Railroads
What act provided land and loans to railroad companies to encourage westward expansion?
Pacific Railroad Act (1862)
What event is known as "Custer’s Last Stand"?
Battle of Little Bighorn (1876
Why were buffalo hunts crucial to Native American tribes
They used every part of the Buffalo for different parts of their life.
What act provided free land to settlers willing to farm?
Homestead Act
What was the open-range system in Texas?
cattle roaming freely on public land
By 1916, how many miles of track were there in the United States
254,000
Who led the Sioux resistance against U.S. forces after the Battle of Little Bighorn?
Sitting Bull
How many buffalo were killed by white hunters in the 1870s
10 million buffalo
What challenges did farmers face in the arid climate of the West?
difficulty accessing water and poor soil conditions
What was the purpose of cattle drives?
herd cattle to railroad cities for sale or transport
What was the primary purpose of the railroads connecting the East and West?
Facilitate the movement of people and goods
What was the U.S. government's strategy to control Native American tribes during westward expansion?
establishing reservations
What government action contributed to the decline of the buffalo herds?
allowing white hunters to kill buffalo for sport
What was the role of lumber mills in the development of the West?
providing wood for railroads, houses, and towns
How did dime novels contribute to cowboy culture?
by telling exciting stories that shaped their legendary status
What role did the government take in promoting the growth of towns along railroad lines. What were some incentives provided?
land grants and loans to railroad companies to encourage settlement and development
Describe the significance of the Wounded Knee incident in 1890.
marked the end of major Native American resistance on the Plains
What was the condition of the buffalo population by 1883
only 2,000 buffalo survivors remained
What was the Reclamation Act of 1902?
government initiative to fund irrigation projects
How did the expansion of railroads in the late 1800s impact the lifestyle and practices of cowboys in the American West?
expansion of railroads allowed for quicker transportation of cattle to markets, leading to changes in cattle drives and ultimately reducing the need for long-distance herding
Name one major impact of railroads on the U.S. economy after the Civil War.
rapid transportation of cattle, crops, lumber, and minerals
What was the impact of the Indian Removal Act on Native American tribes
forced relocation and displacement from their ancestral lands
Why did the US government want to decrease the Buffalo population in the Great Plains?
To indirectly control the native americans into need government assistance and living on reservations.
How did agribusiness change farming in the West?
use of machinery to operate large-scale farms, higher crop output
How was the media portrayal of cowboys different from the actual daily lives and realities of cowboys?
Being a cowboy was a very hard and not a glamorous job, many cowboys were also minorities like mexicans or african americans.