Chapter 19: Growth in the West, 1860-1900
Section 1: Miners, Ranchers, and Cowhands
Main Idea: Miners, ranchers, and cowhands settled in the West seeking economic opportunities. The Great Plains spread across the nation’s frontier from the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains. Its grasslands were home to about 300,000 Native Americans in the mid-1800s. Gradually, white people also began to settle there. In 1859, gold and silver discoveries brought many settlers to Colorado and Nevada. Settlements near the more prosperous mines turned into boomtowns—towns that grew quickly in a short time. The mining boom lasted until the 1890s. Before the Civil War, cattle herds on the frontier were small. However, with the coming of railroads, ranchers could ship their cattle by rail to eastern cities. Cattle ranching became a profitable business. The first cowhands came from Mexico with the Spaniards in the 1500s. Known as vaqueros, they taught the American cowhands how to rope and ride. Many cowhands during the mid-1800s were former Confederate or Union soldiers. About one in three were either Mexican or African American. At first, rapidly growing towns in the West had no local governments or law officers. Sometimes groups took the law into their own hands and punished suspects in crimes without trials. As towns became more settled, citizens elected local sheriffs. By the late 1880s, the cattle boom had ended. The price of beef had dropped sharply as the supply had increased. The invention of barbed wire allowed sheep farmers to fence in their lands so cattle could not pass freely over trails. During the harsh winter of 1886–1887, thousands of cattle froze to death. Many ranchers went out of business.
Section 2: Native Americans Fight to Survive
Main Idea: The Native Americans of the Great Plains fought to maintain their way of life as settlers poured onto their lands. Before 1500, most Plains tribes lived in villages along rivers and streams. Central to their lives was the buffalo. They used nearly every part of it for food, clothing, or shelter. In the early 1540s, the Spanish had brought the first horses to the Great Plains. The Plains people quickly became expert riders. Many Plains tribes developed a nomadic way of life as they traveled across the Plains in search of buffalo. Eastern Native Americans tribes had been forced to live on western reservations by the federal government. But as more settlers moved west, the government tried to buy back some of the reservation land. When the Cheyenne and Sioux refused, fighting broke outbetween these tribes and government forces.In 1862, about 1,200 Colorado militia attacked a peaceful Cheyenne village. More than 150 Cheyennes were killed in what came to be known as the Sand Creek Massacre. In 1874, white prospectors rushed onto Sioux land after discovering gold there. Sioux warriors led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse hoped to drive them out. In June of 1876 in Montana, the Sioux wiped out the Seventh Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer. The Battle of Little Big Horn was the last major Native American victory. The Nez Perce (nehz PURS) tribe lived throughout eastern Oregon and Idaho. During the 1860s, whites began forcing tribe members to sell their land and move. In 1877 a group of Nez Perce led by Chief Joseph refused and was eventually forced to surrender. In the Southwest, both the Navajos and the Apaches fought against being moved to reservations. By the late 1800s, most Plains tribes had been forced onto reservations. Some turned to Wokova, a Native American prophet. His followers were called Ghost Dancers. In December 1890, the army rounded up a large group of Ghost Dancers who were held at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. As the Native Americans handed over their weapons, a shot rang out. U.S. troops responded by killing about 300 Sioux. This was the Wounded Knee Massacre. In 1887, the Dawes Act encouraged Native Americans to assimilate, or adopt, white culture by becoming farmers. But in the end, his act did little to help Native Americans.
Section 3: Life in the West
Main Idea: Diverse groups of people helped to shape both the reality and the myth of the West. Western life provided new opportunities for women. They worked as teachers or domestics servants. Some became sheriffs, gamblers, and even outlaws. Western lawmakers granted women more rights than women had in the East. For example, in most western territories, women could own property and control their own money. In 1869, Wyoming Territory led the nation in giving women the vote. Cities grew quickly in the West. In just one year, San Francisco, California grew from a small town to a city of about 25,000 after the 1849 gold rush. Denver was not even a town in 1857. By 1867, it was the capital of Colorado Territory. Railroads also brought rapid growth. Omaha, Nebraska, flourished as a meat-processing center for area cattle ranches. Portland, Oregon, became a regional market for fish, grain, and lumber. For centuries, the Southwest had been home to Mexicanos—people of Spanish descent whose ancestors had come from Mexico. In 1848, the United States gained control of this land because it won the Mexican War. Soon after, Anglos, or English-speaking white settlers, caused the Mexicanos to lose economic and political power. Many Mexicanos also lost their land. Many Americans saw the West as a larger-than-life place. Novels portrayed white pioneers as heroes. Native Americans often appeared as villains. William “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Wild West show also helped promote the myth of the Old West. The Wild West myth overlooked the contributions of many groups. The first cowhands, or Mexican vaqueros, taught ranching skills to the American newcomers. Native Americans and African Americans also played a role in cattle ranching. Many African Americans, known as “buffalo soldiers,” served in the U.S. army in the West. Chinese immigrantshelped build the western railroads.
