Settlement FAQs

what made western settlement particularly difficult after the civil war

by Brigitte Beatty Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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What made western settlement particularly difficult after the civil war? Renewed control of the west by the Sioux and other Indians What jeopardized the reelection of Grant in 1872? Widespread charges of corruption

Full Answer

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,...

What factors played a role in the settlement of the west?

Many factors played a role in the settlement of the American West. These included Manifest Destiny , the idea that Americans had a right to move west and conquer America and the Homestead Act of 1862, which encouraged settlers to move west by offering them very cheap land.

How did the United States government encourage white settlement in the west?

By war's end, federal actions to encourage white settlement in the West and more tightly bind the western territories to the Union were institutionalized and gathering momentum.

How did the westward expansion affect Native Americans?

Western Settlement. 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, Mississippi in 1817, Illinois in 1818, Alabama in 1819 and Missouri in 1821.

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What happened in the West after the Civil War?

The completion of the railroads to the West following the Civil War opened up vast areas of the region to settlement and economic development. White settlers from the East poured across the Mississippi to mine, farm, and ranch.

What major factors influenced settlement out West after the Civil War?

Gold rush and mining opportunities (silver in Nevada) The opportunity to work in the cattle industry; to be a “cowboy” Faster travel to the West by railroad; availability of supplies due to the railroad. The opportunity to own land cheaply under the Homestead Act.

How did the Civil War affect westward expansion?

Signed into law by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, the Homestead Act encouraged westward migration and settlement by providing 160-acre tracts of land west of the Mississippi at little cost, in return for a promise to improve the land.

What problems did the movement westward bring?

The movement westward brought many problems including the great suffering as the Natives lost their land. The Natives were forced out of their home to Oklahoma. The movement also leads to an end to slavery. African Americans were free and became citizens.

What are three pull factors that pulled settlers west?

A key incentive to western settlement was the availability of legally enforceable, transferable property rights. The Homestead Act and state and local laws helped to limit settlers' risks and avoid a total free-for-all. Miners, cattle ranchers, and farmers all received certain rights to land and possessions.

What factors led to the settlement of the West in the years following the war?

What factors led to the settlement of the West in the years following the War? The need for balance between free and slave states. The Northerners wanted land and land exhaustion of growing tobacco was growing. This all contributed to settlement of the West.

What two factors greatly encouraged western settlement at the end of the Civil War?

What two factors greatly encouraged western settlement at the end of the Civil War? the homestead act saying that a settler could get 160 acres by just living on them for five years and paying 10$ to have his ownership recorded. the extension of railroads also helped making it easier to move.

Why was the westward expansion a bad thing?

One of the drawbacks of U.S. territorial expansion was the proliferation of slavery. Although the Americans made a promise that they will not be taking the land of other people, like the Native Americans, without their consent and other than through peaceful means, history showed that this did not really happen.

How did settlement of the West increase tension between the North and South?

How might settlement of the West have increased tension between northern and southern states? Northern states were focused on making sure future settlements of the West would prohibit slavery. Of course, this would signal a threat to an institution that the southern states had grown to depend on.

What were the negative effects of westward expansion?

Westward Expansion generally had negative effects on the Native Americans. Native Americans were forced to live on reservations. The buffalo, an important resource, experienced rapid population decline. Military conflict between Whites and Native Americans resulted in many deaths.

What were the consequences of westward expansion?

The sparsely populated western regions of the continent became folded into a nation with enormous potential for power. The hundreds of thousands of settlers who moved west established new communities. New territories gave the country access to greater natural resources and the Pacific trade.

What happened in the westward expansion?

Expansion of the United States moved steadily westward from the late 18th to the mid 19th centuries. This territorial movement displaced most of the Native American peoples who lived in those lands for thousands of years before the arrival of European colonists.

What factors influenced the westward expansion?

Westward expansion, the 19th-century movement of settlers into the American West, began with the Louisiana Purchase and was fueled by the Gold Rush, the Oregon Trail and a belief in "manifest destiny."

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

What factors influenced American westward movement quizlet?

What factors influenced westward expansion? Population growth in the eastern states, availability of cheap, fertile land, economic opportunity, gold, logging, farming, freedom for runaway slaves, and spreading manifest destiny.

What was the influence of the West on the American economy?

American 19th Century Economic Growth in the West As transportation improved, new markets continuously opened to take advantage. The steamboat made river traffic faster and cheaper, but the development of railroads had an even greater effect, opening up vast stretches of new territory for development.

What was the impact of the American Indians on the West?

Although advanced under the mantle of protection, the nation's American Indian population in the West bore the cost of these military and political undertakings, which accelerated the dispossession of American Indians and threatened the security of their lands, property, culture, and core existence.

What were the western volunteers filling in behind the Regular Army soldiers?

