Study GuideU.S. History II–Settling the West1.The Closing of the FrontierBy the end of the nineteenth century, the American West wasno longer a sparsely settled frontier.Railroads crisscrossed the region, connecting it to the rest of the nation. Major lines such as theGreat Northernnear the Canadian border and theSouthern Pacific, which linked New Orleans toLos Angeles, helped bring settlers, goods, and industry westward.As the population increased, many western territories became states:•Nevada (1864)•Colorado (1876)•North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Washington (1889)•Idaho and Wyoming (1890)Boomtowns created by cattle ranching, mining, and trade—such asAbilene, Denver, and SanFrancisco—grew into major cities, further signaling the end of the frontier era.1.1The Oklahoma Land RushMuch of present-day Oklahoma had originally been set aside asIndian Territory, where NativeAmerican tribes from the Southeast were forcibly relocated during Andrew Jackson’s presidency. Formany years, the land was viewed as undesirable, but by the 1880s it became valuable farmland.Under pressure from settlers, Congress openedtwo million acresof Indian Territory to non-Nativesettlement. Atnoon on April 22, 1889, more than50,000 settlers, known asBoomers, rushed intothe area to claim land. Some people, calledSooners, illegally crossed the boundary early andclaimed the best land.Within hours, nearly all available land was taken. In1893, anothersix million acres, known as theCherokee Strip, was opened to settlement.1.2Frederick Jackson Turner and the Frontier ThesisIn 1890, the U.S. Census Bureau announced that the frontier was officially closed. There was nolonger a clear boundary where population density dropped below two people per square mile.Preview Mode
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