Westward Expansion
SEs: 13A, 12A, 3A, 3B, 15A, 26B, Analyze the causes and effects of changing demographic
patterns resulting from migration within the US, including western expansion, Analyze the
impact of physical and human geographic factors on the settlement of the Great Plains, the
Klondike Gold Rush, the California Gold Rush; Analyze economic issues such as the cattle
industry boom, the rise of entrepreneurship, free enterprise; describe economic impact of
Transcontinental Railroad and the Homestead Act contributed to the closure of the Frontier in
the late 19th century. Discuss the Americanization movement to assimilate immigrants and
American Indians into American Culture.
Westward Expansion: People, events, and things that caused
expansion to the Western part of the United States.
Migration =
the
reason for migration
was to try to create
a better life for
American Settlers.
However, the
motivation for
expansion is often
fueled by profit and
at times leads to
cultural conflict and
denial of individual
rights.
Westward Expansion: People, events, and things that caused
expansion to the Western part of the United States.
Manifest Destiny =
This is the belief that the
United States had the
God given right to own all
of the lands from the
Atlantic Ocean to the
Pacific Ocean.
American Progress
by John Gast, 1872
Westward Expansion: People, events, and things that caused
expansion to the Western part of the United States.
Transcontinental Railroad =
completed in 1869. Central Pacific and
Union Pacific railroads were joined to
create a single line from Omaha
Nebraska to the Pacific Ocean.
“Trunk lines” established. Used to
develop the Great Plains.
Trains led to growth and development
of railway stations that led to towns,
cities, and commercial industry. They
not only transported people but
manufactured goods and raw
materials.
Westward Expansion: People, events, and things that caused
expansion to the Western part of the United States.
The Klondike Gold Rush =
sometimes referred to as the
Yukon Gold Rush, drew people
from all over the world to the
Klondike region of northwestern
Canada after gold was discovered
there in 1896. The gold rush
lasted only a few years.
Westward Expansion: People, events, and things that caused
expansion to the Western part of the United States.
California Gold Rush =
This event led thousands to
migrate to California to seek their
fortune. In 1849. Miners came to
seek their fortune in hopes to
make it rich.
This started the expansion of
saloons, hotels, and cities, like
San Francisco.
Westward Expansion: People, events, and things that caused
expansion to the Western part of the United States.
Settlement of the West was encouraged by lure of cheap land
mineral discoveries, farming and ranching
Westward Expansion: People, events, and things that caused
expansion to the Western part of the United States.
Open range ranching and later farmers = plains area was expanded with the
Transcontinental railroad, miners, ranchers, and later farmers.
Mining towns developed, ranchers got lands who were interested in open range ranching,
and farmers got land to farm so that they could feed the country.
All of these actions began to break up reservations into individual pieces of land.
Westward Expansion: Impact on Native Americans
The Dawes Act =
(Also known as the Dawes General
Allotment Act of 1887)
required that Indian lands be
surveyed and that American Indian
families receive an allotment of 160
acres of reservation land for farming.
Any land that remained would be
sold.
This had a great impact on Navajo.
They didn’t like farming and led to the
decline of their people.
This opened the Plains to white
settlements.
Westward Expansion: Impact on Native Americans
The Homestead Act =
permitted any citizen
or intended citizen to
select any surveyed
land up to 160 acres
and to gain title to it
after 5 years residence
if the person cultivated
the land.
These sales resulted
from lands that were
confiscated from the
Native Americans.
Westward Expansion: Impact on Native Americans
Assimilation of Native
Americans =
Even after we took all of the
Native American’s land. We
tried to make them like us.
Many were converted to
Christianity, many went to
school, many started to
dress like settlers, and learn
the “white man’s values.”
There was resistance but, it
lead to the destruction of
their culture as they once
knew it.
Westward Expansion: Impact of American philosophy
Horatio Alger Jr. =
published a series of novels that
promoted the ideas of self reliant
individualism. Based on Rags to Riches
stories. Ideas eventually led to Lassiezfaire capitalism and free enterprise.
Pull yourself up from your bootstraps, you
control your own destiny, work hard to
succeed, determination is half the battle.
All slogans that deal with the idea of Self
reliant.
This ideas have come to be characterized
with being an American.
Checking for Understanding
You will have 10 minutes to practice with the content
information that you have just learned through the use
of manipulatives.
Teacher will walk around and monitor students as they
use manipulatives to demonstrate understanding.
Manipulatives promote peer tutoring and teaching
while giving the teacher an opportunity to check for
mastery.