American frontier is, that it lies at the hither edge of free land. In the census reports it is treated as the margin of that settlement which has a density of two or more to the square mile. The term is an elastic one, and for our purposes does not need sharp definition.

What were the causes of the closing of the American frontier?

The frontier had become a safety valve for the American people, and when tough economic times hit the southern and northern regions, people occupied the frontier to start over. In 1893 Fredrick Turner wrote an essay entitled “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” regarding America's westward expansion.

What were 3 significant effects of the frontier in American History?

What were 3 significant effects of the frontier in American History? They were beliefs in individualism, political democracy, and economic mobility.

What was considered the American frontier?

American frontier, in United States history, the advancing border that marked those lands that had been settled by Europeans. It is characterized by the westward movement of European settlers from their original settlements on the Atlantic coast (17th century) to the Far West (19th century).

What is the Significance of the Frontier in American History quizlet?

Frontier provided safety valve for the pressures of American life; that is, a place of escape for those who could not or would not fit into the structure of civilization.

What main event allowed the frontier to come to a close?

A year after the Oklahoma Land Rush, the director of the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the frontier was closed. The 1890 census had shown that a frontier line, a point beyond which the population density was less than two persons per square mile, no longer existed.

What were the settlers of the frontier like?

What were settlers of the frontier like? The settlers of the frontier lived poor lives. They had poor houses, little food, and vulnerability to disease. It was also very lonely.

Which is more significant to American history the frontier of the cities?

The frontier is more significant to American history than the cities because the frontier had symbolized "land" mainly being unclaimed land, where people could go and settle on it. People could go and prosper on this land and make something out of nothing.

What are the particular experiences of the frontier settlers?

Answers 1. The settlers had to withstand extremely harsh circumstances. They faced frozen environments and extremely difficult farming. On top of that, they faced Indian raids as well as the French English conflict.

What main event allowed the frontier to come to a close?

A year after the Oklahoma Land Rush, the director of the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the frontier was closed. The 1890 census had shown that a frontier line, a point beyond which the population density was less than two persons per square mile, no longer existed.

What changes eventually led to the closing of the Texas frontier?

The Closing of the Frontier After Texas joined the South in the U.S. Civil War, it sent its militiamen to join the war effort. This left settlers on the Texas frontier largely undefended and inviting new aggression from Native American tribes.

What was the significance of the closing of the frontier quizlet?

It encouraged Americans to be innovative and individualistic and allowed fro a high degree of social mobility.

How did the Homestead Act contribute to the closing of the frontier?

The 1862 Homestead Act accelerated settlement of U.S. western territory by allowing any American, including freed slaves, to put in a claim for up to 160 free acres of federal land.

Why was the frontier important to the American people?

For the same length of time, those who lived in what had become old and established centres were conscious of the fact that there remained an open door to lands that were ostensibly unclaimed, where place and fortune were yet to be won. As a reality for some and as a symbol for others , the frontier became a vital factor in shaping American life and American character.

What was the first manifestation of frontier influence?

Thus understood, the American colonies along the Atlantic coast were Europe’s frontier, and their gradual drift away from European patterns was the first manifestation of frontier influence. They began the conquest of the wilderness; they took the first steps in crossing the continent; they became Americans. This, however, was only the beginning. Scarcely had the colonies themselves become firmly established before the western push began anew. Out from old centres, the dissatisfied, the restless, the adventurous made their way into the backcountry. There they encountered long-established Native American populations, sometimes coexisting with them, sometimes forcing them into open resistance but ultimate retreat. Sometimes they moved to secure more room for themselves and their cattle; sometimes, as John Winthrop described it, they simply possessed a “strong bent of their spirits to remove thither.”

What is the frontier of a country?

The term frontier has been defined in various ways. Webster’s International Dictionary, in 1890, described it as “that part of a country which fronts or faces another country or an unsettled region;…extreme part of a country.”. In the 19th century it was statistically classified as an area having no fewer than two but no more than six European ...

What is the frontier?

Webster’s International Dictionary, in 1890, described it as “that part of a country which fronts or faces another country or an unsettled region;…extreme part of a country.” In the 19th century it was statistically classified as an area having no fewer than two but no more than six European inhabitants per square mile (fewer than one to just over two Europeans per square kilometre). The United States Census Bureau defined areas with lower population densities as “unsettled” and on this basis marked the frontier line on a series of maps for each decade. Thus, areas on the frontier were no longer the exclusive domain of explorers, missionaries, and trappers, but settled homesteads were relatively rare and widely dispersed.

