Looking Toward the West

Chapter 6 Study Guide

Vocabulary:

  1. Sooner – people who snuck past the government officials to mark their land claim in advance
  2. land speculator – people who bought up large areas of land in the hope of selling it later for a large profit
  3. boomer–name for settlers and homesteaders
  4. exoduster–a group of African Americans that migrated west to escape racial violence in the south
  5. reservation – a tract of public land set apart for a special purpose…the use of an Indian tribe
  6. dry farming – planting crops that did not require a great deal of water and keeping the fields free of weeds; a type of farming practiced in semi-arid or dry grassland areas without irrigation…drought resistant crops and clearing weeds
  7. bonanza farms – resulted from the combination of big business and new agricultural techniques
  8. placer mining – the mining of minerals using loose dirt and water (panning)
  9. long drive – transporting cattle from ranges to cow towns
  10. deflation – drop in the prices/values of goods
  11. monetary policy – the federal government’s plan for the make-up and quantity of the nation’s money supply
  12. stereotypes – oversimplified, fixed ideas widely believed about a group of people
  13. “buffalo soldier” – Name for African American cavalry men by the Native Americans

Identification Terms:

  1. Morrill Land-Grant Act – provided ways for settlers to acquire western lands, set aside for state colleges
  2. Homestead Act – provided ways for settlers to acquire western lands, 160 acres
  3. Battle of Little Bighorn – Custer’s cavalry was wiped out by Native Americans…it was the last NA victory
  4. Massacre at Wounded Knee – American soldiers killed more than 200 unarmed Sioux
  5. homesteaders lifestyles – often had to struggle even for the necessities, hardships led settlers to depend on one another, examples…barnraising, quilting bees etc
  6. Dawes Act– 1887 Act gave separate plots of land to each Native American family headed by a male
  7. Brand-Allison Act – required the federal government to purchase more silver…increasing the money supply and inflation
  8. the Grange – farming cooperative; pressured state legislatures to regulate the businesses that farmers relied on
  9. “free silver” benefit for farmers – increase in crop prices
  10. farmers complaints – high tariffs on manufactured goods, unfair railroad practices
  11. Interstate Commerce Act – passed to regulate railroad rates and practices
  12. Populist – supported a progressive income tax, free silver, and an eight hour work day
  13. progressive income tax – the percentage of tax a person pays increases as their income increases
  14. Turner thesis – 1893, claimed the frontier had played a central role in forming the American character, helped create the strong, individualistic American Spirit
  15. farm mechanization – resulted in an increase in farm production and stress of debt in years with poor crop yields
  16. end of open range – invention of barbed wire used to fence in the open range ended the cattle boom
  17. myths of west – settlers were nearly all white males

Other Topics to Consider:

William Jennings Bryan – ran as the Democratic and Populist party nominee in the presidential election of 1896

William F. “Buffalo Bill” Cody – American who became famous by playing up the myths of the American West in his Wild West show

Juliette Low – in 1912, this American woman founded the American Girl Scouts because she feared that civilization had made girls too soft

Open Response Possibilities:

  1. The conquest of the Native Americans resulted from a clash of cultures. Based on prior knowledge and class activities and discussion provide evidence to both support and refute this statement.
  1. Discuss the rationalization used by white Americans to justify violating treaties and taking Native American land. Under what biases were the reformers operating who wanted to “civilize” the Native Americans? What assumptions did the federal government make in passing the Dawes Act? What examples of these issues do we continue to see in the world today?

Sample brainstorm:

Many agreements between Native Americans and settlers had differing concepts of land ownership. Settlers felt they had a greater right to western lands than the Native Americans because they produced more food and wealth than the Native Americans. The experiences of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce illustrate how violent conflicts arose among settlers, the federal government, and Native Americans. One way the government sought to change Native Americans was by requiring them to farm individual plots of land.

  • Dawas Act
  • Chief Joseph = the chief that led the Nez Perce’ in their flight from the U.S. Army