Key topic 1 The early settlement of the West, ¢.1835~c.1862 The Mormons in the valley of the Great Salt Lake Brigham Young had chosen the valley of the Great Salt Lake because of its isolation (see Source N) and unattractiveness {see Source P). No one else wanted to settle there. Brigham Young, 27 July 1847 We do not intend to have any trade or commerce with the gentile world, The Kingdom of Ged cannat rise independent ‘of the gentile nations until we produce, manufacture and make every article of use, convenience, or necessity among cour own people. Making a success of Salt Lake Valley When the Mormons arrived, opinions were mixed on. whether it really was a good place to settle, The Mormons, however, had an advantage over the settlers back east on the Plains of Kansas and Nebraska. They could work together. Description by a member of the ‘Pioneer Band! ‘A broad and barren plain hemmed in by mountains, blistering in the burning rays af the midsummer sun. No ‘waving fields, no swaying forests, no green meadows, But on all sides a seemingly interminable waste of sagebrush - the paradise of the lizard, the cricket and the rattlesnake, , From the journal of William Clayton, who kept @ daily record of the journey ‘There is an extensive, beautiful, level-looking valley from here to the lake. There is litle timber in sight. There is no prospect for building log houses, but we can make Spanish bricks and dry them in the sun. For my own part lam happily disappointed in the appearance ofthe valley of the Salt Lake, But ifthe land be as rich as it has the appearance of being, | have no fear but the Saints can live here and well, ACTIVITIES Read Sources O and Q. 1. What are the problems that faced Mormon settlers in the valley of the Great Salt Lake? 2 What does the writer of Source Q mean when he writes, 1am happily disappointed in the appearance of the valley"? A.contemporary engraving showing Salt Lake ity in 1860,2 Migration and early settlement EEE “The leadership of Brigham Young was crucial. The success ‘this plan for crossing the Plains meant he was listened or and followed. His plan was to make the Mormons cSimpletely selé-sulicien, but che First priority was food. Soung decided that ehere would be no private ownership of ena water. The Church would assign farmland co people according to their needs. “The city developed to a clear plan. Ae the centre was the temple (their main place of worship) and main square Leading off from here were strets lined with plots of land for homes and gardens, and farms for larger families. Snowele water from the mountains was brought into the tity bya system of irrigation ditches (See Source R). There Sava timetable for when individuals could draw off water for their plots. Through this co-operative working, the Mormons were able to feed themselves, and co avoid che dangers of elalm-jumping (see page 39) and water dispuces. “source R A description of Salt Lake City in 1850 by a US Government surveyor {city has been laid out upon a magnificent scale, Through the ely itself flows an unfailing stream of pure, sweet water, nich, by an ingenious mode of irrigation, is made to travel ‘long each side of every street whence itis led into every {Garden-spot, spreading life, and beauty over what was 2 barren waste. ‘The houses are built, principally, of sun-dried brick, which mnoke a warm comfortable dwelling, presenting a very neat appearance ‘The Mormons thus became self-sufficient in food, but in industrial development they were not so successful. They idid not have enough money or workers. They were hoping to make all their own clothes and manufactured goods, so they set up pottery works, extile factories and ironworks, but, as Source S shows, they had limited success. Education was another area where little was achieved. Schools were badly equipped, and parents resisted che attempt co extend the school year beyond three months, insisting that cheir children were needed on their farms, ACTIVITY co-operation. Two have already be Lack of water | Dig wells for using it “The early settler in Kansas and Utah faced a range of problems some similar ond some diferent 4) Draw a table like the one below to briefly note what the problems were B) Then briefly explain how the Kansas and Utah setters tried to resolve these problems ©) Finaly colourcode those probloms that were solved by ether central leadership or ,een completed for you. ‘Construct an irrigation system with a timetable Source $ Horace Greeley, a journalist who visited the Mormons in 1859 ‘The Mormons’ manufacturing energies have been most unhappily directed. Some two hundred thousand dollars was spent in preparations for iron-making ata place called Cedar City; but the ore, though rich, would not flux, and the enterprise had to be totally abandoned. Wood and flax can be {grown here cheaply and abundantly, yet, owing tothe troubles tast year [see page 45], no spinning and weaving machinery has yet been put into operation. An atternpt to grow cotton is lively to prove a failure. The winters are long and cold here, ‘and the [Latter Day] Saints must make cloth or shiver. Not Deseret but Utah “The Mormons had succeeded in building a new life outside the United States, but when the Mexican-American War tended in 1848 they found themselves back in the United States. Brigham Young