Early Settlement of the West

• How did the Indians use the buffalo?


  Food, clothing, shelter, tools, and spiritual significance.
• Why were buffalo important to the Indians?


  Warfare, Society, Life.
• The Oregon Trail was created in which year?


  1841
• How long was the Oregon Trail?


  3,200km
• In total, how many people crossed the Oregon Trail?


  400,000
• People Emigrated because of PUSH and PULL factors.
• Name 3 PULL factors.

  • Gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada, California in 1848. This led to 200,000 leaving the East in April 1849 in the hope of finding gold.
  • In 1842, the US Government passed the Pre-emption Act, which allowed settlers to claim 140 acres of land and then purchase it for $1.25 per acre after a year.
  • As the Midwest became increasingly settled, some were attracted by the chance to settle on the new ‘frontier’ in the new open spaces of Oregon and California.
• Name 3 PUSH factors.

  • In 1837, the US was hit by a depression. Banks collapsed and businesses went bankrupt which led to unemployment (25%) and . The West offered a new life and opportunity to start again.
  • For many Americans, it was their God-given duty to spread their ‘civilisation’ and democracy across the whole of the United States.
  • Groups like the Mormons decided to move West to flee religious persecution and to also find the ‘promised land’. Others were missionaries, who wanted to convert the native Americans.
• What year did the Donner Party set off?


  1846
• How many people were in the Donner Party?


  300
• Donner Party - how many took a shortcut?


  80
• How many of the Donner Party died?


  40
• How many wagons did the Donner Party have?


  60
• What years cover the Mormon Migration?


  1846-1869
• How many Mormons had migrated by 1869?


  70,000
• Why was Brigham Young so important to the Mormons success?

  • Spoke with trail guides and explorers to find out as much as he could about Salt Lake Valley.
  • Before leaving Illinois he organised a count of people (3200) and wagons (2500) to enable him to plan the logistics.
  • Built the ‘Winter Quarters’ so families could take shelter in 1846.
  • The advance party was well supplied/prepared with food, equipment and a boat. This allowed the success of later journeys.
  • Migrants were divided into manageable groups with their own leaders.
• The largest Gold Rush was where? And what year?


  California, 1849
• Societal Consequences of the Gold Rush


  Displacement of Plains Indians, social unrest, crime, and economic changes
• Problems facing settlers on the Plains?

  Harsh weather, lack of water, isolation, PI conflicts, poor soil, lack of building materials.
• When was the (first) Fort Laramie Treaty?


  1851
• On 17th September 1851, the Fort Laramie Treaty was signed between representatives of the Plains Indian tribes and the American Government.
• Terms of the The Fort Laramie Treaty:

  THE INDIANS WOULD:

  • End the fighting between the tribes.
  • Allow migrants to travel through their land in safety.
  • Permit surveyors from railroad companies to enter their lands in safety.
  • Pay Compensation.
  • THE US GOVERNMENT WOULD:
  • Protect Indians from white Americans.
  • Agreed Indians to have specific territory for ‘all time’ e.g. Sioux to have Black Hills in Dakota Pay the tribes an annuity (yearly payment) of $50,000 and provide supplies as long as the Treaty terms were kept to.
• Did the Fort Laramie Treaty succeed?


  No.
• Vigilantism in the American West

  The practice of taking the law into one's own hands, often leading to acts of violence and uncontrolled justice.
• Lack of Law Enforcement in the American West


  The shortage of funded and staffed law enforcement agencies in the frontier West, leaving areas vulnerable to crime and lawlessness.