A timeline of the major events and ideas that reshaped the New West after the Civil War - by the fabulous historians in second period.
Created by mtaftmtaft on Jan 23, 2011
Last updated: 02/09/11 at 10:06 PM
I remember the day like it was yesterday we heard the Sioux approaching, so we took action and hide in the woods along the path to the creek. We fired shots the the battle started and the Sioux wasted no time to fire back. When the smoke cleared and the shooting stopped approximately 300 Sioux were dead and 25 American soldiers. As the reaming Sioux fled we started to do a grime task; removing the dead bodies. We found of the 300 dead Sioux Big Foot the chief was one of the bodies.
http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/knee.htm
In March I heard President Harrison say he was going to let 1.9 million acres of land available for settlement exactly at noon. What a chance! For cheap I could have all the land I wanted I just had to get there right at noon! When I finally arrived just before noon there were thousands of people already there and we had to form a line! Finally right at noon 60,000 of us settlers rushed in a tried to claim as much land as possible. This former Indian territory became the state of Oklahoma.
Wovoka was born to a medicine man in 1858 in Nevada. At age fourteen, Wovoka was sent to live with an Irish family in Yerrington, Nevada. He was later adopted by the family and named Jack Wilson. I remember, in 1888, Wovoka became very ill with a fever that gave him many visions. Once he became healthy again, he told all of us about his visions which consisted of a better world for Native Americans. This better world had no illness, death, or destitution. Everyone would also be free. So that this better world would come, Wovoka taught his followers the Ghost Dance, a ritual that was said to bring that day. At the end of the dance, everyone was so tired that they collapsed and “died.” The legacy of the Ghost Dance carries on, interesting all who learn about it.
http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Topics/Display/1187738?sid=252702&useConcept=False
Written by Henry Dawes, the Dawes Act stated that the Indians would get assigned individual plots of land on their reservation. Now I personally believe that this will completely ruin the Indian way of life. They will now be constricted to individual plots of land and no longer free to move around. Everything is much more organized then before, but I do not believe that the United States Government should regulate Indian land, even if it was well-intentioned. Kelly, Lawrence. United States. Maps of Indian Territory, the Dawes Act, and Will Citation Rogers' Enrollment Case File. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1990. Web. 30 Jan 2011. .
The Great Die Up lasted the winter of 1887. Because of such harsh weather in winter and dry summer climates that year, the price of beef decreased. When spring came around and melted the snow, cattle was scattered all over farms.
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/program/episodes/seven/hellwoheat.htm
Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West show was a live performance, which popularized the West. From 1882 through 1913 Cody traveled all across the United States and even to England as he performed his show, which included many live animals, and recruited cowboys and cowgirls participate in the show. One of the most famous was Annie Oakley who worked as a sharpshooter. The Wild West show also made cowboys more popular throughout the West. It also apparently was quite popular in Britain to the point at it even helped international relationships between the two countries. Buffalo Bill Cody’s wild West show improved the nation’s perception of the West. "On This Day Buffalo 'Bill' Cody Rode into Sumptown." Stumptown Blogger. Web. 1 Feb 2011. . not listed, . " History and Research." The Buffalo Bill Museum and Gra. Buffalo Bill Museum, Not listed. Web. 1 Feb 2011. .
I was greatly surprised by the recent passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act. It will suspend the opportunity of Chinese laborers to migrate to the United States. I think this is outrageous and will hurt our country in the future. It not only creates tension between us Americans and the Chinese, but it also lowers the amount of new workers that can come to the United States, because many recent workers we have been receiving from other countries have been Chinese. Also, the act is stopping Chinese culture from assimilating into American culture.
~Jeffrey M.
Sources: http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/chinex.htm
http://www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=old&doc=47
http://sun.menloschool.org/~mbrody/ushistory/angel/exclusion_act/
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/chinex.htm
This was the end of the cattle drive. One invention in particular stopped the famous drives bringing the longhorns up from Texas to the rail cities to be made into meat - barbed wire. As fences were not used much before, due to the lack of wood, this invention allowed people to guard their property, and prevented cowboys from moving their cattle through them. People also wanted better quality meat to eat, farm bred cows...but the cattle drives had a lasting impact, proven by the popularity of beef - in 15 years, two million longhorns were rounded up.
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/events/1880_1890.htm
My Nez Perce followers and I broke away from the tribe to flee from the American Army, who was forcing us to sell our land and move to a reservation. The journey to Canada took four months where we traveled 1,000 miles. But the army caught up to us just south of the Canadian border. I had no choice but to surrender because we were severely outnumbered. I am known for my famous quote, "I will fight no more, forever." The video is my famous surrender speech as well.
http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/247173?terms=Surrender+of+Chief+Joseph+and+Nez+Perce
Sioux and Cheyenne Native Americans left their reservations because they were mad about the continued intrusions of us whites into the Black Hills. They gathered in Montana with Sitting Bull to fight for their lands. We fought against them with our leader George Armstrong Custer of the Seventh Cavalry. The time that fallowed was one of the most famous ones fought during the American Indian wars. We lost nearly 40% of our strength after the war but the Native Americans didn't loose any. The news of our defeat shocked the nation and the government responded by stepping up military action.
In the year 1869 Wyoming became a territory. On December 10, that same year the legislature passed a bill allowing women to vote. Louisa Ann Swain at the age of 69 was the first women to vote in the year 1870. The polling was not yet open but the election officials asked her to come inside and cast her vote.
http://www.thecurseof1920.com/blog/?p=16
It was a tremendous sight when Leland Stanford lifted the hammer and drove in the golden spike connecting the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads … even if he missed the spike! A simple telegraph message was sent to both sides of the US – “DONE!”, and the resulting celebration was felt on both coasts. One surveyor from the Union Pacific wrote, "'Tis Finished!" This great and mighty enterprise that spans a continent with iron and unites two oceans . . . the future is coming and fast too." The connection of the two rail lines will bridge the 2000 miles to the Missouri River, and the four to six months time taken by the overland pioneers will be reduced to six days. A web of rails will develop to connect the western portion of the country, and certainly all of the Pacific states will be reshaped, as thousands will pour in for settlement. The United States is now truly united … although I wonder how the native populations will feel when more settlers come their way.
Transcontinental Railroad. Public Broadcasting System, 2002. Web. 20 Jan. 2011. .
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/tcrr/index.html
The Goodnight-Loving Cattle Trail was a cattle trail that was created by Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving. At the time that they created the trail, they felt the cattle markets were insufficient for the available cattle, so they decided to blaze a new trail. The trail runs from Young County, Texas, to Cheyenne, Wyoming. Then, in the summer of 1867, Loving went ahead to negotiate contracts, but was killed. Goodnight continued to use the trail. Later, Goodnight settled on his ranch in Texas, but the trail he helped blaze would continue to be used by cowboys. John V.
The transcontinental RR was constructed between the years 1863-1869 right during the Civil War. The Bill was signed to let the RR be built in 63'. The congress gave a 30 year U.S. Government bonds and extensive lands grant of government owned land.
http://www.gop.com/index.php/issues/accomplishment/
We thought hard on this law to pass. It gave up to 160 aces of unsettled land in the west to anyone who wanted. All they would have to do is purchase their own resources, farm the land so that it was improved from when they bought it and after 5 years they could get money for their land. They would need 3 people to prove that they had made improvements to the land. The law was passed on May 20, 1862 under President Abraham Lincoln.
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