Westward Expansion Part 2 Test will be Friday 3/23 for the am students and Monday 3/26
Chapter 11 Lesson 4, Extermination of the Buffalo, and the Battle of Little Big Horn
SS4H3 Explain westward expansion in America.
b. Describe the impact of westward expansion on American Indians; Battle of Little Bighorn The extermination of the buffalo, and the forced relocation of American Indians to reservations.
c. Describe territorial expansion with emphasis on the
Oregon (Oregon Trail), and California (Gold Rush and the development of mining towns).
Westward Expansion Oregon Trail
History >> Westward Expansion
Westward Expansion
The Oregon Trail was a major route that people took when migrating to the western part of the United States. Between 1841 and 1869, hundreds of thousands of people traveled westward on the trail. Many of them traveled in large wagon trains using covered wagons to carry their belongings.
The Route
The Oregon Trail began in Independence, Missouri and ended in Oregon City, Oregon. It stretched for around 2,000 miles and through six different states including Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon. Along the way, travelers had to cross all sorts of rough terrain such as the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Covered Wagons
The main vehicle used to carry the pioneer's belongings was the covered wagon. Sometimes these wagons were called "Prairie Schooners", because they were like boats going over the vast prairies of the west. The wagons were made of wood with iron around the wheels like tires. The covers were made from waterproofed cotton or linen canvas. The typical covered wagon was about 10 feet long and four feet wide.
Most of the settlers used oxen to pull their wagons. The oxen were slow, but steady. Sometimes mules were used as well. A fully loaded wagon could weigh as much as 2,500 pounds. A lot of the time the pioneers walked alongside the wagons. Traveling wasn't too bad with the wagons on the flat terrain of the prairies, but once the settlers reached the Rocky Mountains, getting the wagons up and down steep trails was very difficult.
Dangers
Traveling the Oregon Trail in the 1800s was a dangerous journey. However, the danger wasn't from Native Americans as you might think. As a matter of fact, many records show that Native Americans helped many of the travelers along the way. The real danger was from a disease called cholera that killed many settlers. Other dangers included bad weather and accidents while trying to move their heavy wagons over the mountains.
Supplies
The pioneers were able to bring very little with them. When they left their homes in the east, they had to leave most of their belongings. The covered wagon was mostly filled with food. It took over a 1,000 pounds of food to feed a family of four on the trip out west. They took preserved foods such as hard tack, coffee, bacon, rice, beans, and flour. They also took a few basic cooking utensils such as a coffee pot, some buckets, and an iron skillet.
The pioneers didn't have room for a lot of fancy items. They only had room to pack two or three sets of tough clothing. They packed candles for lighting and a rifle to hunt with along the way. Other items included tents, bedding, and basic tools such as an axe and a shovel.
Other Trails
Although the Oregon Trail was the most used wagon trail, there were other trails that led out west. Some of them branched off the Oregon Trail like the California Trail which left the Oregon Trail in Idaho and headed south to California. There was also the Mormon Trail which went from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Interesting Facts about the Oregon Trail
History >> Westward Expansion
Westward Expansion
The Oregon Trail was a major route that people took when migrating to the western part of the United States. Between 1841 and 1869, hundreds of thousands of people traveled westward on the trail. Many of them traveled in large wagon trains using covered wagons to carry their belongings.
The Route
The Oregon Trail began in Independence, Missouri and ended in Oregon City, Oregon. It stretched for around 2,000 miles and through six different states including Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon. Along the way, travelers had to cross all sorts of rough terrain such as the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Covered Wagons
The main vehicle used to carry the pioneer's belongings was the covered wagon. Sometimes these wagons were called "Prairie Schooners", because they were like boats going over the vast prairies of the west. The wagons were made of wood with iron around the wheels like tires. The covers were made from waterproofed cotton or linen canvas. The typical covered wagon was about 10 feet long and four feet wide.
Most of the settlers used oxen to pull their wagons. The oxen were slow, but steady. Sometimes mules were used as well. A fully loaded wagon could weigh as much as 2,500 pounds. A lot of the time the pioneers walked alongside the wagons. Traveling wasn't too bad with the wagons on the flat terrain of the prairies, but once the settlers reached the Rocky Mountains, getting the wagons up and down steep trails was very difficult.
Dangers
Traveling the Oregon Trail in the 1800s was a dangerous journey. However, the danger wasn't from Native Americans as you might think. As a matter of fact, many records show that Native Americans helped many of the travelers along the way. The real danger was from a disease called cholera that killed many settlers. Other dangers included bad weather and accidents while trying to move their heavy wagons over the mountains.
