JP Rubet
4/19/14
APUSH
Unit 6 1-14
1. Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis of American History
Definition-A statement or theory that is put forward as a premise to be maintained
or proved.
Description-Frederick Jackson Turner was an American historian who had said in
his frontier thesis that Americans would continue to progress as long as there was
new land to move into. The frontier provided a place for homeless and solved social
problems.
Significance-It shaped the American’s serious, devoted, and pursuit for progress
character, defined the American spirit, fostered democracy and provided a safety
valve for economic distress in urban/ industrial centers.
Cross Reference-“Go west young man”
2. Great Plains
Definition-Land within the western United States.
Description- It consists of broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie,
steppe and grassland that lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky
Mountains in the United States.
Significance-Was known for cattle ranching and as the “bread basket” of the US.
Cross Reference-Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest, Desert Southwest,
Cowboys
3. Rocky Mountains
Definition-A mountain range that lies in the Western United States.
Description-When found by Lewis and Clark it drove the initial economic
exploitation of the mountain for its minerals and furs.
Significance-Major mountain range in the Western United States and North
America used for mining and logging.
Cross Reference-Great Plains, Pacific Northwest, Desert Southwest, Boomtown,
Ghost town
4. Pacific Northwest
Definition-It was the region that consisted of the states of Oregon, Washington, and
Idaho. (Northern California)
Description- It is bordered by the Rocky Mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean
to the west. It was the center of boarder disputes between the United States and
England (54 40 or Fight).
Significance-Wheat and sheep were the most profitable cash crop, not to mention
logging and salmon were also very profitable.
Cross Reference- Rocky Mountains, Great Plains, Desert Southwest
5. Desert Southwest
Definition-It was known the regions of Southern California, New Mexico and
Arizona.
Description-Santa Fe, New Mexico was known as a trading center and was
important for Anasazi, Pueblo Indians, and the Spanish. It also had the hottest and
driest climate.
Significance-Used for animal husbandry.
Cross Reference- Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest, Great Plains
6. “Go west, young man!”
Definition-The quote made by Horace Greely about American westward
expansion/Manifest Destiny.
Description-It represented that an agrarian economy could solve poverty and
unemployment and that he believed that this was the solution to the nation's
problems caused by big cities in the east. There was greater opportunities in the
American West for those who had the pioneering spirit.
Significance-It encouraged Manifest Destiny and the push toward the west.
Cross Reference- Frederick Jackson Turner’s Frontier Thesis of American History
7. Buffalo Culture
Definition-A lifestyle that is based around the complete use of the important
resource the buffalo.
Description-The buffalo was used for everything in the Plains Indian culture. For
example, they used their skins/hides to create tepees, blankets, clothing, and robes
as well as the hooves and horns which they boiled into glue. They also used bones
and tendons for bowstrings, tools and knives and finally the meat as the main food
source.
Significance-However, the white man’s presence in the west caused the
disappearance of the buffalo and thus leading to a great change in the life style of
the Plains Indian lifestyle.
Cross Reference- Horse Culture, Manifest Destiny, Small Reservation Policy
8. Horse Culture
Definition-It was a lifestyle where the horse was used help those Native Americans
living between the Rocky Mountains and Mississippi.
Description-The horse provided a much more effective way to hunt buffalo
compared to previous tactics. It also helped revolutionized Nomadic life because
horses were able to carry much greater loads faster.
Significance- Allowed the nomadic life of Indians to continue and it became less of
a struggle.
Cross Reference- Buffalo Culture, Small Reservation Policy
9. “Small Reservation Policy”
Definition-A principle of action adopted or proposed by a government.
Description-A period of time where the land in the west was seen as “one big
reservation,” however in 1851 the US government abandoned the policy in order to
make way for white settlement in the west. (Indian Territory in what is now
Oklahoma.)
Significance- Showed how Native Americans lands were being slowly taken from
them.
Cross Reference- Indian Wars, Buffalo Culture, Manifest Destiny, Western
Expansion, Dawes Act
10. Indian Wars
Definition-A conflict between the Native American Tribes (Sioux and Nez Perce)
and the United States that lasted from 1868-1876.
Description-The main cause of these wars was because with the white settlers
encroaching on native land. This caused the Native Americans to become hostile and
outraged as their resources were slowly depleted. Battle of Little Bighorn was a war
where the Native American fought back. It was led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.
Significance-Ended the dispute with Native Americans.
Cross Reference-The Dawes Severalty Act, Small Reservation Policy, Custer’s
Last stand
11. The Dawes Severalty Act
Definition-It was the act that was passed after putting Native American tribes on
small reservations became a total failure.
Description-It allowed the president to break up reservation land, which was held
in the common by the members of a tribe, into smaller allotments to be parceled out
to individuals in 160 acre parcels.
Significance-Main purpose was to have the Indians be assimilate with American
culture using boarding schools and to disband tribes but this also failed.
Cross Reference- Indian Wars, Small Reservation Policy
12. The California Gold Rush
Definition-A period of time in history when tons of gold were found and mined
during the gold rush in California 1848-1849.
Description-Hundreds of thousands of people came to California hoping to get rich
quick. Because of this large migration boom towns were created for a time until there
was no more gold which then turned them into ghost towns.
Significance-The increase in gold supply altered the state of the economy positively.
It also helped the Chinese and New Englanders.
Cross Reference- Oregon Trail, Sutter’s Mill, San Francisco, Leri Stratus
13. Oregon Trail
Definition- A 2000 mile long trail that connected the Missouri River to the
Willamette valleys in Oregon.
Description-It was the pathway used originally by trappers, fur traders and wagon
trains. It also took approximately 6-9 months to complete. Thousands of miners
during the gold rush used this pathway to travel westward as well.
Significance-One of many trails that helped for westward settlement and expansion.
Cross Reference- California Gold Rush, Donner Party
14. The Homestead Act of 1862
Definition-A formal decision or law.
Description- It was the act that allowed the US government to give millions of acres
of land away to settlers in order to encourage rapid increase in migration to these
empty spaces. It gave 160 acres per person and it required a five year residency.
Significance-One of the first major land acts that sparked a mass migration.
However, it also often isolated families if they were off railroad lines.
Cross Reference- Western Expansion, Immigrants