19th Century Nebraska Essay

Living as a pioneer in the Nineteenth-Century in Nebraska was sometimes difficult. The pioneers came in large numbers from the states of New York, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. They fled to the Midwest because industrial cities were becoming overpopulated, land was inexpensive in Nebraska, they found land hard to come by to farm and they wanted to make a better living. (http://www.campsilos.org/mod2/students/life4.shtml, n.d.)

After the Civil War ended many people were in hope of finding land since population was increasing. Since the West was underdeveloped and uncivilized, many decided to expand the land. First the Louisiana Purchase increased the opportunity of expansion. Then industrialization and the Homestead Act also caused many companies encouraged to move West due to the low cost of land and that the transportation was provided through the railroads. In order to complete such goals, something had to be done with the Natives since it conflicted with their home area.

We have common ground with Mexico, we both declared independence, Mexico freed itself from spain. Mexican leaders were aware of the emptiness of their northern lands, one of the ways to make money was to allow settlers from the US, they were encouraging people from the US to settle on their lands in Texas; however, this was not going as smoothly as they thought it would, Mexico was Catholic, anti-slavery, and wanted to keep texans under their laws. However, the Americans were not all against slavery.

Following the great explorative successes, some Americans would soon venture westwards which was largely supported by rhetoric, law and the vision of the founding fathers to have a far-reaching territory. As the manufacturing industry rose in New England, the westward expansion was both timely and economically viable. The American settlers were moving rapidly to what is referred to as the Midwest today and this necessitated the development of infrastructure through the development of canals, roads, and railroads. The rapid expansion of infrastructure, more specifically the railroads, would then purge the country into a new era of medicine, manufacture, and agricultural inventions (Neil, 1964). The Midwest became an inspiration that saw the symbolic development of the American identity in the 19th century with development of acting, painting, and writing.

Pioneers in Nebraska faced many difficulties in the nineteenth century. The living conditions were not always ideal, but they always survived because of their love for the prairie. Many pioneers came to Nebraska with hardly any money. Many pioneer families had many children. Their food came from their crops and gardens.

Western Expansion Western expansion is the populating of the western part of the United States. This event took place in the mid 1800s to the early 1900s, and it was the western area of the United states expanding to the pacific area of America. This event took place in result of the Manifest destiny, gold rush of 1849, the homestead act, and railroads.

The Westward Expansion all started when America made the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. There were many benefits from the purchase for the US that the French didn’t realize before they sold it. The purchase gave the US access to the Mississippi river which allowed for expansion of river trade to the North and South from the center of the US. The port city of New Orleans was bought by the US and its prosperity benefited the US greatly. The US sent Lewis and Clark west to investigate the land they purchased.

The U.S had gained a lot of land, or frontiers in the West from Mexico. The land was undeveloped, therefore the U.S had to find a way to develop the land. The U.S would come up with the Homestead Act. The Homestead Acts states that any citizen or anyone planning to become a citizen is eligible to gain 160 acres of land, typically to form farms. The plan was intended to make the people stay in that land and create a

Free Land In 1862 the U.S. Congress passed the Homestead Act. This law permitted any 21-year-old citizen or immigrant with the intention of becoming a citizen to lay claim to 160 acres of land known as the Great American Prairie. After paying a filing fee, farming the land, and living on it for five years, the ownership of the land passed to the homesteader. People came from all over the world to take advantage of this opportunity.

Exam Paper 1 In what ways did the American West of the late nineteenth century represent a contrast to the East? In what ways did the two regions resemble each other?

The document of the Homestead Act was one of the first factors towards development in our nation. This act offered free or cheap land to anyone who would live and improve the Great Plains area. The people taking part got 160 acres of land, had to build a house on it, and live on it for 5 years. The act encouraged immigrants and freedman to travel out west. This act gave opportunities to many individuals that would not be given before.

The people who settled the west were greatly dependent on the US government and the policies they adopted. The settling of the west in the late 19th century was similar to the settlement of the south in the 1830’s. Andrew Jackson drove out the indians so that the valuable land of the south could be secured by white settlers. Once again, the federal government made it possible to settle the west by forcing indians off of their lands. A recurring theme in American history is manifest destiny and the attempt to develop unsettled lands by the federal government.

“In 1820, about 58 towns more than 2500 inhabitants; by 1840, there were 126 such towns, located mostly in the Midwest and Northeast.” The fastest growth occurring in areas were near canals, railroads, and roads because of the easy access of raw and manufactured materials. Toward the later 19th century, the settlers began to move west for cheaper property because the land inhabited near the town built around transportation was getting

Many began by leasing their land. If Anglo-Americans wished for Natives to make a living off farming their land, well then why not lease for enough funds to feed a whole Native family? With the help of leasing “Native Americans no longer had to attempt to farm or develop their land. Nor did they have significant reasons to accept Anglo culture or society. They could live as they wanted, supported by the money from lease incomes.

The Homestead Act is a special Act that promoted migration to the western part of US. Public lands were made easily accessible to settlers with a small filing fee in exchange for 160 acres of land to be used for farming. Homesteaders received ownership of the land after continuously residing on the land for five years. Homesteaders also had an alternative of acquiring the land from the government by paying a specified amount per acre, after six months of residency. The Homestead Act resulted in the distribution of million acres of public land (Library of Congress n.p).