1. The West Chapter 13 Section 1

2. Expanding West • Frontier: land that forms the farthest extent of a nation’s settled regions • As the 1800s progressed the frontier stretched further and further west • As Americans explored and settled further west they increasingly interacted with Mexican and Native American cultures (question 4)

3. Great Plains • Why did farmers ignore the vast area known as the Great Plains in the early 1800s? (Question 6)

4. Great Plains • The Great Plains were deemed poor farmland. • Tall “buffalo grass” with deep roots covered the prairies. Breaking and tilling the soil was very difficult. • Much of the prairie received too little moisture and had no trees.

5. Northwest • The northwest contained fertile land, had plenty of trees and received a lot of moisture (Question 7) • Both the U.S. and Britain claimed land in this area in the mid 1800s • Washington, Oregon and Idaho make up this area today

6. Southwest • The areas today known as the Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico) and Far West (California, Nevada, Utah) were territories in Mexico

7. Mexican Settlements • Spain followed the policy of mercantilism, as had England and France Mercantilism emphasizes the use of colonies to provide the mother country with raw materials and markets for finished products (Question 9)

8. Spanish Influence on Native Americans(Question 10) • Many Native Americans were forced to live and work in missions • Thousands died from overwork and disease • Most learned and practiced elements of the Catholic faith, agriculture and ranching • The Spanish also brought their language, food, and laws to North America

9. Native American Influence on the Spanish (Question 11) • Native Americans introduced the Spanish to foods like beans, squash and potatoes • They also shared clothing like ponchos and moccasins • Both cultures shared designing and building techniques—adobe is a traditional Native American building material

10. Mexico wins Independence • Mexico won its independence in 1821 • Mexico could now trade with the United States and countries around the world • Mexico distributed land—including mission land—to many rancheros (Question 12) • Native Americans resisted, but resistance waned by 1850 and populations decreased drastically

11. Manifest Destiny • By the 1840s most Americans supported the idea of Manifest Destiny—the U.S. was destined to extend from the Atlantic and the Pacific (Question 13)