Assignment Notes for Oklahoma Land Rush PDF

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History of the US South units 6 to 9 assignment notes, and study outlines...

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Assignment Notes for Oklahoma Land Rush o Oklahoma Indian Territory § 5 civilized tribes –Cherokees, Chickasaw, Choctaws, Creek, Seminole o Land Rush on “No Man’s Land” – April 22, 1889 – white settlers given opportunity to settle far western portion of OK o Curtis Act 1889 – formally ended Indian communal land ownership thereby legally dissolving Indian Territory o Oklahoma – “land of the Red Man” · At the close of the Civil War 360,000 Indians still lived in Trans-Miss. West. Most in Great Plains. o Plain Indians used guns, horses, relied on Buffalo § Sioux & Buffalo – gunpowder, improved guns, hunting by nonIndian traders led to rapid decline in Buffalo population. Exterminating of Buffalo sometimes encouraged by US Army Commanders to bring the Sioux to a point of desperation and cooperation. · Sioux – “fight or die” o Many tribes took dramatic steps towards assimilation. § Cherokee – learned English, converted to Christianity, established a Constitutional Republic, and adopted yeoman-like lifestyle o Bureau of Indian Affairs – in exchange for agreeing to live in defined zones (reservations) – Bureau would take care of basic needs and provide guidance. § Sometimes corrupt govt. officials withheld relief/supplies for personal gain. o Medicine Lodge Treaty 1867 – Comanche, Kiowa, Apaches, Cheyenne, Arapahoe moved into reservations in existing Indian Territory (Sioux, Shoshone, Bannocks) . Conditions and cooperation between tribes caused hardships. · Indian Wars o Cheyenne – Chief Black Kettle v. Colorado Volunteers § Colorado territorial governor John Evans terminates all treaties with tribes in CO. § Black Kettle went to US fort for protection – they were given orders to set up at Sand Creek § There they were attacked by Colorado Volunteers – 133 dead – Sand Creek Massacre · Retaliatory raids followed o Great Sioux War – 1865-67

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§ Sioux Warrior, Red Cloud fought US forces to a stalemate in Wyoming. § Treaty of Fort Laramie – 1868 – temporary peace · Sioux were allowed to inhabit their sacred land the Black Hills “Paha Sapa” § Treaty undermined when General George Custer reports that large easily extracted veins of ore were in region. § Speculators move into Indian lands, General Custer rushes ahead to a site in Montana called Little Bighorn. Met by one of the largest Indian contingents ever assembled. Custer and his men were wiped out – “Custer’s last stand” – 6/25/1876 § Feb 1877 – Sioux leaders were forced to surrender by pursuing US forces. o Apaches § Generally followed Medicine Lodge Treaty, but in 1874 some bands began to steal cattle seize territory. § Led by brilliant strategist, Geronimo, they conducted lightningswift raids against white outposts earning a reputation as intrepid warriors. § Red River War · Apaches joined by Kiowa and Comanche · US Army prevails by preventing food supplies to reach Indians. Geronimo surrenders in September of 1886. o Nez Perce – “pierced nose” § Formerly helped white settlers including Lewis and Clark expedition. § Gold discovered in their territory (parts of Idaho, Washington, and Oregon). · Nez Perce ordered to cede 6 million acres (nine-tenths of their land) § Chief Joseph reluctant but willing to cooperate arranged for movement onto reservations. However, younger members of his tribe killed white settlers avenging a death of a peer. This turned into skirmishes with US military. § Eventually completely removed from all parts of their sacred land and moved onto reservations. Internal Empire o Mining Towns – gold, silver, and copper found in CO, AZ, CA, OR, WA, AK, & SD § Boomtown phenomenon · CA pop 1848 – 14,000, CA pop 1852 – 223,856

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§ Sometimes ore veins were large enough to sustain communities for a long time and created permanent cities – Butte, Montana o Most consistently successful were the entrepreneurs who invested in mining equipment (drills etc.) and employers of engineers and other people with technical knowledge related to mining. o Anaconda Copper Mining Co. – example of monopolizing both vertically and horizontally o 1892 – Coeur d’Alene, Idaho – Western Federation of Miners o Unions began to secure 8 hour workdays and worker’s compensation (by 1910s) – long before many eastern states. o Early unions refused African Americans, Chinese, Mexicans, and Indians o Caminetti Act 1893 – US Govt. gives state power to regulate mines (flooding) § Sacramento River Commission Mormon Sanctuary gone o US v. Reynolds – US Supreme Court rules against polygamy o Edmunds Act 1882 – disfranchised polygamists and threatened fines and imprisonment o Edmunds-Tucker Act 1887 – confiscated all Mormon assets creating a federal commission to oversee elections in territory o Mormons eventually renounce plural marriage and communal life altogether. Mexican Borderland Community o Mexicans allowed to stay in land gained by US via Mexican Cession and Gadsden Purchase. Mexican culture remained in southwest. § Also Roman Catholic Church retains influence in southwest Farming Communities on the Plains o Homestead Act 1862 – 160 acres for free, but must improve land and live on it for five years. Or, settler could buy it for $1.25 an acre for only six months. § Success in upper Midwest § Not so much in Great Plains interior – Great Desert · Half of all homesteaders failed to improve land and lost their settlements. o WINNING § Land speculators - bought choice land at bargain prices sold at big profit § Railroads – received land grants from government and sold of their holdings near their railroad for top dollar

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o Population greatly influenced by railroad – in designing routes and local depots railroad communities put whole communities on the map or left them behind. § Western railroads encouraged settlement · Aggressive promotional campaigns – also targeted foreigners o Santa Fe Railroad agent CB Schmidt enticed 60,000 Germans to settle along their rail line. § benefits - Long term loans, free passage to west o 2 million Europeans settled the Great Plains between 1870-1900 § 25% of Nebraska foreign born in 1870 · Heavy German influx · Communities eventually flourished and served the larger agricultural region o Grand Island, NE; Fargo, ND; o Social hierarchy based on education (doctors, lawyers, etc.) and investment property World’s Breadbasket o Commercial farms employed the most extensive and intensive agricultural methods in the world. § John Deere – “singing plow” 1837 § Cyrus McCormick’s reaper – mass produced in 1850s § Harvester – 1870s · Automatic binder – 1880s § 1875 farmer could only plant about 8 acres – 1890, 135 acres o Wheat became chief grain and not only fed domestic households but became a chief export § International demand high, profits were great o California Agribusiness § Investors spent a lot of money on latest technologies, building dams and canals. Farming became chief business of CA · 2/3 of arable land in CA was in 1000 acre farms · CA national leader in wheat production 1880 · Took advantage of new refrigerated cars – cherries, apricots, oranges o Sunkist, Sun Maid o Toll on Land

§ Timber Culture Act – 1873 – allotted homesteaders an additional 160 acres of land in return for planting and cultivating 40 acres of trees. § National Reclamation Act – 1902 – added 1 million acres of irrigated land to the US · States added 10 million more · Irrigation also had a huge environmental impact – Lake Tulare CA – 760 square mile lake completely drained. § General Land Revision Act – 1891 – Gave the president authority to establish forest reserves to protect watersheds from lumbering, overgrazing, forest fires etc. § Forest Management Act – set the government up for large scale regulatory activities · Forest Service 1905...