The homesteadersThe homesteaders

Why and how they came to Why and how they came to bebe

What does this picture tell you about life What does this picture tell you about life on the Plains?on the Plains?

The USA when Homesteading startedThe USA when Homesteading started

The Great Plains

       

Look at the house above. It is made out of Look at the house above. It is made out of lumps or sods of earth. lumps or sods of earth.

The family who proudly pose for this The family who proudly pose for this photograph have built this home photograph have built this home themselves with hardly any building themselves with hardly any building materials.materials.

These people were known as the These people were known as the homesteaders and their homes called sod homesteaders and their homes called sod houses. houses.

Many thousands of them moved west Many thousands of them moved west from the 1850s onwards to begin new from the 1850s onwards to begin new lives. lives.

They came from the east and from They came from the east and from Europe - mainly England, Germany and Europe - mainly England, Germany and Sweden, to escape poverty and over-Sweden, to escape poverty and over-crowding and sometimes to escape crowding and sometimes to escape religious persecution.religious persecution.

.. Many more people went west after the US Many more people went west after the US

Civil War ended in 1865. Thousands of Civil War ended in 1865. Thousands of freed black slaves became homesteaders.freed black slaves became homesteaders.

Ex civil war soldiersEx civil war soldiers

Many civil war soldiers from both the Many civil war soldiers from both the north and the south went out to the north and the south went out to the plains to start a new life.plains to start a new life.

They became miners/ cowboys/ They became miners/ cowboys/ railroad builders.railroad builders.

The building of the The building of the transcontinental railroadstranscontinental railroads

The US govt wanted a railroad that went from The US govt wanted a railroad that went from East to West.East to West.

In the 1860s two companies starting building- In the 1860s two companies starting building- one from the East and one from the West.one from the East and one from the West.

They met in Utah.They met in Utah. Two main effects;Two main effects; It was easier now for homesteaders to make it It was easier now for homesteaders to make it

to the Plains.to the Plains. It was cheap to buy land and the railroad It was cheap to buy land and the railroad

companies sold off the land either side of the companies sold off the land either side of the line at low prices.line at low prices.

Land was cheap, travel was easy and plenty of Land was cheap, travel was easy and plenty of people looking for a new life.people looking for a new life.

Why did they go to the Why did they go to the Plains?Plains?

Land in the far west - California and Oregon - was too Land in the far west - California and Oregon - was too expensive by 1860 for most settlers. Farming on the expensive by 1860 for most settlers. Farming on the Great Plains was the only option. Great Plains was the only option.

    The government encouraged this settling of the Plains - The government encouraged this settling of the Plains - 1862 Homestead Act1862 Homestead Act - each family given 160 acres of - each family given 160 acres of

land as long as they farmed it for five years land as long as they farmed it for five years 1873 Timber Culture Act1873 Timber Culture Act - a further 160 acres of land - a further 160 acres of land

was given as long as 40 acres was planted with trees was given as long as 40 acres was planted with trees 1877 Desert Land Act1877 Desert Land Act - 640 acres of very cheap land - 640 acres of very cheap land

was made available in areas with low rainfall was made available in areas with low rainfall Railroad companies sold huge tracts of land along their Railroad companies sold huge tracts of land along their

railway lines to homesteaders to encourage use of their railway lines to homesteaders to encourage use of their trains.trains.

Europeans:Europeans:Many wanted to escape poverty and Many wanted to escape poverty and unemployment. Esp. England, Ireland, Scots and unemployment. Esp. England, Ireland, Scots and Russians.Russians.

Jews and other religious groups like the Amish wanted Jews and other religious groups like the Amish wanted to escape religious persecution. to escape religious persecution.

Thousands of European immigrants settled in Iowa and Thousands of European immigrants settled in Iowa and the Dakotas.the Dakotas.

Eastern AmericansEastern Americans: (New York/ Boston etc.): (New York/ Boston etc.) After the war wanted new opportunities after the Civil After the war wanted new opportunities after the Civil

War or they wanted farmland no longer available in the War or they wanted farmland no longer available in the settled Eastern states.settled Eastern states.

Southern States: Southern States: after the Civil War black ex- slaves after the Civil War black ex- slaves fled racism. Mostly went to Kansas.fled racism. Mostly went to Kansas.

many southerners lost income and land.many southerners lost income and land. Serious economic problems- if crops failed the people Serious economic problems- if crops failed the people

starved.starved.

Problems with living on the Problems with living on the PlainsPlains

Dirt and disease: the houses were completely made of Dirt and disease: the houses were completely made of sod bricks and clay, so pests were everywhere!.sod bricks and clay, so pests were everywhere!.

It was difficult to keep clean, especially when water was It was difficult to keep clean, especially when water was in shirt supply. in shirt supply.

Illness was common amongst homesteaders, esp Illness was common amongst homesteaders, esp children.children.