Section 4: Farming and Populism
Main Idea: A wave of farmers moved to the Plains in the 1800s and faced many
economic problems. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered 160 acres of free land in the West to anyone who would live on the land and work it for five years. Many people responded by heading west, including thousands of African Americans and European immigrants. Frontier life was a challenge, but new inventions helped settlers to farm the land. The steel plow sliced through tough soil. Improved windmills pumped water from deep wells to the surface. Barbed wire allowed farmers to fence in livestock. Improved machinery helped farmers grow more food. But farmers faced problems in the 1870s when the prices of crops fell because farmers were producing so much food. At the same time, railroads charged high fees to carry crops to market. Farmers grew angry because it was harder and harder to make a living. In 1867, they joined forces to form the Grange. Soon the Grange formed cooperatives—businesses owned and operated by its members. Grangers asked states to regulate railroad rates. In 1877, the Supreme Court ruled that government could regulate railroads and other businesses that serve the public interest. In 1890, several farm groups formed the Populist Party, or People’s Party. This party wanted the government to adopt a free silver policy—the unlimited coining of silver.Farmers hoped that increasing the money supply would cause inflation, or higher prices for all goods—including crops. Opponents of free silver wanted to keep the gold standard. The Populist Party also called for government ownership of railroads and shorter working hours. The Populist candidate lost the 1892 presidential election but won more than a million votes. In 1896, the Populist Party candidate was William Jennings Bryan. Most farmers voted for Bryan, but the Republican candidate, William McKinley, won the election. In 1889, the last major piece of open land was settled during the Oklahoma land rush. Thousands of white settlers rushed to claim 2 million acres of land that had once belonged to Native Americans. In 1890, the Census Bureau declared that the frontier no longer existed.
Section 1: Miners, Ranchers, and Cowhands
Main Idea: Miners, ranchers, and cowhands settled in the West seeking economic opportunities. The Great Plains spread across the nation’s frontier from the Missouri River to the Rocky Mountains. Its grasslands were home to about 300,000 Native Americans in the mid-1800s. Gradually, white people also began to settle there. In 1859, gold and silver discoveries brought many settlers to Colorado and Nevada. Settlements near the more prosperous mines turned into boomtowns—towns that grew quickly in a short time. The mining boom lasted until the 1890s. Before the Civil War, cattle herds on the frontier were small. However, with the coming of railroads, ranchers could ship their cattle by rail to eastern cities. Cattle ranching became a profitable business. The first cowhands came from Mexico with the Spaniards in the 1500s. Known as vaqueros, they taught the American cowhands how to rope and ride. Many cowhands during the mid-1800s were former Confederate or Union soldiers. About one in three were either Mexican or African American. At first, rapidly growing towns in the West had no local governments or law officers. Sometimes groups took the law into their own hands and punished suspects in crimes without trials. As towns became more settled, citizens elected local sheriffs. By the late 1880s, the cattle boom had ended. The price of beef had dropped sharply as the supply had increased. The invention of barbed wire allowed sheep farmers to fence in their lands so cattle could not pass freely over trails. During the harsh winter of 1886–1887, thousands of cattle froze to death. Many ranchers went out of business.
