Development of the plains c.1862 - c.1876

Question 1

What was the Homestead Act? When was it created?

Answer 1

1862 - encouraged settlement of the West by providing 160 acres land as incentive

Question 2

What was the Timber Culture Act 1873?

Answer 2

gave hmstdrs further 160 acres of land, if 40 acres planted with trees

Question 3

Who was allowed to claim land from the Homestead & Timber Culture Act?

Answer 3

Unionists - on winning side of ACW

Question 4

What percentage of people who tried homesteading went back home?

Answer 4

60%

Question 5

Name one impact of the Homestead Act 1862.

Answer 5

migrants faced extreme weather conditions eg. droughts & prairie fires

Question 6

What was the transcontinental railroad?

Answer 6

railway line crossing entirety of NA from Atlanic to Pacific Ocean

Question 7

How was the transcontinental railroad built?

Answer 7

through Pacific Railroad Act 1862

Question 8

What was the Pacific Railroad Act 1862?

Answer 8

incentivised private companies to build trnscntnntl railroad

Question 9

Name 3 reasons why Lincoln want to build a trnscntnntal railroad?

Answer 9

promote settlement of West - fufill Manifest Destiny
enforce law & order
trade with Asia & Far East

Question 10

What impact did the railroad have on settlers & farming?

Answer 10

positive - intergrated western territories into the USA, achieving MD

Question 11

What impact did the railroad have on Plains Indians?

Answer 11

negative - decline in no. of buffalo, limiting ability having nomadic lifestyle & PI attacked railroad surveyors = conflict with US army

Question 12

What impact did the railroad have nationally?

Answer 12

mostly positive - connected the east & west of US, also allowed USA trade with Asia

Question 13

What impact did the railroad have on the cattle industry?

Answer 13

positive - Texas cattlemen could easily transport & sell cattle @ high prices in cities

Question 14

When were ‘self governing’ windmills invented?

Answer 14

1854

Question 15

When were steel blades invented?

Answer 15

1870

Question 16

What was the purpose of ‘self governing’ windmills and steel blades?

Answer 16

pump H2O out of ground -> help farmers irrigate land

Question 17

What was problem that was overcome by ‘self governing’ windmills and steel blades?

Answer 17

shortage of H2O

Question 18

What was the advantage of ‘self governing’ windmills and steel blades?

Answer 18

pump H2O out of 30ft deep wells

Question 19

What was the disadvantage of ‘self governing’ windmills and steel blades?

Answer 19

not pwrfl enough -> pump H2O

Question 20

Who discovered Turkey Red? Where did it grow well?

Answer 20

Mennonites - Kansas farms

Question 21

What was the advantage of new crops eg. Turkey Red?

Answer 21

farmers = able to export grain & boost settlement on Plains

Question 22

What was the problem overcome by growing new crops?

Answer 22

not knowing suitable -> grow on arid envrnmnt

Question 23

Why was it important for homesteaders to plant trees as part of the Timber Culture Act?

Answer 23

• Trees shelter crops from damage
• provide settlers w resources

Question 24

How many acres were claimed under the Timber Culture Act, by 1878?

Answer 24

16 million acres

Question 25

What was a disadvantage of the Timber Culture Act?

Answer 25

Most trees died due to lack of H2O

Question 26

When was barbed wire invented? By who?

Answer 26

1874 - Joseph Glidden

Question 27

What was the purpose of barbed wire?

Answer 27

effctlvly prevents crops from animals

Question 28

What was an advantage of barbed wire?

Answer 28

cheaper than timber

Question 29

What was disadvantage of barbed wire?

Answer 29

early types broke & costly

Question 30

When was the Sulky plow invented?

Answer 30

1875

Question 31

What problem did the sulky plow overcome?

Answer 31

hrsh lnds of tough weeds & prairie grasses

Question 32

What did John Deere invent? When? What did their purpose?

Answer 32

1837 - sod buster - dealt with tough grass roots

Question 33

How many sod buster were sold in the first 6 years of their existence?

Answer 33

50,000

Question 34

What was a disadvantage of sod busters?

Answer 34

walking plough = cheaper & easier -> understand

Question 35

When was dry farming invented? What was it?

Answer 35

1879 - technique aimed -> conserves H2O in soil by trapping rainH2O under surface

Question 36

What was an advantage of dry farming?

Answer 36

worked well w wheat

Question 37

What was a disadvantage of dry farming?

Answer 37

severe droughts in 1890s = stopped bcmng widespread

Question 38

What problem did dry farming mostly overcome?

Answer 38

lack of rain

Question 39

When were all metal wind pumps invented?

Answer 39

1880's

Question 40

What was the purpose of all metal wind pumps?

Answer 40

-> pump H2O from deep underground

Question 41

What was an advantage of all metal wind pumps?

Answer 41

larger blades meant that maximum enrgy = convrtd -> pump H2O

Question 42

What problem did all metal windpumps overcome?

Answer 42

lack of H2O collected from underground

Question 43

When were improvements made to barbed wire? What were they?

Answer 43

1880s - no longer rusted quickly bc of coating & new production methods

Question 44

What were the advantages of the improvements made to barbed wire?

Answer 44

cheap & effective -> protects crops from livestock

Question 45

Why was claim jumping still a problem?

Answer 45

law & order = often far from mines

Question 46

Why were racial attacks still a problem?

Answer 46

thousands of Chinese ppl emigrated -> America black, indian & mexican ppl fcd abuse

Question 47

Why were shootings still a problem?

Answer 47

some gun fighters bcme v famous & myths srrndg them bcme widespread

Question 48

Why was cattle rustling still a problem?

Answer 48

young cattle = easy -> steal from open range before being branded

Question 49

Why were train robberies still a problem?

Answer 49

gangs regularly held up express cars on trains

Question 50

Why were robberies still a problem?

Answer 50

stage coaches & travellers could be held up in isolated ares