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Homestead Act, Pacific Railway Act, Morrill Act
Congress passed 3 acts to turn public lands into private property. Homestead Act allowed people over the age of 21 to claim 160 acres. They had to build a home and take care of the land before they could take full ownership after 5 years. The Pacific Railway Act gave companies land to construct railroads and telegraph lines. The Morrill Act gave land to the states to provide assitance for higher education. -
Sand Creek Massacre
At the reservation of Sand Creek in Colorado the Cheyenne raided the army. The army forgave them and asked them to go back to their reservation, so they did. John chivington, leader of the army surprised them before dawn on November 29 with 700 troops. He believed the only way to have peace is to kill them, he killed women, children and elderly. Many Americans were mad but he did not get in trouble. -
Chisholm Trail
It was a trail where cattle were drive from San Antonie through Fort Worth and in Kansas. It lasted 3 months and they moved 10-12 miles a day. -
more transportation, more communication devices
Railroads were how people could travel long distances, but now they found they need local forms of transportation. They invented mass tranzit like street cars and subways. They were also starting to look at automobiles and airplanes. Some of the communication devices were telegraph, the telephone, and the typewriter. Thomas Edison was one of the key inventors -
Battle of Little BigHorn
For many years the Soiux raided the US. The US ordered they return to their reservation they refused, so it was turned over to the military. The sioux, Cheyenne and arapaho gathered at the Little BigHorn river with their leader sitting bull. George Armstrong Custer led the US army in a attack against the indianas. There were too many though and the US army was slaughtered, and Sioux won. The indians may have won this one, but the US wasn't about to give up. -
Workers seek changes/strike
Great Railroad strike was the first major rail strike. Many Railroad workers stopped freight traffic for more than a week. Eventually the US Army put an end to it, but it led to more than 100 people dying. The Homestead Strike was where a manager wanted the workers to work faster, they rebelled and eventually seized the plant finally 16 people died. The Pullman strike it was interfering with the US mail due to the leader of the american rail road union with the people on strike. -
The Dawes Act
It was a new law which broke up most reservations and turned indians into property owners. Each head of the family received 160 acres, single person over 18 80 acres and children 40 acres. All other land was sold they thought this would give indians ownership so they could succeed. Although the government sold off the best land and gave the indians land not good for farming or too expensive to farm -
Sherman Anti Trust Act
This act made it illegal to earn trust to interfere with free trade. It also did not allow monopolies and activities the hendered competition -
Wounded Knee Massacre
The Sioux were ordered to give up their rifles and one young man named black coyoted did not, so this began the shooting between the Sioux and the soldiers. 300 Sioux men women and children died, This was called the Wounded Knee Massacre which ended the conflict between the army and the indians. General Nelson Miles wasn't happy, although 3 officers and 15 enlisted men recieved the medal of honor -
Klondike Gold Rush
Miners had to move to Canada carrying a years worth of supplies
