People
a young Lemhi Shoshone woman who became a guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Sacagawea
a vital 19th-century cattle route from Texas to Kansas railheads, used from the late 1860s to the mid-1880s to drive large herds of cattle north for shipment East
Chisholm Trail
a massive 1803 land deal where the U.S., under President Thomas Jefferson, bought roughly 828,000 square miles of territory from France for $15 million
Louisiana Purchase
areas of federal land reserved for native americans and there tribes
Reservations
the American open-range cattle industry following the Civil War, a period of immense growth and a "boom-and-bust" cycle in the West
Cattle Kingdom
known for co-leading the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
William Clark
the first continuous rail line connecting the eastern U.S. to the Pacific Coast, completed in 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah, linking the Union Pacific and Central Pacific
Transcontinental Railroad
a US military journey led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the recently acquired Louisiana Purchase, map the uncharted West, find a water route to the Pacific
Lewis and Clark Expedition
Give up traditional ways in favor of mainstream practices
Assimilate
the shifting, unsettled edge of explored territory, primarily in the American West, representing a boundary between civilization and wilderness, filled with opportunity
Frontier
American explorer, soldier, politician, and public administrator, best known for his role as the leader of the Lewis and Clark Expedition
Meriwether Lewis
a roughly 2,000-mile, 19th-century wagon route from Missouri to Oregon's Willamette Valley, used by hundreds of thousands of pioneers seeking land and opportunity in the American West
Oregon Trail
the process of herding large herds of cattle across long distances, primarily in the 19th century American West, to transport them from ranches to railheads for shipment to markets in the East
Cattle Drive
a decrease in the general price level of goods and services
Deflation
America's first major silver ore discovery, found in 1859 near Virginia City, Nevada
Comstock Lode
a real estate mogul famous for co-founding the Waldorf-Astoria hotel and dying on the Titanic, and a British politician/newspaper owner
John Jacob Aster
a historic 19th-century commercial highway, roughly 900 miles, connecting Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe Trail
a landmark agreement between the U.S. government and the Sioux Nation, establishing the "Great Sioux Reservation" and "unceded Indian territory" for Sioux hunting, ending Red Cloud's War, and promising self-sufficiency
Treaty of Fort Laramie
pioneers and farmers who settled the Great Plains, breaking tough prairie sod to farm
Sodusters
a community that experienced sudden, rapid growth due to an economic boom, often triggered by gold, silver, oil, or timber discoveries, leading to huge influxes of people seeking fortune, overwhelming existing infrastructure, and creating chaotic, quickly built towns
Boomtown
known for leading the Mormon migration west, establishing Salt Lake City, and serving as the first governor of the Utah Territory. As the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Brigham Young
was a nearly 2,000-mile trail from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, using a relay of horse riders to deliver mail in about 10 days, running through eight states
Pony Express Trail
a series of agreements between the U.S. government and the Kiowa, Comanche, Plains Apache, Southern Cheyenne, and Southern Arapaho tribes, aiming to end Plains Indian Wars by relocating tribes to reservations in Indian Territory
Treaty of Medicine Lodge
African Americans who migrated from the South to Kansas and other western states
Exobusters
an innovative, non-irrigated agricultural method developed for the Great Plains
Dry farming