The western volunteers filling in behind the Regular Army soldiers were of a distinctly different mettle. As one officer noted, they were men "made of stern stuff. . . inured to mountain life. . . pioneers and miners; men self-reliant and enduring" but also prone to have "advocated the extermination of the Indians.".

What was the Confederacy's plan for the Southwest?

Using Texas as a base, the Confederate plan focused on dislodging Union forces from the Southwest and continuing north to the resource-rich mines of Colorado, and possibly on to the California gold fields.

Why were the soldiers in the Army spirited east?

Originally meant to protect the interests of a minority of settlers and miners , these soldiers were ill-positioned for guaranteeing the well being of nearly 97% of the U.S. population that resided east of the Missouri River . These regular soldiers were spirited east as quickly as possible. With more than 10,000 soldiers serving in the western posts, this eastward movement triggered concerns over security for those left behind. President Abraham Lincoln soon authorized raising of volunteers within the states and territories "to aid in enforcing the laws and protecting public property," to replace many of the departing Regular Army soldiers and established additional forts to protect new interests. California, for example, quickly raised an infantry regiment and five cavalry companies "for the protection of the Overland Mail Route between California and the Eastern States, by way of Salt Lake City."

What were the consequences of the expansionist Civil War?

In the expansionist Civil War-era, Federal American Indian policies often resulted in violated treaties, violence, and the end of access to traditional lands, trade and migratory routes, water, food sources, and cultural practices.

What was the role of the Territorial Patronage?

Territorial patronage was a vital tool for Lincoln. The ability to appoint men of his choice to key territorial roles -such as governors, secretaries, federal district judgeships, land office commissioners, and territorial marshals - served not only to recognize those who had lent support to him but also to institutionalize support for the issues he valued. With seven western territories ripe for patronage appointments in 1861, Lincoln predominantly named Republican supporters - known pejoratively as "The Tribe of Abraham" -to the territories' thirty-five prime positions and dozens of others. These included gubernatorial nominees William Gilpin of Colorado Territory and William Jayne of Dakota Territory, who both supported federal financing of the transcontinental railroad.

What was the Westward Movement?

Until the eve of the Civil War, the Westward Movement was Manifest Destiny incarnate; as such, it was consistently popularized as an East-to-West phenomenon. As unabashedly romanticized in Leutze's 1861 mural study, established routes -including the Oregon, California and Santa Fe Trails -siphoned settlers and miners westward . In response to calls for their protection from the American Indians, the federal government responded by establishing frontier and coastal forts garrisoned by Regular Army soldiers. By 1861, almost 75% of the Army's soldiers served at dozens of posts west of the Mississippi River, ranging from Pickett's post in Washington Territory to Fort Point in California's San Francisco Bay to forts scattered throughout the Southwest. The civil war brought dramatic change to these outposts. Shortly before the bombardment of Fort Sumter, U.S. Army responsibility for national protection and security set in motion an unprecedented eastward movement of soldiers and equipment.

What happened after the Civil War?

After the Civil War, the Army’s attention returned to the west where it had been exploring, mapping and contacting aboriginal tribes. But, during the war, settlers, fur trappers, explorers and traders were already filling up the west regardless of prior treaties with the Indians. The Oregon-California trail was functioning, the RR’s were moving in and the Indians started feeling the pressures of lost hunting grounds, invasion of their areas by whites, (and other Indians) and started to resist.

How did the Civil War affect the Southerners?

This Compromise gave many southern states the jurisdiction to have slaves, and the civil war changed this. Many northerners moved to states that would otherwise been slave states (in other words, they changed thier minds). Also, Southerners seeking a new life away from their defeat moved there, too.

Why did the army go west again?

Many emmigrant trains were attacked and the folks in ’em were killed. The Civil War over, and the demand for protection caused the Army to go west again , in force, to establish forts along the Bozeman trail to protect those complaining immigrants.

What was the result of the Indians cunningly luring the soldiers out of fort Phil Kearney?

Effective Indian military counter-tactics were based upon their surveillence of how the army responded when alarmed. The Fetterman massacre was the result of the Indians cunningly luring the soldiers out of fort Phil Kearney, encircling them and butchering them to a man. That was enough for the Army and the three forts (1868) were abandoned and burned to the ground by the Indians.

What did the Indians do in their victory?

In their victory, the Indians realized the depth of white pressure moving west and assumned their war was over and so returned to their original habits of tribal in-fighting, counting coups, stealing horses and etc., and failed to recognize the rush that overwhealmed them when gold was discovered in Montana a few years later.

How did the Civil War affect communication?