wanted to found a new state called "Deseret, the ‘land of the honey bee’, and for itto be admitced into the Union, but the US Government refused. Instead a ‘compromise was negotiated. The Territory of Utah, smaller than Deseret, was created. Young was appointed is first governor, but some ofthe other officials were Gentiles. Inthe final phase of Young's plan, the Mormons established owns and settlements in those parts of Utah where farming ‘was possible. New town grids were laid out, irrigation ditches dug and farming plots marked. For each town Young selected a balanced mix of Mormon settlers wich the necessary skills to live there, Also new towns, such as Carson City and Las Vegas, were established on the borders of Urah. However, if the Mormons were to make Utah into state they needed more Mormon settlers. Missionaries went 0 Europe and South America to gather converts, These tended to come from the poorer sections of society so ina final step & Perpetual Emigrating Fund was established in 1849 to pay for thelr travel Their journey was organised by ship to America find then by wagon across che Plains, using the existing resting Stations, This was very successful; for example, in 1855, 4225 converts arrived in Utah, The population grew, the Mormons became nearly self-sufficient and they hoped to live in peace. Practice question Explain the importance of ! the leadership of Brigham ? ‘Young to the successful settlement ofthe valley of he Great Salt Lake by the Mormons. (For guidance, 20 page 23) Lack of wood _ | Build sod houses Build adobe brick houses in the Spanish styleKey topic 1 The early settlement of the West, ¢.1835-c.1862 2.6 The Gold Rush of 1849 The fourth group of Americans to go West were the miners, ot forty-niners’. They were not seeking the solitary lifestyle of the mountain men, the fertile farmland of the settlers or the freedom from persecution of the Mormons. Instead they were seeking wealth: gold, Gold discovered In 1848 a carpenter working on the construction of a sawmill, Sutter's Mill, in the foothills of California's Sierra Nevada mountain range, discovered gold. He and his companions reportedly finished building the mill before they turned to gold-mining. News of this discovery spread slowly until it was picked up by a San Francisco newspaper: ‘Then it spread like wildfire across the USA and beyond. The first miners co arrive came from California. It was said that two-thirds of the able-bodied men in Oregon joined the Gold Rush in the months thar followed. By 1849 miners were arriving from round the world. Those who could afford it came by sea, having sailed around the southern tip of South America, or via Panama. This took 70-84 days. Others took the slower route by wagon train across the Great Plains, following the California Trail. The population of California rocketed from around 15,000 in 1848 to nearly 250,000 by 1852. . EL DORADO op THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THE Discovany INEXHAUSTIBLE GOLD MINES CALIFORNIA. Tremendous Excitement among the Amerivans. ‘The Bxtensive Preparations 0 MIGRATE TO THE GOLD REGION, ke. bt. ke. ‘The great discovery of gold, in dust, scales and Jumpo, of quicksilver, platina, cinaabas, &c.,&e., on the shores of the Pacific, has thrown the Ame- mean people into a state of the wildest excite- ment. ‘The intelligence from Califoraia, that gold can be picked up in 1umpe, weighing six of seven ‘A Source T Newspaper headline about the discovery of gold in 18492 Migration and early settlement Chinese miners One significant group to arrive were the Chinese. At this time China was suffering greac turmoil from the Taiping Rebellion. This acted as a push factor to leave China and ‘cross the Pacific Ocean to California, where there was the prospect of gold (the pull). Most Chinese labourers arrived lunder che Credit Ticket System: Chinese companies in San Francisco paid for their passage from the port of Hong, Kong, In return, once in California, the labourers paid by working fora set time in the companies’ mines. It was not their intention to stay in the United States ~ just to make ‘money and chen return home. ‘All chat the early miners needed was a pick and a shovel, as gold could be found in dried-up stream beds. Later they needed a washing pan, so water would carry away the lighter soil and gravel, leaving the heavier gold in the bottom. As chis became less successful, the cradle was developed, a box thar did the same job as the washing pan, but for larger quantities, When the easily accessible gold deposits had been found, most miners moved on to new strikes in California, There was still gold, but ic required more sophisticated and expensive techniques to mine it. This is when companies moved in, and so did the Chinese. They tended to set up large camps near where they worked for safety, and they. were prepared to move on quickly when faced with hostility from other miners. Itis estimated that up toa third of the Chinese in California in 1852 lived in these large camps. ‘Table 2.1 The estimated Chinese population figures for California 1 Feb. 1849 54 ‘dan. 1850 77 Dec. 1850 4,000 | Dec. 1851 6,500) Dec. 1852 | 25,000 Miners, some of who are Chinese, using ‘washing cradles in a Californian stream bedKey topic 1 The early settlement of the West, ¢.1835-c.1862 ee