Water shortages: in many places water was scarce. Water shortages: in many places water was scarce. Couldn’t keep themselves or clothes clean.Couldn’t keep themselves or clothes clean.

Extreme weather: hot in the summer and cold in the Extreme weather: hot in the summer and cold in the summer. Little rain all year long. The Indians moved summer. Little rain all year long. The Indians moved with the seasons but the homesteaders were stuck with the seasons but the homesteaders were stuck there.there.

Fuel: there was no wood to burn for heating and Fuel: there was no wood to burn for heating and cooking. Instead homesteaders used buffolo or cow cooking. Instead homesteaders used buffolo or cow “Chips”- dried dung!“Chips”- dried dung!

Problems of farming on the Problems of farming on the PlainsPlains Water shortagesWater shortages: could lead to a total failure of crops. : could lead to a total failure of crops.

Lead to starvation and bankruptcy. The Mormons dug Lead to starvation and bankruptcy. The Mormons dug irrigation ditches to get water but on the Great Plains irrigation ditches to get water but on the Great Plains there was no rivers or lakes nearby. Wells were an option there was no rivers or lakes nearby. Wells were an option but expensive and couldn’t always promise water.but expensive and couldn’t always promise water.

Extreme weatherExtreme weather: drought in summer and cold in : drought in summer and cold in winter. This would kill or destroy crops.winter. This would kill or destroy crops.

PloughingPloughing: the Plains had never been farmed before so it : the Plains had never been farmed before so it needed ploughing first. The grass was dense with tangled needed ploughing first. The grass was dense with tangled roots.roots.

Protecting crops: Protecting crops: there was no wood for fencing so there was no wood for fencing so nothing protected the crops from wandering buffalo or nothing protected the crops from wandering buffalo or straying cattle. This also meant that boundaries couldn’t straying cattle. This also meant that boundaries couldn’t be fixed and led to disputes.be fixed and led to disputes.

Growing crops: Growing crops: the homesteaders planted the same the homesteaders planted the same crops they had always grown but they were not suited to crops they had always grown but they were not suited to the weather conditions on the Plains.the weather conditions on the Plains.

Natural hazards:Natural hazards: Prairie fires could start easily in the Prairie fires could start easily in the dry weather. They could destroy crops. Plagues of dry weather. They could destroy crops. Plagues of grasshoppers at times also came and ate all the crops.grasshoppers at times also came and ate all the crops.

What were the problems and solutions of farming What were the problems and solutions of farming

on the Plains?on the Plains? problemsproblems solutionssolutions

Ploughing and sowing - Very hard Ploughing and sowing - Very hard work, the grassland was tough to work, the grassland was tough to break up and cast iron ploughs break up and cast iron ploughs regularly broke regularly broke

New machinery - Industrial revolution New machinery - Industrial revolution in the East made better farm in the East made better farm machinery such as John Deere's machinery such as John Deere's sodbuster sodbuster

Lack of water - Irrigation was no use Lack of water - Irrigation was no use due to the shortage of lakes and due to the shortage of lakes and rivers. Wells were also expensive to rivers. Wells were also expensive to dig and no guarantee of success dig and no guarantee of success

Dry farming - Farmers preserved Dry farming - Farmers preserved moisture in the soil by ploughing after moisture in the soil by ploughing after rain or snow, trapping in the water.rain or snow, trapping in the water.

Wind pumps - Halliday's windmill Wind pumps - Halliday's windmill could keep going all day and night, could keep going all day and night, pumping up water from wells deep pumping up water from wells deep down, no matter which way the wind down, no matter which way the wind blew.blew.

Crops - Ordinary crops like maize Crops - Ordinary crops like maize (corn) and spring wheat didn't grow (corn) and spring wheat didn't grow well in the harsh weather conditions well in the harsh weather conditions

Turkey Red Wheat - Introduced by Turkey Red Wheat - Introduced by Russian immigrants accidentally Russian immigrants accidentally thrived on the Plains as it was similar thrived on the Plains as it was similar to the Russian Steppes where they to the Russian Steppes where they came from. came from.

Fencing - Wood was scarce and Fencing - Wood was scarce and expensive so fences couldn't protect expensive so fences couldn't protect crop fields from cattle or dodgy crop fields from cattle or dodgy neighbours! neighbours!

Barbed wire - Invented by Joseph Barbed wire - Invented by Joseph Glidden in 1874 - this was a cheap Glidden in 1874 - this was a cheap and effective solution for the and effective solution for the homesteaders. homesteaders.

Exam style questionExam style question

Use your own knowledge to explain Use your own knowledge to explain why people began farming the Plains why people began farming the Plains in the early 1860s in spite of the in the early 1860s in spite of the difficulties they faced.difficulties they faced.

Exam style questionExam style question

What part did new technology play in What part did new technology play in the solving the problems of farming the solving the problems of farming the Plains? Explain your answer. the Plains? Explain your answer.