Between 1820 and 1840 the relationship between Indians and White Americans who traded in furs was positive. They had a common interest in the fur trade and both groups benefitted. In the 1840s new groups moved west and this changed.

4 types of groups moved or already lived in the West

1. Plains Indians

2. Migrants

3. Religious Groups

4. Gold Miners

1. Plains Indians

There were 3 main groups of Plains Indians

The Apache

- Survived on Buffalo

- Nomadic – moved to different parts of the Plains at different times of year

- Survived winter trading meat with other tribes

- Had horses – used these to hunt Buffalo

- They also had guns that they used to raid other tribes

The Cheyenne

- Farming and hunting

- Used horses to move to full time Buffalo hunting

- By 1830 were also nomadic hunting Buffalo on horseback

- Trade with other tribes is important

The Lakota Sioux

- Hunted Buffalo on foot and grew some crops

- Then used the horses to hunt

- They bought guns from White traders which helped hunting

- They moved from the Great Lakes to the Plains due to White settlers moving in

- They settled around the Black Hills of Dakota

2. Migrants

Reasons for moving

Downturn in the economy- nothing to lose

Farming – land was fertile in Oregon and California

Land – any farmer who built a house and cleared the land could buy it

Manifest Destiny – it was God’s plan for them to travel West

Maps and Trails – people now knew the trails to get them there

The Journey

2400 miles long and took 8 months!

Most migrants were foreign born – Swedes, Norwegians, German and Irish

Wagon trains of 20 or more set off in the spring

Potential problems included, Buffalo Stampedes, storms, hot weather, crossing rivers, Rocky Mountains, disease like cholera, Snow, Natives, starvation.

3. Religious Groups – The Mormons

Who were they?

Led by Joseph Smith

They wanted to rebuild Jesus Church in America

Were popular with the poor because they believed in shared ownership of land

Unpopular with slaveholders as they were against slavery

Unpopular because they practised polygamy (having multiple wives) to increase their numbers

Why did they move West?

People didn’t like them and murdered Joseph Smith

Brigham Young, their new leader, moved them West to get away from the people that hated them.

They travelled on foot rather than in wagons

Travelled 1300 miles and founded Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City, Utah

The Church decided who got which land

He began irrigation to overcome the problem of growing crops on the dry land

Utah was originally under Mexican control (see orange part of map) but given to the USA in 1848

The USA would not make Utah a state because they did not want them to make their own laws

In 1857 they sent troops to prevent the Mormon laws on marriage and land

However a group of Mormons killed some settlers forcing Young to step down and Utah to follow the laws of the USA

4. Gold Miners

California Gold Rush 1848-49

There was a huge rush to the area after President Polk confirmed Gold had been found in 1848

Ridiculous stories spread of people earning $1K-$10K a day (the daily wage for workers was usually $2-3) and washing so much gold out their beards that it would be worth $16

Over 50 000 White Americans moved to California in 1849 alone.

The people who made the most money were not the miners but the merchants who sold to miners and their families

Levi Strauss made his fortune selling new hard wearing trousers to miners - made from cotton.

Nancy Gooch was a free slave who washed and cooked for mining men she earned enough money to buy her son and his wife's freedom!

By 1852 people had to dig much deeper for the Gold and ‘Stamp Mills’ were set up to destroy the Quartz and get at the Gold

Native Americans were killed or enslaved due to the Gold Rush!

Impact

California became a state in 1850

Mining towns grew all over the state with some becoming new cities

Lumbering (wood) ad farming became big business as Gold mining became more difficult

Conflict grew with Native Americans who had started to dig for gold with the Americans but were soon driven away

The Governor encouraged violence against Natives and any Native who could not prove he had a job could be sold as a slave

Mining also ruined the land – flooding rivers and putting chemicals into the water which killed the wildlife

This had a serious impact on Natives who lived off the land

Pikes Peak Gold Rush 1858-59

Discovered in Kansas

Again 100 000 people moved there after Gold was found

2 differences with California – Railway and Town Boosters

Railway – meant people could travel their much easier so more people went

Town Boosters – There were 3 routes to Pikes Peak and one big town set up on each new route encouraging people to travel that way and settle in their town – this led to people lying about the routes and people dying after getting lost

Impact

Farming grew rapidly as a business to feed miners

Kansas became a state in 1861

The Plains started to become popular places to settle rather than just pass through

This led to increased competition over land with the Natives who needed the Plains for hunting