Ch. 5.1:
-Describe Native American culture. OTHER BLOG
-Why did settlers/people move to the Great Plains? OTHER BLOG
-How did the US government deal with Native Americans in the mid to late 1800's? What were their policies? The Dawes Act was in 1877 and the natives Americanized it.
-Describe a cowboy's life. As the great herds of buffalo disappeared and Native Americans were forced onto smaller reservations, Horses and cattle flourished on the plains. A lot of people moved west and became cattle ranchers. They learned how to round up, rope, brand and care for the animals. Spanish settlers raised Longhorns for food and used horses for work and transportation. They were the first to wear spurs and leather. Their food and way they talk was heavily influenced by the Mexican Vaquero. Between the years 1866 and 1885 as many as 55,000 worked on plains. Cowboys worked 10-14 hours a day on a ranch. 14 or more hours were on a trail looking for dangers that could harm their herds. Some were as young as 15. Cowboys would sleep outside and bathe in the river. A simple sneeze or thunder could trigger a stampede.
Ch. 5.2: Settling on the great Plains
-How did railroads and the Homestead Act help settle the Great Plains? Farmers and immigrants needed railroads for more transportation 170 million acres were made of land grants. The homestead act allowed people to get land and go out and settle.
-What challenges did settlers face on the Great Plains? Frontier settlers had really rough times. Although population still went up 1% west of the Mississippi in 1850 to about 30%. Dugouts and Soddies. Most settlers built their homes out of dirt itself. Trees were to scarce. People could just get up and move west.
1837 is when John Deere had invented the steel plow. Barbed wire was good so cattle couldn't roam and it was perfect for the great plains do to no trees. The Morrill Act was in 1862 to 1890 and gave federal land to the states. The Hatch Act was in 1887 and it established Ag Experiments.
-What problems did farmers face on the Great Plains? Droughts, floods, fires, tornadoes, natives, outlaws, loneliness, blizzards, and over charged rail roads.
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