The Great Plains
When did Americans travel west across the Great Plains?
Americans travelled west across the Great Plains in teh 1840s and 1850s.
How many people moved to the the west after the Homestead Act?
Thousands of Americans moved to the Great Plains.
Who/What lived on the Great Plains? (2 ansers)
Buffalo and Native Americans lived on the Great Plains.
Which groups helped build the railroads west? (4 groups).
The African Americans, Mexican Americans, Irish, and Chinese helped build the railroads west.
Where were the Great Plains located?
They were located between Iowa and the Rocky Mountains.
What did farmers grow on the Great Plains?
Farmers grew corn and wheat on the Great Plains.
Why did Native Americans move to different places?
They moved to different places to hunt buffalo.
Which railroad company built the railroad east across the United States?
The Union Pacific Railroad built the railroad east.
Why didn't many Americans want to live on the Great Plains? (3 reason)
There as little rain, the land was flat, and they didn't think they could grow food.
What was difficult about growing wheat on the Great Plains? (2 things)
There was not enough rain, and there were terrible snowstorms.
Why did the settlers and Native Americans have a bad relationship?
They had a bad relationship because the settlers killed the buffalo.
Which railroad company built the railroad west across the United States.
The Central Pacific Railroad built the railroad west across the United States.
When was the Homestead Act passed?
The Homestead Act was passed in 1862.
Why did many Americans move to California?
Many Americans moved to California becuase of the gold rush.
How did the US government change Native American life?
The US government gave the Native Americans reservations to live on. (They did not move place to place anymore)
How was life working on the railroad?
It was hard and dangerous, and many people were killed.
What did the Homestead Act do?
The Homestead act gave settlers free land on the Great Plains.
What were the rules for the Homestead Act? (2-3 things)
Settlers had to (a) live on the land for five years (b) build a house and (c) farm the land
How did the settlers affect the Native American way of life? (2 ways).
b) The settlers killed many Native Americans
What helped the US with westward expansion? (2 things)
The Homestead Act and the railroads helped the US with westward expansion.