Section 2: Native Americans Fight to Survive
Main Idea: The Native Americans of the Great Plains fought to maintain their way of life as settlers poured onto their lands. Before 1500, most Plains tribes lived in villages along rivers and streams. Central to their lives was the buffalo. They used nearly every part of it for food, clothing, or shelter. In the early 1540s, the Spanish had brought the first horses to the Great Plains. The Plains people quickly became expert riders. Many Plains tribes developed a nomadic way of life as they traveled across the Plains in search of buffalo. Eastern Native Americans tribes had been forced to live on western reservations by the federal government. But as more settlers moved west, the government tried to buy back some of the reservation land. When the Cheyenne and Sioux refused, fighting broke outbetween these tribes and government forces.In 1862, about 1,200 Colorado militia attacked a peaceful Cheyenne village. More than 150 Cheyennes were killed in what came to be known as the Sand Creek Massacre. In 1874, white prospectors rushed onto Sioux land after discovering gold there. Sioux warriors led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse hoped to drive them out. In June of 1876 in Montana, the Sioux wiped out the Seventh Cavalry, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer. The Battle of Little Big Horn was the last major Native American victory. The Nez Perce (nehz PURS) tribe lived throughout eastern Oregon and Idaho. During the 1860s, whites began forcing tribe members to sell their land and move. In 1877 a group of Nez Perce led by Chief Joseph refused and was eventually forced to surrender. In the Southwest, both the Navajos and the Apaches fought against being moved to reservations. By the late 1800s, most Plains tribes had been forced onto reservations. Some turned to Wokova, a Native American prophet. His followers were called Ghost Dancers. In December 1890, the army rounded up a large group of Ghost Dancers who were held at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. As the Native Americans handed over their weapons, a shot rang out. U.S. troops responded by killing about 300 Sioux. This was the Wounded Knee Massacre. In 1887, the Dawes Act encouraged Native Americans to assimilate, or adopt, white culture by becoming farmers. But in the end, his act did little to help Native Americans.
Section 3: Life in the West
Main Idea: Diverse groups of people helped to shape both the reality and the myth of the West. Western life provided new opportunities for women. They worked as teachers or domestics servants. Some became sheriffs, gamblers, and even outlaws. Western lawmakers granted women more rights than women had in the East. For example, in most western territories, women could own property and control their own money. In 1869, Wyoming Territory led the nation in giving women the vote. Cities grew quickly in the West. In just one year, San Francisco, California grew from a small town to a city of about 25,000 after the 1849 gold rush. Denver was not even a town in 1857. By 1867, it was the capital of Colorado Territory. Railroads also brought rapid growth. Omaha, Nebraska, flourished as a meat-processing center for area cattle ranches. Portland, Oregon, became a regional market for fish, grain, and lumber. For centuries, the Southwest had been home to Mexicanos—people of Spanish descent whose ancestors had come from Mexico. In 1848, the United States gained control of this land because it won the Mexican War. Soon after, Anglos, or English-speaking white settlers, caused the Mexicanos to lose economic and political power. Many Mexicanos also lost their land. Many Americans saw the West as a larger-than-life place. Novels portrayed white pioneers as heroes. Native Americans often appeared as villains. William “Buffalo Bill” Cody’s Wild West show also helped promote the myth of the Old West. The Wild West myth overlooked the contributions of many groups. The first cowhands, or Mexican vaqueros, taught ranching skills to the American newcomers. Native Americans and African Americans also played a role in cattle ranching. Many African Americans, known as “buffalo soldiers,” served in the U.S. army in the West. Chinese immigrantshelped build the western railroads.
Section 4: Farming and Populism
Main Idea: A wave of farmers moved to the Plains in the 1800s and faced many
economic problems. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered 160 acres of free land in the West to anyone who would live on the land and work it for five years. Many people responded by heading west, including thousands of African Americans and European immigrants. Frontier life was a challenge, but new inventions helped settlers to farm the land. The steel plow sliced through tough soil. Improved windmills pumped water from deep wells to the surface. Barbed wire allowed farmers to fence in livestock. Improved machinery helped farmers grow more food. But farmers faced problems in the 1870s when the prices of crops fell because farmers were producing so much food. At the same time, railroads charged high fees to carry crops to market. Farmers grew angry because it was harder and harder to make a living. In 1867, they joined forces to form the Grange. Soon the Grange formed cooperatives—businesses owned and operated by its members. Grangers asked states to regulate railroad rates. In 1877, the Supreme Court ruled that government could regulate railroads and other businesses that serve the public interest. In 1890, several farm groups formed the Populist Party, or People’s Party. This party wanted the government to adopt a free silver policy—the unlimited coining of silver.Farmers hoped that increasing the money supply would cause inflation, or higher prices for all goods—including crops. Opponents of free silver wanted to keep the gold standard. The Populist Party also called for government ownership of railroads and shorter working hours. The Populist candidate lost the 1892 presidential election but won more than a million votes. In 1896, the Populist Party candidate was William Jennings Bryan. Most farmers voted for Bryan, but the Republican candidate, William McKinley, won the election. In 1889, the last major piece of open land was settled during the Oklahoma land rush. Thousands of white settlers rushed to claim 2 million acres of land that had once belonged to Native Americans. In 1890, the Census Bureau declared that the frontier no longer existed.
