Full Answer
How did the government and railroads encourage settlement of the West?
Desiring quick payment of loans, railroads encouraged these settlers to grow and sell cash crops. The Homestead Act, passed in 1862, offered 160 acres of land to anyone who would pay $10, live on the land for five years, and cultivate and improve it.
Which role did the US government play in the building of the transcontinental railroad quizlet?
The government encouraged the building of the transcontinental railroad by passing the Pacific Railway Act in 1862 and by offering land to railroad companies for every mile of track laid by that railroad company.
What was the first step in the general pattern of mining that emerged in the West during the second half of the nineteenth century?
The general pattern of western mining began with the discovery of gold or silver, which led directly to mining companies buying large claims and employing large numbers of miners.
What discoveries attracted settlers to the West in the late 1800s?
Developing the WestA variety of factors enticed American settlers and immigrants to head west in the late nineteenth century. ... The discovery of precious metals and minerals also drew people to the West. ... But the greatest contributor to the development of the West was the railroad.More items...
Why did the government give land to railroad companies?
At the same time that homesteaders were getting free land from the government, large tracts of land were granted to railroads by both the states and the federal government. The goal was to encourage the railroads to build their tracks where few people lived, and to help settle the country.
How did the government encourage railroad construction?
To encourage development of rail lines westward, the government offered railroad companies massive land grants and bonds. Railroads received millions of acres of public lands and sold that land to generate money for the construction of the railroads.
What happened to most Native Americans as the West was settled?
The loss of the bison and growth of white settlement drastically affected the lives of the Native Americans living in the West. In the conflicts that resulted, the American Indians, despite occasional victories, seemed doomed to defeat by the greater numbers of settlers and the military force of the U.S. government.
What economic opportunity drew the most immigrants to the West?
It was land, ultimately, that drew the most migrants to the West. Family farms were the backbone of the agricultural economy that expanded in the West after the Civil War.
What brought the first wave of settlers to the West?
Why - and how - did the first settlers move westwards? The first white Americans to move west were the mountain men, who went to the Rockies to hunt beaver, bear and elk in the 1820s and 1830s. Then, in 1841, a wagon train pioneered the 3,200km-long Oregon Trail to the woodland areas of the north-west coast of America.
What encouraged migration to the West quizlet?
Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act encouraged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange, homesteaders paid a small filing fee and were required to complete five years of continuous residence before receiving ownership of the land.
What were some reasons American settlers wanted to settle the West?
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.
What encouraged settlers to move west to Great Plains?
The Homestead Act encouraged settlers to move to the Great Plains. Life was hard, but settlers discovered that they could grow wheat using new technologies. By 1890 the land had been settled and farmed, and there was no longer a true frontier in the United States.
How was the transcontinental railroad funded quizlet?
How was the Transcontinental Railroad funded? The railroad was funded by the Big Four Sacramento Merchants, private investigators, and the US Government. The Government provided the land and the private industry builds the tracks.
Which of the following was an effect of the transcontinental railroad?
Which of the following was an effect of the transcontinental railroad? The population of the West increased. How did new railroads benefit western cattle ranchers? It provided a way to transport meat to eastern markets.
How did the government react to the Pullman strike quizlet?
The government took action to end the strike in response to public demands in support of the railroad companies. The government sided with the labor unions and sent troops to protect railroad workers. What was the outcome of the great railroad strike of 1877?
Who was Williams Jennings Bryan quizlet?
He was an American orator and politician from Nebraska, and a dominant force in the populist wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as the Party's candidate for President of the United States (1896, 1900 and 1908).
Why did railroad owners sell stocks?
Railroad owners sold stocks to investors to finance the construction of railroads.
Why did shipping increase?
The cost of shipping increased because of the expense of building railroads.
