Chapter 18 American Stories

Lodes

Large deposits (of gold/silver)

Placer mining

A system of mining in which individuals miners find gold nuggets in river beds, usually by planning

Hydraulic mining

A system of mining in which pressurized water is used to remove top soil and gravel, which are then pressured to draw out precious metals

Entrepreneurs

A person who starts, manages, and is responsible for a business

Posses

Groups organized by a sheriff to hunt down criminals or fugitives

Ghost towns

An abandoned town that have fallen into ruin

Cattle drives

The process of moving a herd of cows and steers from one place to another usually from ranch to railroad hub

Stockyards

An enormous outdoor area where animals are penned until they can be slaughtered

Exodusters

African Americans who headed to Kansas for a new life

Prairie

Vast area of flat land covered with tall plants

Bonanza farms

An enormous farm established by an investor who runs it for profit

Migrant Workers

Laborers who moved from one farm to another as needed

Surplus

Excess of wheat

McGuffey Readers

A common textbook that most students back in the 19th century used in schools

Recession

When crop prices fell during an economic downturn (economic distress)

Creditors

People from whom they had borrowed money

Grange

An organization that brought farm families together, addressed farmers economic issues, and encouraged advancements in agriculture

Cooperatives

Groups of farmers who pooled their money to buy the products and services they needed

Farmers Alliance

An organization similar to Grange (just more political)

Populist Party

Aimed to give farmers the equipment politician status of business people and industries

Populist

Claims to represent the concerns of ordinary people

Industrialists

People who own and run industries

Gold Standard

A policy requiring that the government could only print an amount of money equal to the total value of its gold reserves

Free silver movement

A late 19th century economic movement that promoted a monetary system based on silver in addition to gold

William McKinley

Republican nominee who supported the gold standard

William Jennings Bryan

Democrat(ic nominee?) who was pro silver. Ran for the democratic party presidential candidate in 1896

Reservations

Specific areas of land that were set aside the great plans (By president Grant)

Sand Creek Massacre

200 unarmed native american were killed and mutilated by colonel John Chirington and his troops

Black Hills

A region part of the Lakota reservation in the 1870’s when a government survey found fold there.

Colonel George A. Custer

led an attack in the battle of the little bighorn with 210 men

Battle of the little Bighorn

A battle that the native Americans won but it was short lived sine more U.S. troops came

Long walk

A long journey where hundreds of people died along the route

Chief Joseph

Led the Nezperce and he refused to move onto a reservation. He led his band of bout 100 people toward Canada to live free lives outside the reservation system

Cochise

An Apache (leader)

Geronimo

Apache leader from New mexico

Ghost dance

A religion that included rituals believed to make white settlers disappear

Sitting bull

Was killed as he was taken into custody

Wounded knee massacre

Last major violent confrontation between native Americans and the U.S. army in the 19th century

Americanization

The act of teaching Native Americans the culture and language of the United States

Dawes General allotment act

Divided reservations into specific sections of the land for each Native American family

Bureau of Indian affairs

Supposed to manage reservations to benefit the tribes