What was the name of the east-west conflict produced by expansion?

Bacon’s Rebellion, the Regulator movement, and soon Shays’s Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion were all expressions of an east-west conflict produced by expansion.

What was the history of the United States?

Amid the uncertainty in the use of terms, there remains the simple fact that the history of the United States, up to the beginning of the 20th century, was that of a people moving steadily toward the occupation of a vast continent.

How did the first West differ from the original colonies?

This first west differed sharply from the original colonies, which had already begun to reproduce the Old World social and economic patterns, along with their class distinctions. It was, as Turner called it, a “democratic, self-sufficing, primitive agricultural society in which slavery and indentured servants played little part” and in which poverty and toil went along with a scarcity of social accumulations. As population spread and increased, differences between coast and interior became increasingly apparent, and strife often developed over taxes, representation, internal improvements, and religious matters.

How did the Civil War affect the American people?

Although freedom failed to contribute to equality for the freed slaves, the Civil War triggered massive constitutional changes, which redefined the quality of American society. It also emerged as a point of exit in the movement for human rights to emancipate the minority groups, such as the African Americans. Most importantly, the American Civil War validated the status of the United States of America as a single political entity, which contributed to the freedom of around 4 million enslaved African American. Hence, the African Americans were among the greatest beneficiaries of the Civil War. It also led to a more centralized and authoritative federal government. Further, it laid the basis for the emergence of America as a global power in the 20th century.

What chapter is the western settlement?

Chapter 2. “Western Settlement and the Frontier in American History.”

How did the Civil War affect racism?

The Civil War, World War I and World War II did little to stop racism in the United States. They only helped create strong awareness that excessive racism was not universal and, therefore, should be unacceptable in the United States. The Civil War put an end to slavery. However, it still paved the way for an end to racism. America’s participation in the World War II and the World War II also intensified discriminatory practices against the minority groups. After the Civil War and during the First World War, the American Society experienced faster growth of racism. Of the three events, the European settlers in America were the greatest beneficiaries as they experienced the greatest levels of social and economic emancipation.

What happened after the Civil War?

After the Civil War and just before the First World War, the American Society experienced intensified racism. To a considerable extent, racism prevailed. The racial diversity of the west triggered a variety of racism. For instance, the society was divided into superior and inferior Whites. Additionally, the feeling as to whether the “Indians” were superior to the “Negroes”, or whether the Mexicans were Indians, as well as whether the Chinese immigrants were tolerable than the way the Japanese intensified (Ch2 58).

How did the Civil War affect the United States?

Despite the efforts to end slavery and racism during the Civil War, the World War I and World War II saw the increase in discriminatory practices and intolerance against the minority groups. It is based on this premise that this essay argues that the Civil War, World War I and World War II did little to stop racism. Instead, they only created strong awareness that excessive racism was not universal or acceptable in the United States. Worse still, they increased the feeling of intolerance against the minority groups.

What was the impact of the Civil War on American society?

Still, after the Civil War and during the First World War, the American Society experienced a steady growth of racism. It could be argued that the American leaders were largely to blame for failing to curtail racism at its roots. The most influential opinion leaders, such as Roosevelt, were more concerned with imperialism and fronting the United States to participate in international affairs rather than integrating the growing diversity of immigrants in the United States after the Civil War (Bederman 106-9). In which case, the potential for growth of anti-immigrants feelings was not their priority; imperialism was. At the start of the World War in 1914, Roosevelt advocated for the preparedness of the United States in the War, something that President Woodrow Wilson opposed. Wilson was worried that the war would have impacts on the ethnic ties of the American immigrants, who had foreign ties. He, therefore, advocated for neutrality during the war. He knew that if American participated in the World War I, campaigns for intolerance against a section of immigrants would increase (Bederman 106-115). Indeed, the War had stirred up anti-German sentiment, which stimulated men to volunteer into the army. Apart from the Germans, the African Americans were also the subject of hate campaigns, leading to the emergence of the Klu Klux Klan. Consequently, anti-immigrant and anti-Black intensified.

How did the Civil War stimulate the opening of the Far West?

The Civil War also stimulated the opening of the Far West by eliminating resistance against settlement in the South. The landless Americans of European decent largely benefitted from the free land. The Congress, which was dominated by the Republicans, passed the Homestead Act. The Act provided 160 acres of public land in the West to any citizen age 21 years and older and had a family, who had stayed on the land for five successive years. The biggest beneficiaries were the European immigrants (Ch40-9).

