American expansion

• 1830


  smith visited by angel meroni, told him where to the golden books (only him and his family saw them).

  then he published the Book of Mormon and the Mormon faith was formed
• 1837 


  Economic crisis in Kirkland

  Mormons got blamed and got persecuted
• Mormon travel path at beginning

  Kirkland (1937 eco crisis) to

  missouri (immediately persecuted, property looted, no vote, smith put in prison)

  Illinois (good until 1844, smith said god insisted for them to practise polygamy, he recieved lots of backlash and was imprisoned and killed in prison. So brigham young stepped and took them west to safety
• brigham young 


  second leader of the Mormons, different to smith as he was very realistic and down to earth. great person to lead the Mormons out to the west as he had planned a previous migration for the Mormons from Missour to nauvoo
• 1846

  Mormons left the east to travel west to great salt lake ( as great salt lake was controlled by Mexico so they would be out of reach of American law and persecution, lead by Brigham young
• How did brigham young succeed in travelling over the plains

  • he used leaflets and asked plains Indians what the conditions were like in great salt lake so he knew what to expect.
  • organised wagon trains to carry supplies
  • organised a structure, captains were chosen and would be in charge of 100 people
  • strict rules, if broken people would be punished
  • pioneer groups were sent up before them ( planted crops and and carpentrys and blacksmiths were set up.
  • winter quarters were built for the Mormons to sleep in over winter, as the winter months were very dangerous
• 1846


  Mormons began to travel
• 1847 


  Mormons successfully reached great salt lake
• How did young manage to make the mormoms thrive at such a desolate place

  • irrigation ditches were dug, bringing clean water down from the mountains.
  • work parties were set up to look for wood and water
  • no private ownership of land, church distributed out evenly by the church to avoid conflict and each person had to farm there land otherwise it would be repossessed, this ensured that people put in their worth and ensured a thriving community
  • food strictly rationed and people had slots where they they allowed to use the Water, keeps a fair and equal community
• what happend in 1848


  The US government, had a war with mexico and resulted in great salt lake becoming back under control of the US government, so The old tension returned.
• 1857 


  Because America was back in control of the Mormons Land, they sent out their government to Utah (great salt lake). the situation became very tense as the Americans didn’t expect the Mormons to have an army and the Mormons were threatened by the US
• Why did so many people hate the Mormons

  • the rapidly increasing number alarmed people, they thought the Mormons were trying to take over
  • the practise of polygamy was hated by Americans, seen as savage also furthered the fear for the Mormons taking over as it would lead to an increase in numbers.
  • they thought they were gods chosen people, thought they were special and looked down on non Mormons and called them names such as gentiles.
• Because of all the old tenison, resurfacing as a result of America owning the land again what happened

  1857- mountain meadow massacre
• 1857


  mountain meadow massacre
• Mountain Meadow massacre 


  A wagon train, full of American people, passed through Mormon land, the Mormons tricked the passengers to come outside from the carts then proceeded to slaughter them. killing 120 people, sparing only children younger than 7.
• How many americans did the mormons kill

  120

  spared those only under 7
• results of mountain meadow massacre of 1857 


  US send their army to Utah to deal with the Mormons.

  however footage of the Mormons drew sympathy so the war ended
• When did Utah become a state

  1896

  under the condition that polygamy was to be banned
• Counting coup 


  Touching your enemy with a special stick (coup stick). As a dead man was no use to the family or tribe so there no honour in dying.

  white men saw it as evidence that they see war as a game. Think of them as savages
• Spirits and the plains Indians

  Think they were created by the great spirit called wakan tanka.

  wakan tanka created the whole of nature,

  cant own or farm land as created by wakan tanka (wouldn’t take a hoe upon your own mother)

  they contacted the spirit through dances. eg the sun dance
• circles and plains Indians

  circles were very sacred to the plains Indians .

  described the circle of life and the circle of the seasons
• Horses and plains Indians 


  Horses were very usefully to the plains Indians

  • used for hunting
  • saw as how good the tribe was based off their horses
• tipis


  designed to fit in with nomadic lifestyle

  • Packed up in 10 mins
  • made from buffalo hide and seek wooden pole
  • deal with the extreme weather: TO HOT - bottom can be opened up to allow breeze in, TOO COLD- the top opens up as a chimney so there can be a fire in there. TO WINDY- they are in a conical shape to help withstand the wind
• Buffalo 


  based their whole lives around them:

  • used for cooking (dung for fuel)
  • bones used for weapons
  • hide for tipi
  • flesh for food
• Nomadic lifestyle 


  Always on the move following the buffalo
• What did the Great Plains used to be

  An ocean bed (explains the landscape and conditions including weather)
• Plans Indians view on women

  Very important highly respected

  role was to look after the families
• Donner party 


  a party who traveled with the Mormons, the group had to result to cannibalism to survive the journey
• How many people had left to travel west in seach for gold in 1849

  over 200,000 people
• Manifest destiny 


  white Americans god given right to go west and spread Christianity, civilise the west It was a major pull factor Term first used in 1845
• When was the Mormons founded

  1830
• Why did The last place nauvoo kick the Mormons out 


  joseph smith began to have their own army danites, caused alarm to many as they feared they would take over

  Joseph smith introduced idea of polygamy in 1844, went against the white beliefs

  1845 tipping point smith announced he was running for president. Last straw and he was shot dead and mormons forced to move, brigham young took over and took them to great salt lake
• How to remember where the Mormons went to to avoid persecution 


  Rember

  K ill

  M iss

  N icely

  Kirkland

  Missouri

  nauvoo
• What else did young do to create a thriving community 


  Added tolls to travel on Mormon land

  created workshops and depots where travelers from the gold rush could stock up
• the way Mormons acted caused them to be hated

  Arrogant as believed they were gods chosen people, called not Mormons names like gentiles
• Mountain meadow massacre 


  Mormons attacked an American wagon train

  1857

  120 killed

  only ppl under 7 spared
• Why did the mountain meadow massacre occur

  Because only tensions returned after land became back under control of America in 1848.

  America sent their government to utah in 1857 but left after fearfull of a full scale war as they realised Mormons had an army. Mormons mistaked this as an attack so lead to mountain meadow massacre
• 1862 


  Homestead act

  160 acres of land if you farm for 5 years
• 1862

  little crows war

  us government refused to make promised compenstations
• Problems for westward expansion for the plains Indians

  -Disrupted buffalo herds

  -spread diseases that plains Indians had no immunity to

  -disagreements about their way of life with white Americans

  so as a result the plains Indians became hostile to white settlers and attacked them

  led to 1851 fort Laramie treaty for security from the plains Indians