1 hour 45 minutes - Mangotsfield School

Revision Booklet
AQA History A Unit 2(a)
Enquiries in Depth
Exam: 15th June 2012
Friday (am)
1 hour 45 minutes
Useful Websites:
www.schoolhistory.co.uk/revision/west
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/shp/americanwest/
www.historyonthenet.com/American_West/americanwestmain.htm
Look also at the school website as well as the students resources
Page 1
Timing of the exam
Page 2 -3
Syllabus Overview
Page 4-11
How to answer Section A
Page12-15
How to answer Section B
Page 16-18
Section B Example questions
Page 19-20 Long answers
Page 21-29
Content
Timing of the Exam
The exam is 1 hour and 45 minutes long. There are two sections.
YOU MUST answer all 5 questions in Section A.
You can choose EITHER Question 2 or 3 from Section B.
It is important that you spend the correct amount of time on each question so that you have
enough time to answer all questions properly.
Use this as a guide.
Question
Section A Question 1
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
(e)
TOTAL:
Section B Question 2 OR 3
(a)
(b)
(c)
TOTAL:
PAPER TOTAL
Marks
Time
4
6
8
8
10
36
5 minutes
10 minutes
15 minutes
15 minutes
20 minutes
65 minutes
4
8
12
24
60
5 minutes
15 minutes
20 minutes
40 minutes
1 hour 45 minutes
Part 1: The Great Plains and the Plains Indians
Key Issue: Who were the Plains Indians?
The Geography of North America and the Nature of the Plains
What were the natural and governmental frontiers on the Plains?
What were the different regions of the American continent?
How were these affected by weather?
The coming of the Plains Indians; the different tribes; their
movement and settlement
The beliefs and way of life of the Plains Indians – both men and
women
Where did the Plains Indians come from originally?
Why did they move onto the Plains?
How did they survive on the Plains?
Why were they nomadic?
How did they hunt the buffalo?
How did they prepare for the hunt?
What use did they make of the buffalo?
What was the tipi and how did it suit the Indians way of life?
How did the horse change their lives?
How were the tribes organised and governed?
What were the different family roles?
What was the Indians attitude to marriage and divorce?
What were the beliefs of the Plains Indians?
What was the significance of the circle?
Why did Indians believe in spirits?
What rituals/dances did Indians perform?
What was the Indians attitude to nature?
What was the Indian attitude to land?
How did Indians fight in battle?
How was the Indians attitude to warfare and bravery different to
white men?
Why did Indians scalp their enemies?
Why were the Indians able to live successfully on the Plains
before the coming of the white men?
Why did Indians come into conflict with white settlers?
What were the differences between the white settlers and the
Indians?
By 1895, why were the Indians unable to follow their traditional
way of life?
Why might white people consider the Indians uncivilised savages?
Why might the Indians not trust the white men?
Red
Amber Green
Part 2: Early settlers
Key Issue: Why did the early settlers move west
Why did the White settlers refer to the Plains as the Great American
Desert?
What was Manifest Destiny?
How did white people’s attitudes to the Plains change?
What was the Indian problem?
Mountain Men
Who were the Mountain Men?
Where did the Mountain Men live?
Describe the lifestyle of the Mountain Man?
Why was their lifestyle similar to the Plains Indians?
What was the rendezvous?
Why did their lifestyle come to an end?
Give FOUR reasons how the Mountain men contributed to the settlement
of the West
Give an example of a Mountain Man
Pioneer Farmers
Who were the pioneer farmers?
What factors pushed them out of the East?
What factors pulled them into the West?
Where did they hope to go and why?
What preparations did they have to make for the journey?
Where did they leave from?
What was their route?
What dangers and difficulties did they face en route?
What did they achieve when they reached the west?
What was the fate of some of the pioneer farmers who tried a different
route?
Gold Miners
Where and when was Gold discovered in the West?
What impact did this have on this area?
How did people travel to this area?
What happened to most people when they reached this area?
What were conditions like in the mining camps?
What impact did the Gold rush have on the settlement of the west?
Mormons their beliefs and early history; their leadership; the move to,
and successful settlement at Salt Lake City
Who was Joseph Smith and why was he important?
How was the Mormon movement founded?
What happened at Kirtland Ohio?
What happened at Missouri?
What happened at Nauvoo?
How did the death of Smith affect the Mormons?
Why were the Mormons unable to live in the East?
Who was Brigham Young?
Red
Amber Green
Why and how did Brigham Young organise the journey west?
What problems did the Mormons face at Salt Lake City?
How did the Mormons overcome these problems at Salt Lake City?
