History

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1830
Indian Removal Act - 46,000 Indians from the Eastern states are forced by the US government to re-locate to the Great Plains, an area the whites did not want.
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1834
Indian Trade and Intercourse Act – Sets out the Permanent Indian Frontier which divided Indian territory from the Eastern states
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1848
America wins the war against Mexico – This gives America new territories to the south and west of Indian territory.
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1849
Gold Rush – The discovery of gold in California led to huge migration to the West, over 300,000 moved by 1855.
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1851
Indian Appropriations Act – The government created reservations so whites could take Indian lands. Indians were paid to move to smaller lands on reservations where they could be ‘civilised’ and farm the land.
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1836
Oregon Trail First migrants completed their journey West in this year. 400,000 people eventually used it.
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1837
Economic crisis in East- Businesses failed and people lost their jobs. Unemployment as high as 25% and wages cut by 40%.
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1841
John Fremont’s guidebook– This was published and convinced people the Oregon trail could be followed safely.
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1846
Donner Party – The start of their journey that ends in tragedy.
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1849
Gold Rush – The discovery of gold in California led to huge migration to the West, over 300,000 moved by 1855.
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1869
Trans Continental Railroad – enabled travel from the East to the West coast.
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1834
Permanent Indian Frontier – The government agreed that all territory to the west of the Mississippi would be Indian territory.
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1841
Guidebook to Oregon Trail – John Freemont published this which encouraged movement of white settlers West. The oxen brought with them reduced the amount of grass for Plains Indians’ horses.
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1849
Discovery of Gold in California– Increased number of people moving West. The migrants disrupted buffalo hunting by killing them and scaring them.
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1851
Fort Laramie Treaty– an agreement between whites and Plains Indians. This aimed to allow peaceful passage of whites through Indian territory and allow roads and train tracks to be built. The government identified specific areas for tribes to live in
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1852
Chinese famine – Led to 20,000 Chinese migrants arriving in California. Chinese workers suffered from racism.
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1855
Californian population –This had now reached 300,000 including people from all over the world. This was an example of mass migration.
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1854
‘Self governing windmill’ - Invented by John Halladay and could pump water from 30 feet down. Did need regular checks
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1861
65 – US Civil War– 600,000 men died in this conflict that the Southern states eventually lost.
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1862
Homestead Act– This aimed at settling the West with family farms owned by free men and women. People were given 160 acres and cost $10. After 5 years, if a house had been built they could own this land outright.
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1862
Pacific Railroad Act– aimed at developing connections between new land in the West and northern cities. This was passed by Abraham Lincoln. Work began in 1863 at each end of the line.
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1869
Transcontinental Railroad completed – The Central Pacific and Union Pacific companies meet in Utah. An electric telegraph system had also been built along the railroad to help communications.
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1870
Thomas Smith hired as marshal of Abilene – A ban on guns was introduced but he was killed. He was replaced by ‘Wild Bill’ Hickok in 1871.
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1873
Turkey Red Wheat introduced – Brought by Russian immigrants and it was suited to growing on the Plains. This encouraged more to settle on the Plains.
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1873
Timber Culture Act – Settlers could claim 320 acres if they promised to plant trees on a quarter of the land.
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1874
Barbed Wire invented – This fenced off crops and protected them from animals. Although cheaper than fencing early types did break and rust.
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1875
Sulky Plough invented– 50, 000 sold in first 6 years as it made ploughing land easier. They could tip up and were expensive.
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1861
65 – US Civil War– Longhorn cattle numbers boom in Texas whilst fighting takes place. 5 million cows were now in Texas.
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1861
John Iliff buys his first herd of cows and fattens them on the Plains instead of moving them.
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1862
1862 – Homestead Act – Increase in settlers to the Plains leads to conflict between ranchers and Homesteaders.
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1866
Goodnight-Loving Trail established– First occasion of cattle being driven to New Mexico. This took 6 months.
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1867
Abilene– Joseph McCoy establishes the first cow town around a railroad in Kansas. He spent $5,000 advertising the fact people could travel there safely. McCoy became a rich man.
