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Comstock Lode
Henry Comstock claimed mining land in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and found a lode of gold and silver known as the Comstock Load. This led to many US citizens moving out west in search for their own goldand silver creating Boomtowns. With this sudden rush of people soon all of the gold and silver were gone, and with that went almost all the people. Just as quick as the Boomtowns had apppeared with miners, merchants, and shop owners, they dissappeared leaving the west with abandonded Ghost Towns. -
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The Cattle Kingdom
The cattle kingodom originally started in the 1860s because of the demand for meat in the north. Cowhands began herding hundreds of Texas Longhorn cattle up to the raillines to cowtown where cattle would then be shipped all over the country. Eventually, farmers became tired of the herds trampling their crops. Therefor, as property lines increased the cattle trails began to dissapepear. One huge result of the Cattle Kingdom was the invention of barbed wire to keep cattle off farmers land. -
Kansas Changes from Territory to State
34th state -
Homestead Act
In the Homestead Act citizens were offered 160 acres of Land for just $12. This essentially was free land. However, many farmers could not afford to keep up the land and often lost it to large companies. This was important because the companies would then take that land devide it up and resell it to farmners for a higher price. Only 20% of the land intended for farmers was actually given to them. The Act did increased the migration west, but had some fall through points. -
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Transcontinental Railroad
Promonotory Point VideoTranscontinentsl Railroad WorkersThe Tanscontinental railroad was made up of two railroads, the central pacific and the union pacific. These two railroads met at Promonotory Point, Utah in 1869. This railroad had a huge impact on society now you had the ability to travel, ship, andsend mail all across the country. Raillines began appearing traveling north and south of the transcontinental railroad. As well as, industry, towns, and factorys sprung up all over uniting the nation now that it was easy and safe to travel. -
Barbed Wire Invented
Farmers were sick of cattle herds trampling the crops they were harvesting, and needed something to keep them off their land. Joseph Gilden was having this problem when he invented the barbed wire at his farm in Illinois. He made this with barbs, wire, and his coffee grinder. As more farmers began moving out south and Gildens barbed wire company expanded, more and more barbed wire went up. By creating property boundaries they closed off the cattle routes, bringing an end to the cattle kingdom. -
Exodusters Movement
Exodusters were African Americans who joined the westward migration for free land. These exodusters took part in the Homestead Act and around 70,000 had settled in Kansas by 1881. The majority of Exodusters were escaping the fall of Reconstruction. As Reconstruction was coming to an end so were most of their rights. Therefor, they left and migrated west, similar to when the Jews broke away from the slavery in Egypt in the book of the Exodus. Therefor the name the Exodusters came about. -
Oklahoma Land Rush
To get the land for the Oaklahoma Land Rush the government pushed Natives off their land. They told the farmers that there was free land open to anyone. Up to 1000 land hungry farmers were ready to seek their free land when the gunhsot sound, but everyone was taken by suprise. Much of the best land was taken by "sooners" who had arrived early to get the land they wanted. The goal of the Oaklahoma Land Rush was to increase the movement west, and overall was successful. -
Washington Changes from Territory to State
42nd State -
Populist Part Formed
Populist Party CartoonThe Poplulist party was represented by democratic W. Bryan and supported by farmers and laborer. The goal of the party was to get free silver for coins, increase prices of crops, and to lower transportation prices. By drawing awareness to themselves democrates began to adopt their ideas after the 1896 election. Therefor, the Populist party began to dissapear.All in all, the Populist party united the the farmers and laborers. It also made the "small voices" of nonbusinessmen heard.