Supplies
The pioneers were able to bring very little with them. When they left their homes in the east, they had to leave most of their belongings. The covered wagon was mostly filled with food. It took over a 1,000 pounds of food to feed a family of four on the trip out west. They took preserved foods such as hard tack, coffee, bacon, rice, beans, and flour. They also took a few basic cooking utensils such as a coffee pot, some buckets, and an iron skillet.
The pioneers didn't have room for a lot of fancy items. They only had room to pack two or three sets of tough clothing. They packed candles for lighting and a rifle to hunt with along the way. Other items included tents, bedding, and basic tools such as an axe and a shovel.
Other Trails
Although the Oregon Trail was the most used wagon trail, there were other trails that led out west. Some of them branched off the Oregon Trail like the California Trail which left the Oregon Trail in Idaho and headed south to California. There was also the Mormon Trail which went from Council Bluffs, Iowa to Salt Lake City, Utah.
Interesting Facts about the Oregon Trail
- In 1849, a guide was published describing the overland journey to California.
- There were reports of the trail being littered with items that people cast off along the way. These included books, stoves, trunks and other heavy items.
- It took about five months for a wagon train to make the journey.
- The first major migration took place in 1843 when a single large wagon train of 120 wagons and 500 people made the trip.
- The trail was popular until the transcontinental railroad connected the east to the west in 1869.
- In 1978, the U.S. Congress officially named the trail the Oregon National Historic Trail. Although much of the trail has been built over through the years, around 300 miles of it has been preserved and you can still see the ruts made from the wagon wheels.
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California Gold Rush, there were only around 14,000 non-Native Americans living in California. This soon changed. Around 6,000 people arrived in 1848 and in 1849 around 90,000 people arrived to hunt for gold. These people were called the Forty-niners. They came from all around the world. Some were Americans, but many came from places like China, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.
Digging for Gold
Many of the first prospectors did make a lot of money. They often made ten times in a day what they could working a normal job. The original miners would pan for gold. Later, more complex methods were used to allow multiple miners to work together and search larger amounts of gravel for gold.
What is "panning for gold"?
One method miners used to separate gold from dirt and gravel was called panning. When panning for gold, miners put gravel and water into a pan and then shook the pan back and forth. Because gold is heavy it will eventually work its way to the bottom of the pan. After shaking the pan for a while, the gold will be on the bottom of the pan and the worthless material will be at the top. Then the miner can extract the gold and set it aside.
Supplies
All these thousands of miners needed supplies. Typical supplies for a miner included a mining pan, a shovel, and a pick for mining. They also needed food and living supplies such as coffee, bacon, sugar, beans, flour, bedding, a tent, lamp, and a kettle.
The store and business owners who sold supplies to the miners often became wealthier than the miners. They were able to sell items at very high prices and the miners were willing to pay.
Boomtowns
Whenever gold was discovered in a new place, miners would move in and make a mining camp. Sometimes these camps would rapidly grow into towns called boomtowns. The cities of San Francisco and Columbia are two examples of boomtowns during the gold rush.
Ghost Towns
A lot of boomtowns eventually turned into abandoned ghost towns. When the gold ran out in an area, the miners would leave to find the next gold strike. The businesses would leave too and soon the town would be empty and abandoned. One example of a gold rush ghost town is Bodie, California. Today it is a popular tourist attraction.
Interesting Facts about the Gold Rush
Digging for Gold
Many of the first prospectors did make a lot of money. They often made ten times in a day what they could working a normal job. The original miners would pan for gold. Later, more complex methods were used to allow multiple miners to work together and search larger amounts of gravel for gold.
What is "panning for gold"?
One method miners used to separate gold from dirt and gravel was called panning. When panning for gold, miners put gravel and water into a pan and then shook the pan back and forth. Because gold is heavy it will eventually work its way to the bottom of the pan. After shaking the pan for a while, the gold will be on the bottom of the pan and the worthless material will be at the top. Then the miner can extract the gold and set it aside.
Supplies
All these thousands of miners needed supplies. Typical supplies for a miner included a mining pan, a shovel, and a pick for mining. They also needed food and living supplies such as coffee, bacon, sugar, beans, flour, bedding, a tent, lamp, and a kettle.
The store and business owners who sold supplies to the miners often became wealthier than the miners. They were able to sell items at very high prices and the miners were willing to pay.
Boomtowns
Whenever gold was discovered in a new place, miners would move in and make a mining camp. Sometimes these camps would rapidly grow into towns called boomtowns. The cities of San Francisco and Columbia are two examples of boomtowns during the gold rush.
