American West Key Dates: 1850-1893
The latter half of the 19th century saw rapid changes in the American West, characterized by increased settlement, technological advancements, and escalating conflicts with Native American tribes.
The 1850s marked the beginning of homesteading on the Plains, encouraged by government policies such as the Homestead Act of 1862. This period also saw significant technological innovations that facilitated settlement, including the invention of the wind pump in 1854 and the mass production of barbed wire beginning in 1874.
Definition: The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed settlers to claim 160 acres of public land for free, provided they lived on it and improved it for at least five years.
The discovery of gold in various western locations, such as Pike's Peak in 1858-1859 and the Black Hills in 1874, spurred further migration and economic development. However, these gold rushes often led to conflicts with Native American tribes who had been guaranteed these lands by treaties.
Quote: "The Winter Campaign" of 1868 and the second Fort Laramie Treaty marked significant events in US-Native American relations, followed by President Grant's Peace Policy.
The completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 revolutionized transportation and commerce in the West. This achievement, along with the rise of the cattle industry in the 1870s, transformed the region's economy and way of life.
Highlight: The Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, part of the Great Sioux War, remains one of the most famous conflicts between Native Americans and the US Army during this period.
The late 1880s and early 1890s saw the end of the traditional cowboy era, marked by severe winters and the spread of barbed wire fences. The Johnson County War of 1892 exemplified the tensions between large cattle barons and smaller ranchers.
The period concluded with the US government officially closing the frontier in 1890 and the tragic Battle of Wounded Knee in December of that year, symbolizing the end of armed Native American resistance.
Vocabulary: Key events American West history GCSE Edexcel - Significant occurrences that shaped the development of the western United States, as studied in the GCSE History curriculum.