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1870
John Iliff’s ranch – this had now expanded to 16,000 acres and makes Illiff very rich.
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1858
Gold discovered in Colorado prompting prospectors crossing Indian lands and scaring the buffalo.
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1862
Gold discovered in Montana prompting thousands to use the Bozeman Trail which went through Sioux hunting grounds
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1862
Little Crow’s war – prompted by lack of food being provided to the Sioux on their reservation. The Sioux were defeated and moved to another reservation and Little Crow was scalped.
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1864
Sand Creek Massacre – Black Kettle had agreed for his tribe to move to a reservation but Dog Soldiers continued attacking troops. Came to an end with Colonel Chivington giving orders for the massacre.
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1866
Red Cloud’s War – Attempt made to prevent use of Bozeman Trail which included Fetterman’s Trap and a large number of soldiers being killed.
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1868
Second Fort Laramie Treaty – US government agreed to close Bozeman Trail in exchange for Red Cloud moving his tribe to a reservation. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse refused to agree.
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1868
President Grant’s Peace Policy – Aimed to improve reservation system to calm tensions. Actions included replacing corrupt officials, appointing Ely Parker as the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Plains Indians were now viewed as ‘wards’.
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1871
Indian Appropriations Act – Law confirmed that Indian tribes would no longer be recognised as independent and so did not need to be negotiated with. This made it easier for the government to take Indian lands.
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1854
Wind pump is invented by Daniel Halladay which would swing round automatically when the wind changed direction and could extract water from below ground.
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1874
Barbed wire invented by Joseph Glidden protecting crops and preventing cattle from roaming.
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1878
Exoduster Movement 40, 000 African Americans began to migrate to Kansas under the leadership of Benjamin Singleton. The following year a rumour spread that the government was handing over the entire state which increased migrant numbers.
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1879
Dry farming technique was developed by Hardy Webster Campbell. It trapped rainwater under the surface enabling farmers to combat drought.
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1881
Last big cattle drive to Dodge City
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1886-87
Great Die Up– This harsh winter causes 15% of open range cattle to die. Many cattlemen went bankrupt.
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1887
Dawes Act– This divides the land Indians had access to on the reservations into family and individual plots.
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1889
First land rush announced by the government meaning that whites eventually took 2 million acres of Indian territory.
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1893
Oklahoma Land Rush – 7 of these eventually took place with the last happening in 1895.
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1876
Battle of Little BigHorn- Defeat of US army by Plains Indians. Custer had led the 7th cavalry in an unsuccessful attempt to return tribes to the reservation.
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1878
Lincoln County War– Billy the Kid is involved in this conflict between two rival cattle ranchers in New Mexico.
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1881
Gunfight at the Ok Corral– Gunfight in Tombstone, Arizona between the Earp brothers and Clantons and McLaurys.
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1890
Wounded Knee Massacre– 250 Sioux were killed by the 7th cavalry with half the dead being women and children. This was the last clash between the US army and the Sioux.
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1892
Johnson County War– Conflict between cattle ranchers and homesteaders in Wyoming that was prompted by the lynching of Ella Watson and James Averill.
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1871
Buffalo hide made into leather This leather was used for machine belts in factories and meant that people could see killing buffalo would make them money.
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1876
Northern Pacific Railroad is completed This meant the railroad had reached Sioux lands and this access made it easier for people to hunt buffalo.
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1883
Northern herd of buffalo no longer existed There had been 25 million + before any white settlement.
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1885
All Plains’ Indians were now settled on reservations
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1887
Dawes Act – Each Plains Indian family was allotted 160 acre share of reservation land. Single Plains Indians allotted 80 acres and orphans under 18 were allotted 40 acres. Remaining land was sold to whites.
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1890
Frontier declared closed
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

1834

Back

Indian Trade and Intercourse Act – Sets out the Permanent Indian Frontier which divided Indian territory from the Eastern states

Card 3

Front

1848

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

1849

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

1851

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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