THE WAY WEST (Chapter 13 Notes.

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THE AGRICULTURAL FRONTIER From 1800 t0 1850, population growth from 5.3 million to 23 million people. o In 1800, 1/10 of population in West. o In 1850, of population in West. Moved because of land available in the West. o Needed to raise large families. o Declining soil fertility in the East. o Rising population in rural East. The Crowded East Land is scarce in East. o Large population growth. o Subdivision of landholdings to heirs. Commercialized agriculture separates gap between rich and poor in Mid-Atlantic States, creating many landless poor white males. Large immigration to the eastern seaboard. Tobacco planting ruins soil so land is not viable. Rich planters need land to expand, tenants want their own farms with less competition, and younger sons of planters dont get a large enough share of land for a plantation. Young and poor have incentive to go to West. o Fertile soil. o Much land out there for cheap prices. o Easily accessible through new transportation. o Land is basis of wealth & social standing. o Land is supposed to be the key to preserving American freedom. Congress protects squatters from being outbid by speculators. Price goes from $2 to $1.25 per acre. The Old Northwest (Ohio, Indiana, & Illinois) A mosaic of settlements. Many settlements had different values and customs from their regions that they brought with them into their new culture. Less of a blending pot and more of a sectional system. Upper Midwest settlers were often antislavery Whigs who valued community, moral behavior, and self-improvement. Lower Midwest settlers were often anti-authority Democrats who considered Yankees to be intolerant do-gooders. Very ethnically diverse, so promoted economy instead of culture so there was a greater sense of community. Early settlements had diverse agriculture with hard work. o Little outside labor so it was expensive, and communities instead pitched together for large tasks. o New transportation allowed for commercialized agriculture. Claims clubs were groups of settlers who threatened speculators who wanted to buy land on which there were squatters. Wheat was easily milled into flour, so became cash crop of northern markets. o New plows helped break thick prairie sod of Indiana and Illinois, and followed by horsedrawn mechanical harvesters. o Became much more easily grown than laboring with a scythe in the field.

 Eastern manufacturing grew because it was provided with inexpensive raw materials from the West to create goods. Favorable farm prices and decreasing transportation costs allowed for a greater income that was often used on improving transportation. The Old Southwest (Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, Florida, & Texas) Old Southwest often had a large slave population because it was used for cash crops. High cotton prices prompted migration to grow cotton and get money while it lasted. Forced Native Americans (NA) out of their homes in fertile country. Attracted slaveholding planters and small independent farmers. Often grew short-staple cotton, which was more useful with invention of cotton gin, and Britain had high demand for cotton. Yeomen farmers were small, independent, and owned no slaves. o First wave was stockmen-hunters, who prized independence and measured wealth in livestock. o Farmers had diverse agriculture and often had family labor. Much less urbanized than Old Northwest because spent most of their income on expansion of farms instead of community improvement. THE FRONTIER OF THE PLAINS INDIANS Tribal Lands NA were loosely organized into tribal groups, mostly on the Great Plains. o Higher, drier plains of east had agricultural tribes. o Prairies had nomadic hunting tribes. Indian Removal Act of 1830 was going to relocate Eastern tribes to the area and would create a permanent Indian reserve. Black Hawks War opened Iowa to white settlement and forced tribes to cede land. Later became a territory. Many NA were displaced. o First were farming people in border tribes. Lost land to whites and had agricultural products stolen by Indian raiders. o Major tribe affected was Pawnees, who were hit by whites and Sioux. The Sioux were fierce warriors and raiders who rode horses through the plains. o Often fought other tribes with newfound mobile warfare because of horses. o Hunted buffalo in the summer and trapped beaver in the winter. o Epidemics ravaged other tribes but less to Sioux because of genetics and early vaccines, so they seized leftover land. o Aligned interests with Americans so they werent destroyed. The Fur Traders Originated in British-American rivalry for beaver pelts. William Henry Ashley and Andrew Henry developed the rendezvous system of a grand annual fair for trappers, Indians, and traders to exchange. o Traded furs, guns, traps, tobacco, whiskey, textiles, and other goods. o Mountain men signed up for two/three year stints with fur companies. Harsh living conditions and high mortality rate. Allowed for complete freedom. Mountain men had explored much of the wilderness and led the way into the frontier. The Oregon Trail