Mining town violence Mining towns developed from mining camps, and to begin with chey were lawless. There were no organised forces of law and order as the area was still under military control following the Mexican-American Wat. Miners had to make their own arrangements to settle dispuces over claims. Claims had to be recorded by a discrict recorder, but any disputes had to be resolved by miners’ courts. These had no legal basis, buc were simply groups of miners judging other miners. Punishments ranged from flogging, chrough banishment, co hanging. In Downieville in 1851, a Mexican woman was hanged for killing a drunken miner who had attacked her. A newspaper commented, ‘Had this woman been, | an American instead of a Mexican, instead of being hung for the deed, she would have | been praised for it Ie was not her guile that condemned the unforcunate woman, but her Mexican blood.” ‘Additionally, shopkeepers and saloon owners moved in to make money from the miners, ‘The combination of so many men, gambling and alcohol was a recipe for violence. By 1853 1 San Francisco had over $00 saloons. Finally, here were also disputes between miners and the local Californians, and racial tensions between white miners and other groups, such as: Hispanics (mainly Mexicans, Chileans and Peruvians) 1 Californian Indians, who were mostly slaughtered by the miners © Chinese 1 ex-conviets from Australia © free African Americans, ‘There were even slaves in the mix, brought by ex-plantation owners from che southern United States. These slaves and their owners were thrown out though, as California was to be a free state. | | By 1852 the Gold Rush was over. Many miners moved on to search for gold in the | Rocky Mountains. | ACTIVITIES ? 1 Look at Sources T, U and V. What conclusions about the forty-niners can you draw from them? 2 Make # new diamond card which explains why the forty-niners went West. Would you ‘place it in the diamond nine (page 25}? if so, where? 3. By the end of the 1850s the Chinese represented a quarter of California's miners. Write an ‘account that explains the contribution of the Chinese to the Californian Gold Rush Practice question Explain two consequences of the discovery of gold in California in 1848. (For guidance, see page 47)2 Migration and early settlement 2.7 The development and problems of white settlement farming Early settlers in Kansas Oregon and California were nor the only parts ofthe United States attracting new settlers, tetas the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act opened up these two new territories to ir te ceetlement, Many settlers moved into Kansas before the land had been officially ‘uveyed, nor only because they wanted to claim the best land, but also because it had not yet been lecided whether these two new srates were to be free or slave states. The Act was a ve mmpromise between che Northern and Southern states the North wanted to limitslavery cari che South wanted its expansion, It was this argument that led to che outbreak of Civil War in 1861. Bleeding Kansas . Instead of slavery being forbidden in the new states of Kansas and Nebraska, it was left Lup to the people of each state ro decide once they had an effective state government. Most greed that Nebraska would never be a slave state, but in Kansas it was a different macter. Bath chose for slavery and those against (free-soilers) began to encourage like-minded settlers to move into Kansas in an attempt to gain control. Then they believed they could twin the vote on whether it would become a slave or a free state. By 1856 Kansas had two ‘opposing governments, both illegally formed. As che prospect of a political solution faded, both sides armed. In 1856, 700 pro-slavery supporters tntered the fee sole toWn of m al Lawrence and smashed newspaper eh cttrnsinn presses, stole property and burned |S tc by prose feces buildings, resulting in one fatality. ~ [ie Atay ri | The ‘sack’ of Lawrence prompted the free-soiler John Brown to lead an Leavenworth ®\ atcack on the pro-slavery Potawaromie ae & Creek settlement, which resulted in several deaths. In the following months there were more raids across Kansas that left roughly 200 people dead and much property destroyed. In 1858, after the federal government Lawrence t was forced ote i, Kansas became Wieninse ays Tomnone Mesum As well as this political violence, the Tee earliest settlers faced hostilicy from the Plains Indians and the problem — ee of elaimjampers, Having chosen a their land, setters legally had three \ a 30 Rugust 1856 months to make a formal claim after the government survey was made. But to begin wich, there was no official fotaberails Neen survey, nor any government land TONES offices. As thousands poured into the territory, some settlers were driven ps We ee from their claim at the point of a gun, A Figure 2.4 Kansas and NebraskaKey topic 1 The early settlement of the West, ¢1835~c.1862 2.8 The problems of living and farming on the Great Plains For those who managed to register their claim in Kansas and Nebraska, their work was just beginning. The following ‘were a number of problems they faced. Living problems Water shortages In many places on the Great Plains water was scarce. It was difficult for people co keep either themselves or theit clothing clean. Extremes of weather ‘The extreme