The Civil War spurred further development of communication routes . First the Pony Express was developed, and then it was replaced by the Pacific Telegraph. The war also settled the matter of where to build the Pacific Railroad, although most of the construction of the line occurred from 1866 on. Nevertheless, the War motivated Congress to push the project forward and find a way to fund it. Meanwhile, people continued to go “out West” by steamer, via Panama, and overland by wagon train. Quite a few of those who went overland were really refugees fleeing the fighting in the border states - especially Missouri and Arkansas. Many of these people later settled in mining / ranching areas of Montana and Idaho.

Why did the Native American uprisings increase?

Slowed things a little. Native American uprisings increased, because most of the army was off fighting the Confederacy. Most of the famous western bandits, like Frank and Jesse James or Bill Dalton, or John Wesley Hardin, began as Confederate guerrillas, raiding Union settlements.

Why did the Southern economy depend on slave labor?

The southern economy relied on slave labor in part because they did not have a large immigrant population

Why are road tiles twisted around trees?

Heated road tiles twisted around the trees to try to destroy transportation lines

Who refused to adopt a slave code?

Stephen Douglas refused to adopt a slave code

What were the complications of the Westward Expansion?

As the borders moved westward, so did American settlers, which raised several serious questions over what certain Americans were bringing with them; particularly the slaves. Historians have often noted how the complications surrounding the acquisition of new territory exacerbated domestic sectional tensions within the country around several major economic and social issues, since both North and South saw the west as the place to guarantee their distinct and ultimately conflicting visions for the country. Despite multiple compromises to work around these issues, conflict inevitably came to a head as Southerners dug their heels in to defend the institution upon which they built their society from hindrance.

How did the Southern economy differ from the North?

Southern agriculture itself also differed from that of the North as it was built mostly on specific cash crops like cotton, tobacco, sugar and rice instead of food production. Those first three crops were extremely labor intensive, and so the use of unpaid, forced labor helped make their production far more profitable than it otherwise would have been. A little less than half of white southerners owned slaves, and only a small percentage of slave owners themselves ran the enormous plantations where these crops were grown, but since they, especially cotton, was in such high demand in the North and Europe, these men and their families became fabulously wealthy, enough to completely dominate Southern social and political life, as well as the representation of Southern states in Washington. The racialized aspect of slavery also gave poorer whites enough incentive to support slavery as well, as even the poorest white man possessed more dignity than any slave. And as the Northern economy began turning away from farms and towards factories, the South, outside of a few large cities, further entrenched itself in these specialized exports as well as the system of chattel slavery that supported it. But that entrenchment presented a problem for Southern elites, as it did not leave much room for the same kind of dynamic economic growth as the North was experiencing through industrialization. The South was convinced that the survival of their economic system, which intersected with almost every aspect of Southern life, lay exclusively in the ability to create new plantations in the western territories, which meant that slavery had to be kept safe in those same territories, especially as Southerners increasingly saw more and more hostility towards the practice.

Why did the Texas Revolution start?

The Texas Revolution, started in part by Anglo-American settlers seeking to preserve slavery after Mexico had abolished it , and its subsequent annexation by the U.S. as a state led to a flurry of criticism by Northerners against those they saw as putting the interests of slavery over those of the country as a whole.

What was the nullification crisis?

The Nullification Crisis, during which South Carolina tried to block federal tariffs designed to foster industrial growth in the North, also convinced many Southerners that Northerners planned to use the power of the federal government to cripple the Southern economy.

What did Stephen Douglas believe about the compromise?

Far from saving the Union, as Stephen Douglas believed, the Compromise merely brought the cause of division to the forefront of every mind in America, and it showed four years later with the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. Still believing that Popular Sovereignty provided an effective way to heal tensions.

What did the Supreme Court say about slavery in Kansas?

Violence continued in Kansas, and in 1857, the Supreme Court issued the infamous Dred Scott Decision, which declared that Congress never had the authority to restrict slavery in the territories to begin with.

What was the purpose of the war and the Westward Expansion?

With Federal resources focused on waging the war farther east, both native tribes and the Confederacy attempted to claim or reclaim lands west of the Mississippi. The Federal government responded with measures (Homestead Act, transcontinental railroad) and military campaigns designed to encourage settlement, ...

What was the goal of the Westward Movement?

The Federal government's response included The Homestead Act and the construction of the transcontinental railroad. The goal was to encourage settlement, solidify ...

What was Abraham Lincoln's role in the American West?

Though best known for guiding the nation through the tumultuous four years of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln also played an instrumental role in encouraging settlement and expansion of the American West.

When did the violence escalate in Kansas?

Violence escalated in the Kansas Territory from 1854-1858 as anti-slavery Free-Staters and pro-slavery Border Ruffians battled to determine whether Kansas would enter the Union as a slave or free state. Tags: civil war westward expansion. Previous.

What was the purpose of the Homestead Act?

Signed into law by Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, the Homestead Act encouraged westward migration and settlement by providing 160-acre tracts of land west of the Mississippi at little cost, in return for a promise to improve the land . Homestead National Historical Park.