Why were the Mormons able to live successfully in the West?
How did Utah eventually become a state?
How important was Young’s leadership in this success?
Part 3: Cattlemen and Cowboys
Key Issue: How was cattle ranching affected by the railways?
Texas and early cattle ranching: the cattle kingdoms
Ranching in Texas – How did it begin?
Why did it flourish?
What was the impact of the American Civil War on the Cattle Industry?
Why did the early cattle drives take place?
Where were these early drives?
What problems did these early cattle drives face?
What was the Goodnight Loving Trail?
Who was Joseph McCoy and why did he establish Abilene?
What impact did the railways have?
Who were the cowboys?
What jobs did they do on the Long Drives?
What hazards faced them on the Long Drives?
What was Open Range Ranching?
What jobs did Cowboys do on the Open Range?
Why was the cattle industry so successful?
What factors brought an end to the boom years?
How did the cattle industry develop after the end of open range ranching?
Part 4: Farming on the Great Plains
Key Issue: Why were farmers able to settle on the Great Plains?
Who were the Homesteaders?
Where did they come from?
Where did they settle?
What factors pushed them onto the Plains?
What factors pulled them onto the Plains?
What roles did Railway Companies play in pulling the Homesteaders onto
the Plains?
What role did the Government play in persuading the Homesteaders to
settle on the Plains?
What were the Homestead Act, the Timber Culture Act and the Desert
Land Act?
What problems did the Homesteaders face living and farming on the
Plains?
What solutions did the Homesteaders use to overcome these problems?
What role did women play on the Plains?
Were the Homesteaders successful?
Topic 5: Law and Order
Key Issue: Why was Law and Order a problem, on the Plains?
How was the government of the US set up?
What was the difference between federal and state government?
How did an area become a territory and then a state?
Who were the law enforcement officers?
How effective were they?
What types of crime existed in the west?
Where did the crime take place? Cattle towns, mining camps etc
Why did the different groups come into conflict?
What were the reasons for the lack of law and order in the west?
What was the Johnson County war?
How was the problem of law and order eventually solved in the west?
Who were some of the outlaws? Ella Watson, Frank Averill, Frank Canton,
Frank and Jessie James, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Part 6: The Struggle for the Great Plains
Key Issue: How did the arrival of white people on the Great Plains affect
the Indians’ way of life?
What was the Permanent Indian Frontier?
What was Manifest Destiny?
Why could the Indians and White settlers not live together?
Why did conflict break out between the Indians and the settlers? Settlers
moving west, discovery of Gold
What were some of the early attempts to solve the Indian problem?
Treaties and small reservations
Who were the humanitarians?
Who were the exterminators?
Plains Wars – Little Crows War
Cheyenne Uprising and what happened at the Sand Creek Massacre?
Medicine Lodge Creek
Bozeman Trail and Red Cloud’s War and Fort Laramie Treaty 1868
Winter Campaign and Battle of Washita
What events led to the Battle of the Little Big Horn?
Who was George Custer?
What happened during the Battle and who is to blame?
What were reservations?
What was the Ghost Dance?
What happened at Wounded Knee?
How did the White settlers destroy the Indian way of life?
Why did the Whites win and why did the Indians lose?
There will be 5 sources in a booklet for you to read
These will be a mixture of pictures and written sources
They could be on any of the SIX topics that you have studied
Look at these examples
Question 1(a)
4 marks
This question will ask you “What do Sources A and B suggest”… about something
The examiner is checking that you can understand what sources of evidence SAY and that you can
make an INFERENCE from them. In other words you can work something out from the sources and
read between the lines to sum up the overall impression the sources are giving about something. You
do not have to use any knowledge.
For example: What do Sources A and B suggest about living on the Great Plains?
Source A
A painting of the Great Plains in the 1840s
SOURCE B
I am certain this large area is almost completely unfit for cultivation and
impossible for farmers to live on. Although large areas of fertile land can be
found, the shortage of wood and water will prove an impossible barrier to
settling the country. The whole area seems only suited for vast numbers of
buffaloes and other wild animals which are able to feed well on it.
A view about the Great Plains from Major Stephen Long who led an expedition
onto the Plains in 1819-20
Suggested Answer and Mark Scheme for Section A Question 1(a)
Level 1: Answer selects details form the sources
1 mark
The sources suggest that there are clouds and no houses. They also
suggest that it is almost unfit for cultivation and impossible for
framers to live on.
Details
Level 2: Answer draws a simple inference from the sources
2/3 marks
The sources suggest that the land cannot be farmed because
there is no water or wood for homes. It is also difficult to live there
because there are no natural resources. It is under populated
because there are no signs of settlement.
