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extinction of buffalo in 1800s
As people moved west the trade for the fur, skin and meat of the american bison began. Native American populations that relied on the bison for food. Hunting of bison became so frequent that travelers on trains in the Midwest would shoot bison during long train rides. -
Homestead Act of 1862
President Aberham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act of 1862 and it encouraged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange people payed a small fee and had to complete five years of residence to keep the land. -
Transcontinental Railroad System
The first transcontinental railroad system was built crossing the western half of America. It was built between 1862 and 1864, it was 1,776 miles long and served for the Pacific and Atlantic Coasts. -
discoveries of large amounts of gold and silver
The area surronded the gold and silver region was uninhabited before the discovery of gold and silver. A silver boom moved many to Denver, Colorado in the 1800's. -
shift from “long drive” to “cattle ranching”
Cattle ranching was an activity popular in the west, between 1866-1886. When cattle were herded from Texas to Kansas it was discovered that the cattle needed to take frequent rests. -
Barbed Wire
Barbed wire is a wire with a cluster of small spikes used for keeping things in or out. Lucien B. Smith of Kent, Ohio is the inventor. Joseph F. Glidden DeKalb, Illinois modernised the invention in 1984. This is an important inevntion because it is used in many different places, such as prisons and some private properties. -
growth of new towns and cities to support cattle, mining, and farming industries
New towns and cities were formed to help suport cattle, mining and farming industries because the gold and silver was in the west and that brought out many people who hoped to become rich. -
Jesse James
Jesse Woodson James was born on September 5, 1847 in Kearny, Missouri and was assasinated on April 3, 1882 in Saint Joseph, MO. James was an American outlaw, gang leader, bank robber, train robber, murder and the most famous member of the James-Younger Gang. -
Wild West Shows
Wild West Shows were traveling vaudeville performances in the United States and Europe. The first and prototypical wild west show was Buffalo Bill's, formed in 1883 and lasting until 1913. -
Dawes Act of 1886
The Dawes Act of 1886 was the authorization of the president to survey the american indian tribal land and divide it into sections, also known as reservations. Congress adopted this act that is also known as the General Allotment Act because the indians failed at adopting the Euroamerican lifestyle.