When did the American West settle?

The settlement of the American West began in the 1840s and ended in the early 1900s. Several factors influenced this settlement, including the use of the Oregon Trail and the doctrine of Manifest Destiny. Updated: 03/09/2021. Create an account.

What was the first wave of settlement in the West?

From the mid-1800s to early 1900s, there were several waves of settlement in the American West. The first is the California Gold Rush of the 1840s, along with the concurrent use of the Oregon Trail. The second was the call of Manifest Destiny, the idea that American westward expansion was an American right and something ...

What act helped manifest destiny?

Manifest Destiny was also helped by the Homestead Act of 1862 and the Preemptive Act of 1841. Both acts sold land on the Great Plains of the American West to settlers for an extremely reasonable price.

Why did people go west on the Oregon Trail?

Many people went west on the Oregon Trail because of Manifest Destiny. In 1845, a journalist named John O'Sullivan wrote about the Manifest Destiny of Americans. This was referring to the idea that Americans had the right to move west and take the land, since not only was it something that they had the right to do, but it was also a right given to them by God. People latched onto the idea that there was a rich and fertile land they had a right to own. It's important to note that the idea of Manifest Destiny wasn't a new one. Whenever a country wishes to take over another, the conquest is often framed in a positive light for their own people.

How many acres did the Homestead Act allow?

The Homestead Act, in particular, said that settlers were able to own over 100 acres for a small fee and a promise to live on the land for five years.

What was the purpose of the Oregon Trail?

Hundreds of thousands of Americans traveled the Oregon Trail between 1840 and 1868, which was used to transport large groups of settlers across the country in things known as wagon trains, which were very large groups of wagons traveling together. They usually traveled in large wagon trains.

How many people used the Oregon Trail?

Some historians estimate that between 300,000 and 400,000 Americans used the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails between 1840 and 1868. Although it was popular, the Oregon Trail could be dangerous. Wagon trains, or very large groups of wagons traveling together, could face a variety of issues.

Where did the American settlers move to?

Thousands of people crossed the Rockies to the Oregon Territory, which belonged to Great Britain, and thousands more moved into the Mexican territories of California, New Mexico and Texas. In 1837, American settlers in Texas joined with their Tejano neighbors (Texans of Spanish origin) and won independence from Mexico.

What was the Westward Expansion and the Compromise of 1850?

Westward Expansion and the Compromise of 1850. Bleeding Kansas. In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson purchased the territory of Louisiana from the French government for $15 million. The Louisiana Purchase stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to New Orleans, and it doubled the size of the United States.

Why was the Mexican American war so unpopular?

That same month, Polk declared war against Mexico, claiming (falsely) that the Mexican army had “invaded our territory and shed American blood on American soil.” The Mexican-American War proved to be relatively unpopular, in part because many Northerners objected to what they saw as a war to expand the “slaveocracy.” In 1846, Pennsylvania Congressman David Wilmot attached a proviso to a war-appropriations bill declaring that slavery should not be permitted in any part of the Mexican territory that the U.S. might acquire. Wilmot’s measure failed to pass, but it made explicit once again the sectional conflict that haunted the process of westward expansion.

What was the Missouri compromise?

The acquisition of this land re-opened the question that the Missouri Compromise had ostensibly settled: What would be the status of slavery in new American territories? After two years of increasingly volatile debate over the issue, Kentucky Senator Henry Clay proposed another compromise. It had four parts: first, California would enter the Union as a free state; second, the status of slavery in the rest of the Mexican territory would be decided by the people who lived there; third, the slave trade (but not slavery) would be abolished in Washington, D.C.; and fourth, a new Fugitive Slave Act would enable Southerners to reclaim runaway slaves who had escaped to Northern states where slavery was not allowed.

What did Jefferson believe about the Westward Expansion?

To Jefferson, westward expansion was the key to the nation’s health: He believed that a republic depended on an independent, virtuous citizenry for its survival, and that independence and virtue went hand in hand with land ownership, especially the ownership of small farms.

What was the battle between Kansas and Nebraska?

The battle for Kansas and Nebraska became a battle for the soul of the nation. Emigrants from Northern and Southern states tried to influence the vote. For example, thousands of Missourians flooded into Kansas in 1854 and 1855 to vote (fraudulently) in favor of slavery. “Free-soil” settlers established a rival government, and soon Kansas spiraled into civil war. Hundreds of people died in the fighting that ensued, known as “ Bleeding Kansas .”

What was the Westward Migration?

Westward migration was an essential part of the republican project , he argued, and it was Americans’ “ manifest destiny ” to carry the “great experiment of liberty” to the edge of the continent: to “overspread and to possess the whole of the [land] which Providence has given us,” O’Sullivan wrote.

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