MINING

1. Stations Recall- FOCUS: each screen will show information that…A: you should have filled outB: you should bulletize in open spaceC:will help you understand the content

2. MINING • 1849- California Gold Rush • lode: rich vein of gold or silver • boomtown: place where miners found large veins/ would build up towns that sprung up over night

3. MINING • ghost town: once vein runs dry, miners & settlers move on & leave town behind • tent cities = increase in traders = increase in population = increase in merchants = increase in tools = build up of houses & stores = city

4. MINING • PROBLEMS MINING pollution: • 1: air, 2:streams, 3: mountains, 4:wildlife • Native Americans forced out of their land • Racism/ discrimination (foreign miners come to build a better life – treated unfairly)

5. MINING • Few miners actually get rich • gold/silver hard to reach • only accessible by big machines $$ • high level of competition • Large companies could afford to hire laborers that mined for them

6. MINING • vigilantes: self-appointed law enforcers who tracked down outlaws & punished them, usually without a trial – common death : lynching • HOW IS THIS A STEP BACKWARDS FROM THE LAST UNIT? HABEAS CORPUS?

7. END OF INDIANS • 1883 – Sitting Bull: Lakota war chief & holy man addresses group of senators from Washington about keeping their “promise” to the natives • As settlers moved West after the war, the gov’t promised to protect Indian hunting grounds • promise breaks when WAY more settlers push those boundaries • when natives resisted, wars erupted & ended in tragedy for Indians 1840s when settlers and miners begin to cross Indian hunting grounds, they ask gov’t for protection from these “savages”

8. END OF INDIANS • Fort Laramie Treaty- 1851- gov’t officials promise that if natives keep to a limited area, they will keep that land protected. In exchange, they will give Indians money, domestic animals, tools & goods. Indians agreed. • Indian Reservations: limited lands reserved for Indians as part of terms set by the Fort Laramie Treaty in 1851. • 1851- gold discovered in Pikes Peak, Colorado (on an Indian reservation) and miners broke the boundaries • Federal officials now want Indians to sign new treaty giving up the land surrounding Pikes Peak • Indians do NOT agree & attack settlers

9. END OF INDIANS • Chivington Massacre- 1864 settlers strike back • John Chivington leads militia against Cheyenne village • Indians raised white flag of surrender AND united states flag (John Chivington ignores this) • Men destroyed village & took no prisoners • 200 men, women, children dead

10. END OF INDIANS • 1867 – gov’t creates a peace commission to end wars on the plains so settlers will be safe. • Urges Indians to settle down & live like white farmers • Urges Indians to send children to white schools • assimilation towards the “right is white” way of doing things

11. END OF INDIANS • 1867- Indians sign a treaty with gov’t to move onto reservation in exchange for protection • soil is too bad to farm on • farming contradicted a hunter/gatherer lifestyle

12. END OF INDIANS End of Buffalo • disease, drought, pollution, over population (starvation), destruction of environment = DEATH • buffalo hunting was • 1: in demand • 2: a popular sport = affects population • as buffalo disappears, so do Indians

13. FARMING • Homestead Act – 1862 – promises 160 acres of free land to anyone who could pay a small filing fee & farm it for 5 years • By 1900 half-million farmers set up farms • Only 20% went to farmers, the rest bought out by huge companies & resold to farmers at high cost • Land becomes scarce

14. FARMING • Land Rush – large masses compete & race (violent) to claim free land & protect it as their own. Had to wait until a specific “go” time set by gov’t.

15. FARMING LIFE ON THE PLAINS • strong winds with no mountains to block it • sod houses– built from clay, dirt & mud (no timber) leaky, moldy, unstable • sodbusters- famers on the plains who would cut through thick sod with steel plows to get to fertile soil

16. FARMING • crops destroyed • droughts • floods • grass fires • grasshoppers • women • made clothing • soap • candles • cooked/ preserved food for winter • in charge of rationing • school teachers • doctors (none nearby) • pastime – towns were miles apart, very dull • visiting neighbors • going to church • picnics • dances • weddings

17. FARMING • Farmers sinking into debt as they were getting less $$, and growing more crops • With more people farming, companies could buy crops from basically anyone • this makes selling prices competitive

18. POPULISTS • National Grange- 1867- formed by farmers to improve working & living conditions. Goals were to boost farm profits & reduce rates that railroads charged for shipping grain. • Cooperative – groups of farmers who pooled $$ to buy seeds/ tools wholesale

19. POPULISTS • Populists:1892- farmers & labor unions join togetherto… • demand gov’t help in raising farm prices • regulate railroad rates • make income tax • 8 hour work day • limits on immigration

20. POPULISTS • wanted more $$ to be put into circulation so that people could spend more $$ on farm products • petitioned that any silver that was mined be coined • bankers & factory owners disagreed • they thought increasing the $$ supply would cause inflation • inflation – increased prices based on a surplus of money

21. POPULISTS • populists look forward to the election of 1896 since they were now so popular • candidate: William Jennings Bryan • “Great Commoner”: he championed the cause of the common people • Democrat from Nebraska • Believed the nation needed to increase the supply of $$ • Bankers & business people didn’t like him – inflation • Republican candidate William McKinley won (more popular in the north & east = more voters) • This marks the end of the Populist party

22. WAR • Custer’s last stand • 1864 settlers find huge gold vein in Black Hills region of a reservation • miners rush to area • Sitting Bull & Crazy Horse (Lakota chiefs) lead Indians to fight back in 1876

23. WAR • Custer leads army into Little Bighorn territory sent by gov’t to protect miners on reservation • 600 men stand guard but Custer divides his troops & sends 225 • 2,000 Indians were waiting for him & killed the entire troop • victory is short lived

24. WAR • Gov’t orders all food rations stop to reservations until they agree to ALL gov’t terms • Lakota's had to give up claims to Black Hill territory • End up surrendering about 1/3 reserved lands

25. WAR • Ghost Dance- celebrated a better time- when native Americans lived freely on their plains • Belief: Great Spirit would make a new world for all of his people, free from whites and filled with plenty. Brought on by Ghost Dance. • Joined hands in large circle, chanted, prayed, felt a growing happiness & saw visions of a new world

26. WAR • Settlers react: alarmed, thought it was a battle cry/ preparation for war. Made gov’t outlaw Ghost Dance

27. WAR Indians react: natives flee reservations to try to escape, but army follows. They finally realized they had to give up & prepare to surrender. They begin to hand over arms/ surrender at Wounded Knee (South Dakota) • Confusion: gun is fired. When smoke clears: 25 soldiers dead, 300 native men, women & children die.

28. WAR Helen Hunt Jackson’s A Century of Dishonor – 1881- A book that recounts long history of broken treaties between US & natives • Dawes Act 1887- congress- encourages Indians to become farmers. Some once-tribal land is divided and given to Indian families to farm It failed because: • Indians were poor farmers • Indians were poor – sold land to whites for cheap • No sense of identity or pride

29. DON’T FORGET MONDAY: review game & “study day” - Bring headphones!!!! TUESDAY: Westward test & key terms are due