Homestead Act
Transcontinental RR
Native Americans
Technology
Potpourri
100
What was the purpose of the Homestead Act?
To give incentive to emigrate out west
100
Where was the Transcontinental Railroad?
stretched from east coast to west coast of the U.S.
100
What was the name of the act that pushed Native Americans to the west of the Mississippi River?
Indian Removal Act
100
What two pieces of technology made farming easier?
John Deere steel plow and the mcormick reaper
100
What is the name of the thick layer of roots farmers had to plow, and was sometimes used to build houses?
sod
200
Who could take part in the Homestead Act?
any citizen who didn't fight against the government or immigrants who filed to become a citizen
200
What were the two companies that built the RR named?
central pacific, union pacific
200
What was the main source of food/clothing/ and shelter for the plains Native Americans?
buffalo
200
How did farmers keep out the roaming cattle and protect their crops?
barb wire
200
What is it called when water and wind transport rock and soil away from one location to another?
erosion
300
What were the requirements for you to own the piece of land? ( Hint: There are 4.)
live on it for 5 years, improve the land, have a 12 x 14 dwelling, and pay 10$ (small) fee.
300
What was dangerous about working on the RR? Give at least 2 examples.
work done by hand, heat, explosions, if hurt there was no where to go.
300
What was the attitude of the military towards the Native Americans?
Kill them all, exterminate
300
What piece of technology helped Buffalo Bill kill buffalo faster?
henry repeating rifle
300
How long did it take to travel across country on the TCRR?
10 days
400
Name two of the troubles farmers had while growing crops.
invasions of grasshoppers, droughts, wandering cattle
400
Name 3 different types of workers who were used to build the RR.
Chinese, Irish immigrants, freedmen (ex-slaves), ex-confederate soldiers
400
Where were the Native Americans finally put? Describe the quality of land.
Reservations; small amounts of land that nobody wanted
400
What was so effective about the innovations to the plow and the reaper?
steel plow was stronger than the wooden plow and dirt didn't stick to it like the iron plow reaper could harvest crops much faster
400
What were the dangers of riding the TCRR? Give 2 examples.
Weather (blizzards and floods) Train Robbers
500
What was the weather/climate like?
blistering hot, or frigidly cold, and there were tornadoes
500
Why were the railroad owners considered crooks? Give two examples.
various answers
500
Describe how the white man changed the Native Americans. (Hint: think about the before and after picture).
made them cut their hair and dress the way the white man did
500
How did technology have a negative impact on the environment? Must include at least 3 reasons.
plow tilled the land and 100 million acres were destroyed, influenced the dust bowl (erosion) henry repeater helped kill off the buffalo which had a major effect on the prairie's ecosystem TCRR helped in killing the buffalo and brought people to the west to farm.
500
What was Wounded Knee?
The final massacre of Native American's in 1890
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