Ghost Towns
A lot of boomtowns eventually turned into abandoned ghost towns. When the gold ran out in an area, the miners would leave to find the next gold strike. The businesses would leave too and soon the town would be empty and abandoned. One example of a gold rush ghost town is Bodie, California. Today it is a popular tourist attraction.
Interesting Facts about the Gold Rush
- San Francisco was a small town of around 1,000 people when gold was discovered. A few years later it had over 30,000 residents.
- California was admitted as the 31st state of the United States in 1850 during the gold rush.
- Sometimes groups of miners used "rockers" or "cradles" to mine. They could mine a lot more gravel and dirt this way than with just a pan.
- There have been other gold rushes in the United States including the Pike's Peak gold rush in Colorado and the Klondike gold rush in Alaska.
- Historians estimate that around 12 million ounces of gold was mined during the gold rush. That would be worth around $20 billion using 2012 prices.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22asF3-Flec
- Brain pop The California Gold Rush
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Battle of the Little Bighorn
History >> Native Americans for Kids
The Battle of the Little Bighorn is a legendary battle fought between the U.S. Army and an alliance of Indian tribes. It is also known as Custer's Last Stand. The battle took place over two days from June 25–26, 1876.
Who were the commanders?
The U.S. Army was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Custer and Major Marcus Reno. Both men were seasoned veterans from the Civil War. They led a contingent of around 650 soldiers.
The tribes were led by several famous chiefs including Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, Chief Gall, Lame White Man, and Two Moon. The tribes involved included the Lakota, Dakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. Their combined forces totaled around 2,500 warriors (note: the actual number is disputed and not really known).
How did it get its name?
The battle was fought near the banks of the Little Bighorn River in Montana. The battle is also called "Custer's Last Stand" because, rather than retreat, Custer and his men stood their ground. They were eventually overwhelmed, and Custer and all his men were killed.
Leading Up to the Battle
In 1868, the U.S. government signed a treaty with the Lakota people guaranteeing the Lakota a portion of land in South Dakota including the Black Hills. However, a few years later, gold was discovered in the Black Hills. Prospectors began to trespass onto the Dakota's land. Soon, the United States decided they wanted the Black Hills land from the Indian tribes so they could freely mine the gold.
When the Indians refused to give up the land, the U.S. decided to force the Indian tribes out of the Black Hills. An army was sent to attack any Indian villages and remaining tribes in the region. At one point, the army heard of a fairly large gathering of tribes near the Little Bighorn River. General Custer and his men were sent to attack the group in order to keep them from escaping.
The Battle
When Custer encountered the large village of Lakota and Cheyenne near the river at the bottom of a valley, he initially wanted to wait and scout the village. However, once the people of the village discovered his army's presence, he decided to quickly attack. He had no idea how many warriors he was up against. What he thought was just a few hundred warriors, turned out to be thousands.
Custer split his army up and had Major Reno begin the attack from the south. Major Reno and his men approached the village and opened fire. However, they were soon overwhelmed by a much larger force. They retreated into the hills where they eventually escaped and were saved when reinforcements arrived.
The fate of the soldiers with Custer is less clear because none of them survived. At some point, Custer engaged the Indians from the north. However, his small army was overwhelmed by the much larger Indian force. After some fierce fighting, Custer ended up on a small hill with about 50 of his men. It was on this hill where he made his "last stand". Surrounded by thousands of warriors, Custer had little hope to survive. He and all his men were killed.
Aftermath
All 210 men who remained with Custer were killed. The main force of the U.S. army eventually arrived and some of the men under Major Reno's command were saved. Although the battle was a great victory for the Indian tribes, more U.S. forces continued to arrive and the tribes were forced out of the Black Hills.
Interesting Facts about the Battle of the Little Bighorn
- The Lacota Indians call the fight the Battle of the Greasy Grass.
- The battle was part of a larger war between the Sioux Nation and the United States called the Great Sioux War of 1876.
- Sitting Bull had a vision before the battle where he saw a great victory over the U.S. army.
- The battle has been the subject of many movies and TV shows including the Walt Disney movie Tonka.
