Transcontinental Railroad and Westward Expansion

Westward Expansion

Unit 3

Go West, Grow Rich: Why did people move West following the Civil War

• Strike it Rich! Looking for gold & silver

• Free and cheap land

• Adventure!

• A chance for equality, new beginning for former slaves

• Technological advancements making transportation easier (the Transcontinental Railroad)

Striking it Rich!

By 1849, thousands of Americans and immigrants had gold fever! Many packed up and moved in hopes of striking it rich. Gold was found in 1849 in California. By the 1860s, silver was found in Colorado, and copper in Arizona. Mining towns, such as Denver, Colorado sprang up across the West.

Open Ended

What were the negative effects of the American Gold Rush?

The answers are in the previous video, watch it again if you missed it.

An opportunity to own land drew people to move west of the Mississippi River.

In an effort to settle the west the U.S. government offered free or cheap land to homesteaders. Many people participated in "land rushes" to claim land.

The Homestead Act of 1862

This law provided free land in the west for settlers who would live on the land for five years and pay an eighteen dollar fee. The land was in what is now the states of Kansas, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska and Wyoming. Any adult, male or female, who was 21 or the head of a family, would get 160 acres. The settlers would have to build a home and farm the land to own the land after five years. If they wanted to own it after only six months, they could pay $1.25 per acre.

Multiple Select

What were the requirements to participate in the Homestead Act of 1862? Check all that apply.

• $18 fee

• Live on the land for 5 years

• 21 years old and head of family

• male

• Make improvements to the land

The First Application for the Homestead Act:

• Received from Daniel Freeman

Some people moved west looking for an ADVENTURE!

For many young veterans after the Civil War, life back home seemed dull. Men from small towns and rural farms longed for for adventure and new opportunities.

For former slaves, moving west was a chance to start over.

The South had many bitter memories for former slaves. They continued to be treated poorly so for many, moving west was a matter of life or death.

Some African American men moved West to become Buffalo Soldiers. Others moved to become Cowboys. Both jobs gave African American men a chance to gain great respect and independence.

Buffalo Soldiers

Cheyenne Indians encountered a group of soldiers with dark skin and curly hair and a fearless fighting spirit. The American Indians highly respected these soliders and nicknamed them "Buffalo Soldiers" after the scared buffalo.

The Black Cowboys

Being a cowboy was a line of work in which many African American men found great respect and some form of equality with whites. They worked as skilled horsemen in Texas, Nebraska, and Missouri. In the early days of the old West, African Amerians were even appointed as marshals and sheriffs.

Exodusters

• Many African Americans fled the south to Kansas, a state that welcomed them.

• They were nicknamed "Exodusters" from the story of Exodus in the Bible.

• They started all black towns like Nicodemus, Kansas.

Multiple Choice

This job gave African American men a chance at equality and respect.

• Gold Miner

• Cowboy

• Exoduster

• Teacher

Multiple Choice

This was a group of African American settlers who related to the Bible story of Exodus.

• Buffalo Soldiers

• Cowboys

• Miners

• Exodusters

Technological Advances lead to greater settlement of the West

• In the past, settlers would travel by foot, carriage, horses for months!

• With the connecting of the Transcontinental Railroad, travel was sped up! Now settlers could get from one coast to another within days.

• This also helped ship necessary supplies west to aid in settlement.

Multiple Choice

The Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroad companies met in

• Denver, Colorado

• Promontory Point, UT

• Salt Lake City, UT

• Sacramento, CA

Multiple Choice

Which group of workers were left out of the original celebration of the Transcontinental Railroad?

• Chinese

• Italian

• African Americans

• Whites

Pros of the Transcontinental Railroad:

• faster transportation

• safer transportation

• connected East & West, making it easy to ship and sell products.

• improved communication

Negtiaves of the Transcontinental Railroad

• environmental destruction

• displaced American Indians

• Killed a lot of buffalo (livelihood of the American Indian)

• dangerous working conditions-many died