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Colorado Gold Rush
The boom in gold prospecting and mining in modern day Colorado after the discovery of gold in 1849. Pull factor. -
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Chinese immigrants
Most entered through the port of San Francisco. Came to America for better oppurtunites and often worked the worst jobs availible. Contributed greatly to the build up of infrastructure in California. -
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Irish immigrants
Came from Ireland for better oppurtunities, concentrated in the east. Gave cheap labor to help with the build up of infrastructure. -
Sitting Bull
First leader of all 7 tribes, had a great vision, joined Ghost Dance was ordered to be arrested but killed in the struggle. -
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Catte drives
Cattle drives involved cowboys on horseback moving herds of cattle long distances to market. Cattle were herded from Texas to railroads in Kansas. Became less popular after the invention of barbed wire. -
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Open-range system
Open range is the system where cattle roam freely regardless of land ownership. Originated in Mexico but came to the Western USA. Ended by the use of barbed wire. -
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Vaqueros
Mexican cowboys who herded the longhorn cattle to the railroads. -
Homestead Act of 1862
Signed into law by Licoln in 1862. These acts gave applicants plots of land in the West at little or no cost. The objective of these acts was to increase westward expansion and to take power away from slave plantations. -
Morrill Act
Allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges. Promoted agriculture. -
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Transcontinental Railroad
Connected the east and the west, built with gov. land grants. -
Sand Creek Massacre
When a 700-man force of Colorado Territory militia attacked and destroyed a peaceful village of Cheyenne and Arapaho encamped in southeastern Colorado Territory, Killed more than 100 Indians. -
Treaty of Ft. Laramie
An agreement between the United States and the Oglala, Miniconjou, and Brulé bands of Lakota people, Yanktonai Dakota, and Arapaho Nation. It stated that the Lakota had ownership of the Black Hills, and furthered land and hunting rights in South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana. The Powder River Country was closed to all whites, this treaty also ended Red Cloud's War. -
Battle of Little Big Horn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was an battle between the combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes, against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. It was victory for the Indians; led by several major war leaders, including Crazy Horse and Chief Gall. General Custer died in this battle. This was the largest battle of the Sioux Wars. -
Chief Joseph
Led the Nez Perce tribe from persecution in an attempt to escape to Canada. Was apprehended just before, became a lobbyist for Indian's rights. -
Exoduster
Name given to African-Americans who migrated West starting in 1879. They did this to escape the Ku Klux Klan and the Jim Crow laws which continued to make them second-class citizens after Reconstruction, as many as forty thousand Exodusters left the South to settle in Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado. -
Helen Hunt Jackson
A United States poet and writer who became an activist on behalf of better treatment of Native Americans by the U.S. government. She wrote Century of Dishonor and Ramona. Attracted lots of attention to the mistreatment of the Indians. -
‘A Century of Dishonor’
A non-fiction book by Helen Hunt Jackson published in 1881 that detailed the experiences of Native Americans that focused on injustices. -
Dawes Allotment Act
Gave the President the power to survey American Indian tribal land and divide it into allotments for individual Indians. Dawes Act was amended in 1891 and again in 1906 by the Burke Act. Ended the reservation system. -
Oklahoma Land Rush
The land run started at noon on April 22, 1889, with an estimated 50,000 people lined up for their piece of the available two million acres. -
Battle at Wounded Knee
Massacre left some 150 Native Americans dead, in what was the final clash between federal troops and the Sioux.