- Several of Custer's relatives were also killed in the battle including two brothers, a nephew, and his brother-in-law.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFS5TADOapc
- http://www.ducksters.com/history/native_americans/battle_of_little_big_horn.php
- https://www.ducksters.com/history/native_americans/crazy_horse.php
- http://www.ducksters.com/history/native_americans/sitting_bull.php
- https://www.ducksters.com/history/native_americans/battle_of_little_big_horn.php
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westward_expansion_impact_on_american_indians.pdf | |
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Extinction of the Buffalo:
Buffaloes once ranged much of the continent, from the east to west coasts, and from Canada's Northwest Territories in the north and Mexico in the south. The Destruction of The Buffalo left the nation nearly extinct of an entire species of animal. There were only approximately 1000 Buffalo left throughout the entire West by the end of the 1800’s. Although this was a devastating effect on a national level it was not the most devastating effect caused by the slaughtering of hundreds of thousands of Buffalos. The biggest way the destruction of the buffalo affected us on a national level was through the relationship it caused between the Native Americans and the white settlers. The Native Americans viewed the Buffalo as a sacred animal. They had established 52 uses for this animal in their daily lives from food to using their hides for clothing and shelter. The Buffalo were plentiful, but that was all changed by the greed of the white settlers and armies. The settlers saw the buffalo as a way to make money, and the army saw them as a way to take the land from the Native Americans and starve them into submission. The armies moved from one region to the next killing all the buffalo, and as the Native Americans watched their disgust with the white man grew stronger. Treaties were signed to protect the lands of the Native Americans and their Buffalo, but the army allowed them to be hunted and the treaties were not honored. This in turned sparked wars between the Native Americans and the armies.
After the near annihilation of the Buffalo population the Indian Wars came to an end. The senseless killing of this animal had brought total devastation to its population. There were only 300 buffalo remaining at the end of the 1900’s. The Native Americans faced starvation, and had no choice but to submit to life confined to the reservations. They were heartbroken. Crow Chief Plenty Coups explained it to a man named Frank Linderman like this, “When the buffalo went away the hearts of my people fell to the ground, and they could not lift them up again. After this nothing happened. There was no singing anywhere.”
Preszi Please watch for HW
https://prezi.com/env67dp72osc/the-loss-of-buffalo-and-its-effect-on-native-americans/
Read and learn:
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntecoindian/essays/buffalo.htm\
https://sites.google.com/site/destructionofbuffalo/
https://dp.la/exhibitions/transcontinental-railroad/human-impact/native-americans
https://newsela.com/read/smi-transcontinental-railroad-buffalo-native/id/31379/
Great sites to watch
Use Chrome;
https://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us/videos/american-buffalo
Buffaloes once ranged much of the continent, from the east to west coasts, and from Canada's Northwest Territories in the north and Mexico in the south. The Destruction of The Buffalo left the nation nearly extinct of an entire species of animal. There were only approximately 1000 Buffalo left throughout the entire West by the end of the 1800’s. Although this was a devastating effect on a national level it was not the most devastating effect caused by the slaughtering of hundreds of thousands of Buffalos. The biggest way the destruction of the buffalo affected us on a national level was through the relationship it caused between the Native Americans and the white settlers. The Native Americans viewed the Buffalo as a sacred animal. They had established 52 uses for this animal in their daily lives from food to using their hides for clothing and shelter. The Buffalo were plentiful, but that was all changed by the greed of the white settlers and armies. The settlers saw the buffalo as a way to make money, and the army saw them as a way to take the land from the Native Americans and starve them into submission. The armies moved from one region to the next killing all the buffalo, and as the Native Americans watched their disgust with the white man grew stronger. Treaties were signed to protect the lands of the Native Americans and their Buffalo, but the army allowed them to be hunted and the treaties were not honored. This in turned sparked wars between the Native Americans and the armies.
After the near annihilation of the Buffalo population the Indian Wars came to an end. The senseless killing of this animal had brought total devastation to its population. There were only 300 buffalo remaining at the end of the 1900’s. The Native Americans faced starvation, and had no choice but to submit to life confined to the reservations. They were heartbroken. Crow Chief Plenty Coups explained it to a man named Frank Linderman like this, “When the buffalo went away the hearts of my people fell to the ground, and they could not lift them up again. After this nothing happened. There was no singing anywhere.”
Preszi Please watch for HW
https://prezi.com/env67dp72osc/the-loss-of-buffalo-and-its-effect-on-native-americans/
Read and learn:
http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nattrans/ntecoindian/essays/buffalo.htm\
https://sites.google.com/site/destructionofbuffalo/
https://dp.la/exhibitions/transcontinental-railroad/human-impact/native-americans
https://newsela.com/read/smi-transcontinental-railroad-buffalo-native/id/31379/
Great sites to watch
Use Chrome;
https://www.history.com/shows/america-the-story-of-us/videos/american-buffalo
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