Westward Expansion

Sought to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream U.S. society by annihilating their cultural and social traditions.

• Homestead Act

• Dawes Act

• Transcontinental Railroad

• Cattle Industry

Forcing the Native Americans to dress, speak, and act like Americans.

• Dawes Act

• Homestead Act

• Cattle Industry

• Assimilation of Native Americans

Ranchers bought cattle in Texas and drove them across the open range to sell in Kansas. They ended due to the expansion of the railroad, refrigerated cars and the invention of barbed wire.

• Cattle Industry

• Settling the Great Plains

• Assimilation of Native Americans

• Homestead Act

Overcame the lack of rain and trees by digging water wells and using dry farming techniques, made sod houses, and used steel plows for the first time.

• Homestead Act

• Transcontinental Railroad

• Cattle Industry

• Settling the Great Plains

Settlers were given 160 acres of land to farm for five years.

• Settling the Great Plains

• Transcontinental Railroad

• Homestead Act

• Assimilation of Native Americans

Allowed for increased movement of goods to distant markets, westward settlement, and better communication.

• Expansion of Railroads/Transcontinental Railroad

• Homestead Act

• Cattle Industry

• Dawes Act