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American West Revision List - Coggle Diagram
American West Revision List
Plains Indians: Customs,Beliefs and Attitudes
Social and tribal structures, ways of life and means of survival on the Plains.
Beliefs about land and nature and attitudes to war and property.
US government policy: support for US westward expansion and the significance of the Permanent Indian Frontier.
The Buffalo
The Horse
Horses are essential to Plains Indians as they were needed for hunting the Buffalo and also for travelling
Key to warfare and Indians would often raid others to steal horses
What are they used for
At first they were just traded
Hunt buffalo
Transport
In war
For fun
Religion
Migration and Early Settlement
Economics and money
The factors encouraging migration, including economic conditions, the Oregon Trail from 1836
Concept of Manifest Destiny
The Gold Rush 1849-49 and consequences
Migration
The Mormons 1827-1847
The Mormons War 1857-58
Who are they?
They are a religious group
Like Christians- they believed in Jesus
big differences in the way they lived their lives and in some of the things they believed in.
They are now one of the biggest religious group in America
Mormonisms was founded by Joseph Smith
He claimed that an angel told him about 2 buried gold plates which he dug up and translated the ancient language
This became
The Book Of Mormons
(1827)
Kirtland, Ohio 1831-1837
Smith told his followers to start building a gods kingdom in America to prepare for the second coming of christ
He was a brilliant preacher and his ideas convinced many
by 1931 his church had 1,000 members
The mormons worked hard and were successful- made others envious as they thought they were gods chosen
smith even set up a bank in kirkland for mormons and non-mormons (they called them gentiles)
Although when the 1837 economic depression hit, many people lost their savings
This increased the unpopularity for the Mormons and led them to be driven out of Kirkland
Independence of Missouri, 1837-1838
After Ohio, they moved on to Missouri but this state was a slave state and mormons were against slavery
They were more sympathetic to the Indians and some feared the mormons would use the Indians as allies against non mormons
Local settlers rioted and the governer had to use troops to restore order
Mormons were blamed for the disturbance
Initially the leaders were imprisoned but they were forced to leave the state which they did moving to Illinois in 1838
Nauvoo, Illinois, 1838-1845
They were allowed to build their numbers to 35,000 with more corbets arriving from Europe- mostly women
The mormons even had their own defense force of 4,000 of nauvo legion
Things changed in 1844 when smith said God told him men could have more than 1 wife
This led to some divisions in the mormon society
critics stated that Smith was a false prophet in a newspaper they set up
In response, Smith had their printing press destroyed
created accusations that he was a dictator
As the news of polgyamy spread the non-mormons were shocked
They believed it was a sin- some feared it would lead to mormon population explosion
The final straw was Smith's announcement in 1844, that he was standing for president
In the turmoil that followed smith was arrested and jailed in the nearby town of Carthage
On 27 June 1845, a mob attacked the jail and smith was murdered
The process and problems of migration, including the experiences of the Donner Party
Settling at the Great Salt Lake and the work of Brigham Young
Settlement
The development and problems of white settlement farming.
The problems of lawlessness in early towns and settlements. Attempts by government and local communities to tackle lawlessness.
Reasons for tension between settlers and Plains Indians. The significance of the Fort Laramie Treaty 1851.
Developement of the Plains 1862-1876
Acts Introduced
Homestead Act 1862
Promoted settlement in the West and provided an incentive to move and build a life there
Why was it introduced?
Previously public land was split into 640 acres and sold for $1 an acre
This however was too expensive for families so they introduced the act
What was the act?
160 acres were called 'homesteads'
This was enough land for families and was enough land for farming and housing
Plots were $10 per claim
After 5 years if it was proven that the land had been farmed or housed then you could buy the land outright for $30
Anyone could purchase land from over 21, women and ex-slaves
Except Indians
Achievements
By 1876, over 6 million acres had been claimed
Ensured parts of the Great Plains were settled for the first time
Encouraged immigration from Europe
Limitations
Only 80/500 million acres was 'homesteads
300 million was given to railroads and sold the rest for higher prices
Land owners managed to buy the land cheaply
Many people brought land to sell it for a profit
60% of homesteaders quit before the 5 years
Timber Culture Act 1873
Desert Land Act
Southern Homestead Act 1866
Conficts and Conquest 1876-1895
Farming and Ranching
Changes in farming: the impact of new technology and new farming methods.
Changes in the cattle industry, including the impact of the winter of 1886–87. The significance of changes in the nature of ranching: the end of the open range.
Ranches
Continued growth of settlement: the Exoduster movement and Kansas (1879), the Oklahoma Land Rush of 1889-1893.
Extent of solutions to problems of law and order: sheriffs and marshals. The significance of Billy the Kid, OK Corral (1881), Wyatt Earp.
The range wars, including the Johnson County War of 1892.
Plain Indians
Conflict with the Plains Indians: the Battle of the Little Big Horn, 1876 and its impact; the Wounded Knee Massacre, 1890.
The hunting and extermination of the buffalo.
The Plains Indians’ life on the reservations.
The significance of changing government attitudes to the Plains Indians, including the Dawes Act 1887 and the closure of the Indian Frontier.