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(6.3) The West - AP US History Flashcards

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12973752208frontierA wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country; In the United States: the West.0
12973752209frontiersman / pioneers / settlersThe migrants who first move into, live, and work into an undeveloped region1
12973752210bisonthe primary source of food, shelter, and clothing for the Plains Indians.2
12973818806Great PlainsA mostly flat and grassy region of western North America3
12973827572Plains IndiansA diverse group of Indian tribes and their languages that inhabited the West; Pacified and removed in the late 1800s Indian Wars.4
12973752211Indian reservationsEthnic cleansing into specified areas5
12973752193Battle of Little Bighorn (1876)(1876) Sioux victory over army troops led by George Custer; Also known as Custer's Last Stand.6
12973752151Dawes Act(1887) land given to individual Indians to discourage tribal mindset; encouraged Indians to farm for a living instead of communally owning land7
12973752185Ghost DanceA religious revitalization campaign among several Plains Indian tribes; An attempt to preserve cultures and tribal identities despite US government policies promoting assimilation; Outlawed by US.8
12988699977Battle of Wounded Knee (1890)Between US Army and Dakota Sioux; 200 Indians and 29 US soldiers died; Tensions erupted violently over the Sioux practice of Ghost Dance, which US Government outlawed, and dispute over whether Sioux reservation land would be broken up because of the Dawes Act.9
12973752212Frederick Jackson TurnerUnited States historian who stressed the role of the western frontier in American history10
12988794430The Significance of the Frontier in American HistoryThesis argued by the historian Frederick Jackson Turner: the existence of cheap and unsettled land played a key role in making American society more democratic; the frontier helped create the American spirit of democracy and egalitarianism, acted as a safety valve for Americans to escape bad economic conditions, and stimulated nationalism and individualism11
12988830444homesteaders*Settlers who claimed land on the Great Plains under the Homestead Act.12
12988845887Homestead Acts*United States federal laws that gave an applicant ownership of land, typically called a "homestead", at little or no cost.13
12973752194irrigation schemesgovernment-sponsored projects to bring water to dry western lands to make them arable14
12988857373mechanized agricultureUsing machines in farming to increase farm production; displaced many farmers; farmers created organizations to resist corporate power, E.g. Grange, Farmers Alliance, Peoples Party15
12973752170Grange Movement and Farmers AllianceGrassroots movements that attempted to address the plight of farmers in the late 1800s; attempted to regulate railroads and enlarge opportunity for credit; evolved into Populist movement.16
12973752135People's Party*A.K.A. Populists; An agrarian political party; Drew support from angry farmers in the West and South; Highly critical of capitalism, especially banks and railroads.17
12973752136populism*a philosophy supporting the rights and empowerment of the masses as opposed to elites18
12988885372Panic of 1893Serious economic depression due to rail road companies over-extending themselves, causing bank failures. Was the worst economic collapse in the history of the country until that point. Produced political upheaval that led to the realigning election of 1896 and the presidency of William McKinley.19
12973752165Homestead and Pullman StrikesIndustrial lockouts and strikes that showed battle between corporations and labor unions. Ended with government intervention on the side of big business.20
12988912551Election of 1896William McKinley wins! demonstrated a sharp division in society between urban and rural interests. William Jennings Bryan (Democrat & Populist) was able to form a coalition that answered the call of populist groups and rural interests including the indebted farmers and those arguing against the gold standard. McKinley's victory highlights the shift from America as an agrarian nature to one of urban interests. Populism defeated, but many of its goals would be achieved later in the Progressive Era.21
12973752213William McKinley25th President 1897-1901 Republican22
12988938997William Jennings BryanLawyer and politician who advocated free silver in 1896 election; Wilson's Secretary of State and advocate of Moral Diplomacy; Religious fundamentalist who prosecuted John Scopes (1925) for teaching evolution in a Tennessee high school.23
12988953041Cross of Gold Speech (1896)Given by William Jennings Bryan at the national convention of the Democratic Party; criticized the gold standard and supported the coinage of silver; The last words of his speech became famous - "You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold."24

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