Chapter 5 THE WESTERN CROSSROADS

1
Chapter 5 THE WESTERN CROSSROADS

• Section 1 War in the West
• Section 2 Western Farmers
• Section 3 The Cattle Boom
• Section 4 The Mining Boom

2
Objectives
Section 2 Western Farmers

• How did the U.S. government promote economic
  development in the West?
• Why did people migrate west?
• How did the environment influence farming
  practices and daily life in the West?
• What difficulties did farm families face on the
  Great Plains?

3
Promotion of economic development
Section 2 Western Farmers

• Homestead Act permitted any citizen or intended
  citizen to have 160 acres of land.
• Pacific Railway Act gave lands to railroad
  companies to develop the transcontinental
  railroad.
• Morrill Act provided more than 17 million acres
  of land whose sale was to finance agricultural
  and engineering colleges.

4
Migration west
Section 2 Western Farmers

• White Americans sought cheaper lands or wanted to
  make a new start.
• African Americans wanted to escape persecution in
  the South.
• Scandinavians had America Fever.
• Irish moved west after building railroads.
• Russian Mennonites moved after Russian czar ended
  their exemption from military service.
• Chinese came during Gold Rush and turned to
  farming.

5
Environmental influence
Section 2 Western Farmers

• Lack of water and strong winds led to dry farming
  and irrigation.
• Lack of trees led to use of buffalo manure as
  fuel and building material.
• Harsh winters led to use of new varieties of
  wheat that withstood the weather.

6
Difficulties for farm families
Section 2 Western Farmers

• poor housing
• blizzards and cold weather
• droughts
• insects
• prairie fires
• backbreaking work