5-2.2 How would you
summarize the effects of technologies (such as railroads, the steel plow and
barbed wire) federal policies (such as subsidies for the railroads and the
Homestead Act) and access to natural resources affected the development of the
West.
The environment of the West was influenced by the men and women who settled the region. Land was plowed and irrigation created to make the plains into the breadbasket of the country. When the railroads crossed the plains, they affected the herds of bison that had freely wandered there. The iron rails of the railroad track were trampled and mangled by the great herds. Railroad owners hired riflemen to shoot the offending beasts. Soon the bison herds were decimated and the way of life of the Native Americans who depended on the buffalo was significantly impacted. As more and more migrants settled the West, they infringed on the land that had been the domain of many Native American tribes. Native Americans resisted this encroachment but a series of Indian wars occurred after the Civil War that ended with the remainder of the western Native Americans being forced onto reservations. By the end of the 19th century, the United States government tried to make the Native Americans into farmers. The reservations were divided into parcels for individual Native American families. However, Native Americans did not want to give up their traditional way of life and their reservation land was not, in most cases, well suited for farming that they, in turn, were not trained to utilize.
The transcontinental railroad impacted the development of the West by providing a means of travel, attracting new immigrant settlers and providing a means for transporting the agricultural products grown in the West to market. Many settlers traveled by rail in order to settle in the West. Despite the inexpensiveness of railroad travel, some settlers from the East, such as poor farmers and immigrants, could not afford to travel by rail and continued to travel by covered wagon. The railroad also attracted new immigrants to the United States. As a result of the government’s support for the building of the railroads, the railroad companies owned thousands of acres of land along their routes. In order to fund the laying of the track, the railroad sold much of this land to settlers. They even advertised this land in Europe and this helped attract new immigrants. Towns developed along the routes. The settlers who bought land in the West from the railroad or who received free land from the government hoped to make a profit from farming. The railroad fostered trade and economic growth by providing western farmers with a means of getting their crops to market. Cash crops, such as corn and wheat, became profitable as did the raising of cattle and hogs. The railroad transported these agricultural products to processing centers and helped major industries such as flour milling and meat processing develop in cities like Chicago. As tracks crossed the plains and tunnels were dug through the mountains, railroads had an impact on the natural environment [5-6.2]. The coal burning engines required more and more fuel and this led to an increase in mining, which impacted the environment. Because railroads brought goods to market, they fostered the development of industry which, in turn, impacted the environment. Smoke from the factories and wastes from the processing plants polluted the air and the water
The environment of the West was influenced by the men and women who settled the region. Land was plowed and irrigation created to make the plains into the breadbasket of the country. When the railroads crossed the plains, they affected the herds of bison that had freely wandered there. The iron rails of the railroad track were trampled and mangled by the great herds. Railroad owners hired riflemen to shoot the offending beasts. Soon the bison herds were decimated and the way of life of the Native Americans who depended on the buffalo was significantly impacted. As more and more migrants settled the West, they infringed on the land that had been the domain of many Native American tribes. Native Americans resisted this encroachment but a series of Indian wars occurred after the Civil War that ended with the remainder of the western Native Americans being forced onto reservations. By the end of the 19th century, the United States government tried to make the Native Americans into farmers. The reservations were divided into parcels for individual Native American families. However, Native Americans did not want to give up their traditional way of life and their reservation land was not, in most cases, well suited for farming that they, in turn, were not trained to utilize.
The transcontinental railroad impacted the development of the West by providing a means of travel, attracting new immigrant settlers and providing a means for transporting the agricultural products grown in the West to market. Many settlers traveled by rail in order to settle in the West. Despite the inexpensiveness of railroad travel, some settlers from the East, such as poor farmers and immigrants, could not afford to travel by rail and continued to travel by covered wagon. The railroad also attracted new immigrants to the United States. As a result of the government’s support for the building of the railroads, the railroad companies owned thousands of acres of land along their routes. In order to fund the laying of the track, the railroad sold much of this land to settlers. They even advertised this land in Europe and this helped attract new immigrants. Towns developed along the routes. The settlers who bought land in the West from the railroad or who received free land from the government hoped to make a profit from farming. The railroad fostered trade and economic growth by providing western farmers with a means of getting their crops to market. Cash crops, such as corn and wheat, became profitable as did the raising of cattle and hogs. The railroad transported these agricultural products to processing centers and helped major industries such as flour milling and meat processing develop in cities like Chicago. As tracks crossed the plains and tunnels were dug through the mountains, railroads had an impact on the natural environment [5-6.2]. The coal burning engines required more and more fuel and this led to an increase in mining, which impacted the environment. Because railroads brought goods to market, they fostered the development of industry which, in turn, impacted the environment. Smoke from the factories and wastes from the processing plants polluted the air and the water
Create a Tri-Chart
Directions:
* Create 3 boxes
* Write “Trade” on the top box, write “Travel” on the middle box, and write “Natural Environment” on the bottom box
*Students will add an image to help them remember the meaning of each word.
*Students will use this chart in the lesson to identify how railroads impacted the development of the west, and what impacts railroads had on trade, travel and the natural environment. Use information from the video and the text to assist you in creating the chart.
Directions:
* Create 3 boxes
* Write “Trade” on the top box, write “Travel” on the middle box, and write “Natural Environment” on the bottom box
*Students will add an image to help them remember the meaning of each word.
*Students will use this chart in the lesson to identify how railroads impacted the development of the west, and what impacts railroads had on trade, travel and the natural environment. Use information from the video and the text to assist you in creating the chart.
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