weather, hor in summer and cold in wince with low rainfall, made life on the Great Plains very uncomfortable, The Plains Indians had moved with the seasons, but the homesteaders remained rooted to one spot. Many grew to hate the fierce winds that howled. around their homes for days on end. Fuel (On the Plains there was no wood to burn for heating and cooking. Instead homesteaders used buffalo or cow ‘chips’ ~ dried dung. Dirt and disease Sod houses with earth floors, walls and roofs (see Source W) were very difficult co keep clean. They harboured all sorts of pests, such as bed bugs, fleas, mice and snakes, although thick coats of whitewash helped. Living in such conditions made it difficult for people to keep clean, especially where shortage of water was also a problem. It was all too easy for disease to develop, and illness was common among hhomesceaders, particularly their children Building materials Homesteaders who sectled in river valleys might be able to use wood for building homes, and wood was also transported from the East to the small number who could afford it. But for the vast majority the only material available for house building was earth. Blocks of earth (Gods) were cut out by hand or with a special plough. These were then used as building bricks for che house walls. Windows and doors were fitted, Then the house was roofed with boards, grass and more sods. Finally, the outside walls were plastered with clay-like mud. Such houses were very cheap to build. They could be warm in winter and cool in summer if well-buile, but it was very difficult to stop water leaking in when it rained, '4Source W A familyFarming problems Water shortages “the shortage of water was a major problem. It could lead to the total failure of crops. This would lead, in eurn, co bankruptey or starvation. For the Mormons of Salt Lake City irigation was solution, but out on the Great Plains here were no rivers of lakes from which to draw water, Wells were a possible solution, but digging a well was expensive and there was no guarantee of finding water Extremes of weather ‘The extremes of weather were also a serious problem, Drought in summer and cold in wineer could damage or destroy crops. In Kansas, for example, no rain fell between January 1859 and November 1860. Ploughing The Great Plains had never been farmed before, So the first task for the homesteader was to plough he land. The grasses had dense, tangled roots, and the early castiron. ploughs needed constant repairs. Ploughing was a slow, back-breaking cask 2 Migration and early settlement Protecting crops “There was no wood for fencing so there was nothing to protece growing crops from buffalo or straying catle. Nor feast possible to mark land boundaries clears and this Could lead to disputes Growing crops ‘The homesteaders planted che crops they had always grown, such as maize and soft winter and spring wheats. These crops were not well-suited to the weather conditions on the Great Plains. Natural hazards In the summer, when the grass was so dry, it was easy for prairie fires to start. Ifthey were too big for the people to fight, then their crops would be destroyed. ‘The plagues of Rocky Mountain grasshoppers which swept across the Plains were another natural hazard. In 1856 they caused great crop damage across Nebraska. ACTIVITY Study Source X. What problems are illustrated? Now study Source W. What solutions are shown?Key topic 1 The early settlement of the West, «.1835~c.1862 How to answer Start by undertining key points in the question. This will ensure that you focus sharply on what the question wants you towrite about, 2.9 Examination practice ‘This section provides guidance on how to answer the narrative question. Laok at the following question ‘Write a narrative account analysing why Americans went ‘West in the years 1836-49. ‘You may use the following in your answer: ‘Try to write about at least three events and support each ‘with detail. You can chose the two events given in the questions and one event of your own, or decide to choose your own events to write about. If you write about the events given in the question, including three events in your answer is important because you must bring an event of your own, Ensure that you give detail about each of the events you choose. = Ensure that your events are in the correct chronological order. Use linking words between each event and the next. the Oregon Trail from 1836 1m the California Gold Rush 1849. ‘You must also use information of your own. example regen Tra 036 Ecaname depression m the East 1837 Fre-empha Act 1843 Mormon migration 1846-87 Conifora. Gok Past 84 Example he Fist deseipment i the early Settlement of the West mas the openmer a the Oreqrn “ra Example The cpenmay of the Oregan Trail made possible for settlers to orass the Rasns and. the Reotyr Mountains by naaptn to settle ot the Fertie Farmland im Crespo, and ater Caifornie ts ae Example The coaamic depression i tne East mn 1897 pushed more Americans to brave tne danarers of the trast and head. for anew Future m Oregen. ae Example En the exoname depression bants collapsed and sang were est Busmesses struayarled, wasres were cut and eos were lst Harn wnompliyment drove sane to Stee a new ice cut West s ACTIVITY Now have a go yourself at ont explaining these further | derelopmens SE