 The Oregon Trail was the route that led to the first large American settlement on the Pacific coast. Over 150,000 Americans traveled here, mostly due to rumors of bountiful land. Missionaries failed to convert Indians to Christianity because they tried to change the whole belief system, and NA refused to abandon their traditional culture. Merchants profited from supplying pricy wagons, mules, oxen, guns, ammunition, and staples like flour, bacon, and sugar. Most settlers were young farm families of Midwest trying to escape agricultural depression. In the 1840s, 5000 of 90000 settlers died along the way on the Oregon Trail. Often the killer was disease or accidents, and it was rarely NA. Bureau of Indian Affairs had a great gathering of tribes in 1851 for the Fort Laramie Treaty in an attempt to contain Plains Indians in exchange for payment. Most were Sioux and allies, and took land rights of other NA. THE MEXICAN BORDERLANDS The Peoples of the Southwest Four main groupings divided by Spanish: o Indians (NA with their own language and customs). o Mestizos (racially mixed ancestry, usually Spanish & Indian). o Criollos (American-born whites of Spanish ancestry). o Spaniards. Spaniards and criollos ruled over mestizos, while Indians lived separately in fixed areas as agricultural laborers and were forced to convert to Catholicism. The Pueblos were peaceful farming Indians who lived in adobe communal dwellings called pueblos atop mesas or on terraces carved into cliffs. Focal points of white settlement in northern borderlands- Texas, New Mexico, and Alta California- never had effective communication or transportation. o Semiautonomous economy based on ranching and a mostly illegal trade with French, British, & American merchants. o Was not integrated at all economically or politically. The Americanization of Texas The ranking elite Tejanos (Spanish-speaking Mexicans born in Texas) were closer economically to Louisiana than to the neighboring Mexican state Coahuila. Large ranchers smuggled horses and cattle into Louisiana in exchange for manufactured items & tobacco. Markets for farm crops were limited, and there was little surplus food. Restricted population growth. o Low agricultural productivity. o Low birthrate among mission Indians. o Outbreaks of disease. o Hostile frontier environment. o Failed attempts at Mexican immigration into Texas. First American empresario, recipient of a large grant in return for bringing in settlers, was Stephen F. Austin. Founded first Americal colony in Texas. Empresarios became wealthy by leasing out land, selling parts to settlers, and organizing the rest into large-scale farms that used slave labor to grow cotton. Texas land was extremely cheap.

 Americans often ignored rules set, especially the one banning slavery, despite the taxes they attempted to levy on the offenders. Newcomers rejected Mexican citizenship and refused to become Catholic. General Santa Anna tried to win separate statehood for Texas and military reaction made them declare independence, but the Mexican army of 4000 annihilated the 187 defenders of the Alamo, an abandoned mission in San Antonio. Sam Houston won Battle of San Jancinto in April 1836, establishing Texan independence, but Mexico rejected the treaty. Anglos feared Tejanos and used the law to make them second-class citizens. The Push Into California & the Southwest California. Mexicans had weak rule in California. Missions were secularized, opening up the Catholic Church to private ownership and releasing mission Indians from paternalistic bondage and giving them small allotments of land, though most returned to homelands. Remaining Indians were source of cheap labor for rancheros on cattle ranches. New England merchants used California for seal fisheries and ports for trading goods. California was dominated by New Englanders on coast and Midwestern farm families inwards. New Mexico. Santa Fe Trail went from Missouri to New Mexico. New Mexicans have few mercantile goods, so small but profitable market for gold, silver, and furs. Bents Old Fort enabled Brent brothers to have flourishing trade with NA, trappers, caravans, and large landowners/merchants of New Mexico. Santa Anna levied heavy taxes on Santa Fe trade. Texans had aggressive attempts to seize eastern New Mexico. Leaders looked to US to protect local autonomy, helping with seizure in Mexican War. Utah. Isolation and lack of white settlers led to founding of Mormon movement. Mormons stressed hard work and economic cooperation under patriarchal leaders. Often their economic success and righteous zeal made them harassed, so left to form their own colony. Established Mormon community in 1847 by the Great Salt Lake. Concentrated farms along fertile and well-watered Watasch Front. POLITICS, EXPANSION, AND WAR James K. Polk had expansionist vision, especially California. Clash of arms in April 1846. Mexican Cession of 1848 gave the US a half million square miles of land. Manifest Destiny Manifest destiny was the assumption that white Americans were destined to control the continent because it was a God-given right. Created a racial order with Anglo-Saxons at the top, saying that this gave them the natural right to expand westward with democracy and progress. Insisted that expansion would be irresistible and peaceful, but resulted in deaths of many Mexicans and NA. Associated closely with the Democratic partys expansionist ideals.

The Mexican War Mexico severed ties with America over annexation of Texas. British-American compromise led to flourishing trade, so Mexico lost a potential ally and US could focus on expanding. A border dispute on Texas, which the US said was the Rio Grande and Mexico said was the Nueces River 100 miles north, led to fighting. Rumors of Mexican invasion led Polk to send out troops under General Zachary Taylor. When the government tried to purchase New Mexico and California for $30 million, Mexico refused. Early May led to clash of Mexican and American troops, beginning war. US had stunning military success. o Mexicans lacked leadership, modern artillery, and naval capacity to fight Americans. By end of 1846, Colonel Stephen W. Kearny occupied New Mexico. o Taos Revolt of 1847 in New Mexico was ruthlessly suppressed, despite efforts of Pueblos and poor Mexicans. Kearny linked up with pro-American forces and US troops in southern California, and there was little resistance. Mexico refused to concede defeat, so US sent in General Winfield Scott and captured Mexico City. After long reorganization of government, peace talks led to Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, signed on February 2nd 1848. o Mexico gave Texas north of Rio Grande, Alta California, and New Mexico (with present day Arizona, Utah, and Nevada). o US paid $15 million and agreed to give Mexican residents US citizenship.