Key Words
People moved to California in search of gold
The Gold Rush
Form of transportation to move out west
Covered wagon
Main resource Native Americans relied on for their clothing, food, and more before Westward Expansion
Bison/ buffalo
Connected these two coasts
East and West
People who were given land by the government and had 5 years to create a successful farm on that land
Homesteaders
1848-1855 settlers chose to move to California to "strike it rich"
Gold Rush
Native Americans were forced off their land and onto these
Reservations
Forced this group of people off their land while building
Native Americans
Had to deal with Native American raids on the plains, started in Nebraska, and many workers were Irish laborers
Union Pacific
Starting point for many settlers
St. Louis, Missouri
Native Americans were forced to assimilate in several ways such as:
Changing their names to English names, not wearing their traditional clothing, children were sent to schools to focus on carpentry and housing, etc.
Chinese immigrants who worked on the Transcontinental Railroad and were treated poorly
Coolies
Had to blast tunnels through the Sierra Nevada Mountains, started in California, and many workers were Chinese immigrants
Central Pacific
Obstacles settlers faced when moving west
Mountains, extreme temperatures, bad storms, rivers, lack of shelter, desert, etc.
Also known as Custer’s Last Stand because Custer and all of his men were killed in the battle
Battle of Little Bighorn
The two parts of the railroad that were connected from Sacramento, California and Omaha, Nebraska
Central Pacific and Union Pacific
The belief that it was the destiny of the US to expand from the east coast (Atlantic Ocean) to the west coast (Pacific Ocean)
Manifest Destiny
Why settlers chose to move west
More land, cheap land, opportunities to make money, etc.
The final major conflict between Native Americans and the US government- the US government forced many Native Americans out of their homes and onto reservations
Wounded Knee
Group of people who worked on the railroad
Chinese immigrants, Irish immigrants, newly freed African Americans, etc.