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California Gold Rush 1848
James Marshall discovers gold at Sutter's Mill in No. Calif. This will lead to a population explosion in CA. and statehood in 1850. -
California Gold Rush
Used a method called placer mining in the west that used shovels -
Colorado enters the Union n 1859
The discovery of gold near Pike's Peak in 1859 brought nearly 100,000 miners to Colorado. -
The Homestead Act of 1862
Encouraged farming on the Great Plains by offering 160 acres of public land free to any family that settled on it for a period of five years. -
Nevada Enters the Union in 1864
The discovery of Comstock Lode produced over $340 milion in gold and silver. This influx of gold and silver led to the Nevada population to have a drastic increase thus leading to Nevada entiering the Union in 1864. -
Invention of Barbed Wire
Joesph Glidden invented the barbed wire to help farmers fence in their lands. This was revolutionary because this effectivly ended the "open range". -
Munn v. Illinois
In this landmark case the Supreme court upheld the right of a state to regulate businesses of a public nature, such asrailroads -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Chinese Exclusion Act:
prohibited further immigration to the United States by Chinese laborers
first act of Congress to restrict immigration based on race -
Winter Blizzard and Drought of 1885-1886
This marked the end of the cattle frontier. This winter blizzard and drought killed off 90 percent of the cattle. This also led to the arrival of homesteaders. -
Interstate Commerce Act
This was the first effort to regulate the railraods. This act required railroad rates to be reasonable and set up the first federal regulatory agency. -
Interstate Commerce Act
the state law \s regulating railroad rates. had numerous legal problems, especially railroads that crossed state lines. went to supreme court the courts decision nullified many of the state regulations achievied by the Grangers. -
Dawes Severalty Act 1887
Designed to break up Native American tribal organizations, to turn Native Americans into law abiding citizens; also divided tribal lands into plots of 160 acres or less -
Battle of Wounded Knee
This "battle" was actually a massacre of over 200 Native American men, women, and children. This tragedy marked the end of the Ghost Dance Movement, which was a religous effort to reclaim the ancestrial lands by Native Americans. -
"The Significance of the Frontier in American History"
Frederick Turner argued that the 30 years of frontier experience played a fundamental role in shaping the unique character of American society. He argud that the closing of the frontier might lead the United States to follow the patterns of class division and social conflict that troubled the nations in Europe. -
Indian Reorganization Act of 1934
