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California became a state
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Comstock Lode
Major silver was found in Nevada. Everyone rushed to Nevada for about twenty years. This was alot like the California Gold except it was silver. But still just as popular. -
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Transcontinental Railroad
The Transcontinental Railroad was built to connect the east and the West. Making it a shorter trip. Instead of taking several months to get to the other side of the continent it only took several days. -
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The Cattle Kingdom
The cattle drives started when the high demands for meat started. Cowboys started bringing up cattle from Texas up to the north to the trains. From there the cattle would be killed and shipped to markets. The cattle would roam free. But as soon as barbed wire was invented. The cattle drives died out. -
Chisholm Trail
The Chisholm Trail was a route for the one cattle drives. This trail was important because it made the journey up to the train tracks so the cattle could be shipped by the trains and processed into beef. Meat was at high demand so many men became cowboys to earn money. -
Barbed Wire Invented
Barbed wire is a metal fencing with sharp edges and spikes and protects farmers' crops and land. The invention of barbed wire stopped the cattle drives from free roaming all over the farmers' land. If the cows ran across the barbed wire they would get severally hurt. Eventually because of this invention the cattle drives died out. -
Battle of Little Big Horn
Also known as Custer's Last Stand. To push the Indians back onto the reserves Custer's army attack the small village. The Indians won because of the number of Indians to US soldiers. the Indians won this battle but they did not win the war. -
Oklahoma Land Rush
The Oklahoma Land Rush's purpose was for more people to move out West to settle. The opening of about three million acres of land everyone had a chance to run for caused more cons than pros. The Union didn't have a civil government to have rules against violence. There were also problems with ways that people got to the land they were called "Sooners." These people would go to Oklahoma early; before everyone else. Which made it unfair for everyone else to get the same chance to get to the land. -
North and South Dakota become states
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Populist Party Formed
The Populist Party formed because poor farmers wanted higher grain prices, regulation of train prices and free silver. The grain prices were getting lower in price so that the grain wasn't worth as much and railroad prices were increasing the farmers couldn't pay for it because they weren't making enough money. They wanted free silver because that will increase money supply so that prices for grain will increase.
