Chapter 16 Essential Questions

Mana Sura
1. How & why did the economic & social values of white Americans clash with those of Native Americans in the West? - Initially, the white Americans allocated the Great Plains terrain to the Native Americans, as they deemed it useless. The Indians relied very heavily on nature, especially the buffalo, which they used all parts of for various reason, like food, clothing, and weaponry. When Americans and immigrants needed to move west near California and Oregon, they realized that the Great Plains can be explored with railroads as a means of transportation. The white Americans had a very different system of trade and social order from those of the Native American tribes which incorporated the railroad system. This was the economic viewpoint of the Americans in an attempt to force the Indians into submission; they killed a massive population of buffaloes to make the Indians starve and often just to hunt. At the time the railroad had started to appear in the west, the civil war had already begun. The north believed the west would provide greater resources and more people to contribute in the war effort. The Indians, though the tribes lived far away from one another, maintained a strong sense of kinship. Their religious and cultural beliefs were far too diverse from those of Americans.
2. How did the Industrial Revolution affect the settlement of the West? - The Industrial Revolution heavily impacted the settlement of the West. Because of mass production, factories could produce goods for railroad quicker and cheaper. Immigrants also provided a large, reliable work force. The development of the western region probed many to migrate westward. Over the years, as railroads developed, towns around the train tracks also appeared. Robber Barons, such as Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, and John D. Rockefeller also bought sections of the railroad and funded their establishments. They prevented the federal government from carrying the burden of paying for railroads while they were in the middle of the civil war. Railroads allowed farmers in the west to transport their goods to the North and the South for economic gains; their development was fundamental in the economic and social growth of the west.
3. How did mining, farming, & ranching shape the development of the West? - The mining boom occurred due to the discovery of gold in California in 1848. This event is known as the California Gold Rush of 1849. Eager young men looking to benefit financially moved westward to take advantage of this event. The excitement spread and brought over 100,000 immigrants to the west. Very few became wealthy and the rest settled in the area as farmers and ranchers. This was possible because of the Homestead Act which gave people 160 acres of land as long as they looked after in for a minimum of five years. However, farmers did not take into account that the land was really only suitable for cattle ranching rather than crop farming, at least using the farming methods that were common during that time period in other more fertile areas. These qualities lured young men and women to expand westward as they looked to benefit from socio-economic opportunities
4. How did diversity both fundamentally define the West & become the source of conflict in western society? - Diversity fundamentally defined the west and became the source of conflict in western society because of the initial arrival of Americans. They were convinced to move far west due to the influx of riches and resources, such as precious metals. The Congressional Acts also influenced the migration of white Americans and immigrants. However, there was also an emigration of African Americans who had no choice but to sell their labor to land owner. There were conflicts between the immigrants and African Americans in the end, the west became an area for the exchange of culture.