Westward Expansion Vocab flashcards

Front

Frontier

Back

An underdeveloped area.

Front

Comstock Lode

Back

A huge deposit of gold and silver that was found in Nevada in 1859.

Front

Boomtowns

Back

Communities that grew suddenly when a mine opened.

Front

Cattle Kingdom

Back

The Great Plains from Texas to Canada, where many ranchers raised cattle in the late 1800s.

Front

Cattle Drive

Back

Long journeys where cowboys herded cattle to market.

Front

Pony Express

Back

A system of messengers on horseback who carried mail to the West.

Front

Transcontinental Railroad

Back

A railroad that crossed the continent and connected the East to the West.

Front

Reservation

Back

Areas of federal land set aside for Native Americans.

Front

Buffalo Soldiers

Back

U.S. troops sent to the West to force the Indians to leave.

Front

Dawes General Allotment Act

Back

Tried to lessen traditional influences on Indian society by making land ownership private rather than shared.