What were the factors that led to the Western settlement?

This desire led to the growth of the cattle industry and mining empires. The desire for natural resources also sparked the phenomenon of the California Gold Rush. These events all stemmed from the earlier Americans desire for natural resources and their goals of capitalizing on their possession of such resources. This desire has clearly encouraged Americans to explore and settle the western American frontier.

What were the factors that contributed to the Europeans taking over Africa?

The biggest was that Europe had a technical advantage. And with them having technology that Africa didn't have, Europeans also had Machine guns leaving Africa with there outdated weapons that where little to no use to them. Africa got a lot of there imperial ideas from European countries that had better technology then them all European countries had better technology than Africa because they….

What are the factors that contributed to the rise of sociology?

The emergence of sociology traces back to the eighteenth century up to present day. Johnson (1998) suggests that in summary, the rise and development of sociology is based on political, economic, demographic, social and scientific changes. Ritzer (2008) asserts that the immediate cause for the beginning….

What technological developments contributed to western settlement from 1854 to 1890?

Technological developments that contributed to western settlement from 1854 to 1890 include the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad, the railroad system expansion with the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads, hydraulic mining, and barbed wire. The railroad s led to economic and industry growth and transportation that was easier …show more content…

What were the factors that contributed to the formation of Malaysia?

There were a few factors that contributed to the formation of Malaysia. The factor was to gain independence through unification. Out of five countries, Malaya was the only one to be free from the British rule after its independence on 31st August 1957. By joining Malaya, the other four countries could gain their independence from the British government because the British had hinted many times that they were ready to grant….

What factors contributed to the growing Australian national identity by 1901?

What factors contributed to the growing Australian National Identity by 1901? • Gold Political Activism • Nationalism By 1901, Australia had grown as a population as gold had been discovered and migrants moved to Australia to mine this mineral, as well as political activism and women’s suffrage and everyone standing up and fighting off the British and raising the Southern Cross flag. With the gold discovered, people migrated from all over the word to come mine in Ballarat….

How did immigration affect the American economy in the 1890s?

Analyze the impact of immigration on American life during the 1890s The 1890s have brought immigration have changes the American life. It has boosted the economic perspective as well as the economy, caused a surplus in population and has caused government to overreact by creating an amplitude off laws. To begin with, the economy during the 1890s flourished. The increase of population such as the Chinese moving to California, made the farmers get an easy source of cheap labor. That means less….

How did Turner's claims about the effects of the frontier affect American life?

Turner's claims about the effects of the frontier on American life influenced generations of historians, particularly in their appreciation of the role of geography and the environment in helping to shape national development. With more people homesteading farms after 1890 than in the decades before, the Western experience was far from over.

Who was the first historian to publish a paper on the importance of the frontier?

The announcement impressed Frederick Jackson Turner , a young historian at the University of Wisconsin. In 1893, he presented a paper to the American Historical Association entitled “The Significance of the Frontier in American History.”.

What were the towns and cities created by the cattle or mining boom?

New towns and cities created by the cattle or mining boom, such as Abilene, Denver, and San Francisco, dotted the trans‐Mississippi West. The Oklahoma Land Rush. Under President Andrew Jackson, Native American tribes from the Southeast had been resettled in what became Oklahoma.

What were the origins of the Cold War?

The Origins of the Cold War. American Foreign Policy. The Civil Rights Movement. The Affluent Society. Johnson and the Great Society. The Counterculture of the 1960s. The Kennedy Years. America in the 1970s . The Nixon Presidency.

What states were added to the Union?

The influx of homesteaders, ranchers, and miners swelled the census rolls and led to the admission of Nevada (1864), Colorado (1876), South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, Washington (all four in 1889), and Idaho and Wyoming (1890) to the Union. New towns and cities created by the cattle or mining boom, such as Abilene, Denver, and San Francisco, ...

What was the end of the frontier?

The Closing of the Frontier. By the end of the nineteenth century, the West was effectively settled. Railroads stretched across all parts of the region, from the Great Northern, which ran along the Canadian border, to the Southern Pacific that ran across Texas and the Arizona and New Mexico territories to link New Orleans and Los Angeles.

Who was the first person to establish the Sierra Club?

President Benjamin Harrison immediately set aside 13 million acres under the legislation. Naturalist John Muir, who was a driving force behind the creation of Yosemite, founded the Sierra Club in 1892 to protect the Pacific Coast's mountain ranges.

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9