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Financial Collapse in The Eastern USA
The economy of the Eastern USA collapsed. Land in the East was hard to come by at this time as the region was filling up with Americans. This made people move out from East into West. The West appeared as the promised land with lots of cheap land for settlers able to make the journey there. -
California Gold Rush
Gold was discovered in California and the settlement of the West speeded up. 50,000 miners flooded across the Plains into California in search for gold. Established definite trails for families of settlers to use after them. -
The Death of Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith found Mormon Church and became its first leader. Had thousands of followers and led them in desperate search for a place where they could build Zion in the East. He believed the West was unsafe to take Mormons there and believed to find a better place to live in the East. Smith was shot whilst escaping from jail. -
The Homestead Act
Only area not settled by white Americans was the Great Plains. The fertile lands in California and Oregon were more attractive than the so called 'Great American Desert'. For total control of the USA and fulfill Manifest Destiny the government needed settlers to move on the Plains. This act gave 160 acres of land for small registration fee. -
Cattle Trail
At the end of Civil War in 1865, cattle ranchers returned to their Texan herds to discover that their numbers had increased to over 5 million cows. 5,000 cows were taken from Texas on a drive up to Colorado where they were sold to railroad workers and the USA army to feed the Indians on reservations. Later, tails were established to the new cow towns of Abilene and Dodge City. Cows were transported on railroads to cities of the East. -
The 2nd Fort Laramie Treaty
White settlers were pouring onto the Great Plains. Homesteaders and cattle ranchers ignored the rights of the Plains Indians to their lands. This treaty gave Sioux control of the sacred Black Hills area and rights to hunt buffalo in the Powder River Country. -
Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad
In 1869, first railroad connecting the East and West was completed with the Golden Spike Ceremony. The railroad cut journey times to just one week from East to West. Also, it encouraged trade across the USA. -
The Battle of the Little Bighorn
USA broke the 2nd Fort Laramie Treaty by building railroad through the Black Hills. Gold was also discovered and set off a gold rush in the area. Sioux Indians left Black Hills reservation to hunt buffalo in the Powder River country. This led USA army campaign to force Bighorn resulted, and Custer's 7th Cavalry were destroyed by Indian forces. Within 12 months, Indians were either dead of back on reservation. Sioux lost Black Hills and all treaties were cancelled by U.S. Government. -
The End of The Open Range
By 1880, million of cows on the Great Plains were left unfenced to roam around. By 1887, Open Range was over due to a combination of factors. To protect their grass and water supplies, cattle ranchers put up barbed wire fences. To pay for these, cattle was sold to market and led to low prices by 1885. The need to protect new weaker breeds of meatier cows, the Open Range had come to an end by 1887. -
The Battle of Wounded Knee
Plains Indians adopted to Ghost Dance. They sang, prayed and danced in the belief that the Great Spirit would come to their aid. Believing that the whites and their civilization would be swallowed by the Earth and that the buffalo would return with the Indians killed by the whites. This ritual was shattered in December 1890. Sitting Bull was killed by another Indian, Big Foot's Sioux were massacred in the snow at Wounded Knee Creek. This marked end of resistance of Plains Indians to US control.