Level 3: Answer develops a complex inference from the sources
Inference
4 marks
The sources suggest that if you want to farm you are going to
have to solve the problems of water for crops and wood for
dwellings. They will have to be brought onto the Plains. It does
not seem very attractive because it appears desolate and remote.
It will not be easy to live there but there are signs that the land
could be farmed and that there are supplies of meat there.
Complex Inference
TOP TIP
DON’T JUST COPY DETAILS FROM THE SOURCE
MAKE AN INFERENCE
USE THE WORDS -”I CAN INFER...” IF IT
HELPS
YOU DON’T HAVE TO USE KNOWLEDGE
Question 1 (b)
6 marks
This question will ask you “What different impression about .... is suggested by Sources
C and D?”
The examiner will expect you to compare Sources C and D with Sources A and B, and in
your answer you should write about not only what the sources SAY but what the
sources INFER as well. YOU NEED TO REFER TO ALL FOUR SOURCES IN YOUR
ANSWER
For example: What different view of the Indians attitudes to living things is suggested
by Source C and D? Explain your answer using Sources A, B, C and D?
SOURCE A
SOURCE B
The Plains Indians Feeling about Natures from
A Comanche Village 1834
A speech by Chief Luther Standing Bear of the Sioux
by G. Catlin
Born in 1868
The Indians are true lovers of nature. They love the
earth and all the things of the earth. Their tipis are built
on the earth. The birds of the air come to rest on the
earth and it is the final resting place of all things that
lived and grew. A strong tie with all things of the earth,
sky and water was a real and active belief. Indians know
that a man’s heart away from nature becomes hard. They
know that a lack of respect for growing, living things soon
leads to a lack of respect for humans too.
When we were about to start on our way from the village,
my attention was drawn to a very old and frail man who
was to be left behind. He had once been a chief and an
important man in his tribe, who was now too old to travel.
This custom of exposing their old people is practised by
all the Plains Indians who roam the prairies
SOURCE C
From G.Catlin, “Manners, Customs and Condition of the
North American Indians” pub. 1841
SOURCE D The Sun Dance from a
sketch by G.Catlin 1840s
Suggested answer and mark scheme for Q 1(b)
Leve1: Answer that just selects details from Sources C and D
1 or 2 marks
Level 2: Answer that compares the sources just by comparing details
OR
Answer that uses the sources but provides a simple inference too 3 or 4 marks
Level 3: Answer that develops an understanding or draw an inference about
a view based on the details of the sources
5 or 6 marks
Level 3 answer
Sources A and B suggest that the Plains Indians attitude to nature was
one of admiration and respect. They felt part of nature and they knew it
was part of their religious belief to treat nature well otherwise there
would be dangerous consequences. On the other hand Sources C and D
suggests a dismissive attitude to living things. There is little respect
shown to humans in either sources and in fact it suggest an almost
cruel callous attitude to human life which is in direct contrast to the
respect and gratitude shown in Sources A and B
Inferences from both
Write
about all 4
sources
sources
TOP TIP
REMEMBER TO REFER TO ALL 4 SOURCES EVEN IF YOU FEEL YOU ARE REPEATING
STUFF YOU WROTE IN Q1
REMEMBER TO MAKE INFERENCES FROM ALL SOURCES AND DON’T COPY DETAILS
REMEMBER TO MAKE COMPARISONS. IN OTHER WORDS SHOW WHAT IS
DIFFERENT
Question 1(c)
8 marks
This question will ask “Why do you think Sources A and B give a different impression to Sources C
and D? Explain your answer using Sources A, B, C and D and your knowledge
What the examiner is looking for is that you can explain that different ideas and attitudes about
things might be related to different circumstances
For example: (Look back at the 4 previous sources)
Why do you think Sources A and B give a different impression about Indians’ attitudes to living
things than Sources C and D? Explain your answer using Sources A, B, C and D and your knowledge
Level 1: Selects details from the sources OR says HOW the sources are different - 1-2 marks
E.g. Source A is a painting and Sources C is from a book
Level 2: Simple reasoning based on differences in author, audience, time and place - 3 or 4 marks
E.g. Source A was written by an Indians whilst the other sources are written by
George Catlin
Level 3: Developed reasoning based on differences in author, audience, time and place. It will
probably focus on how the authors acquired their information or their intentions in writing -5 or 6
marks
E.g. The Indian chief is writing at a time when the Indians were under attack from
the white Americans. He is describing the Indians way of life. He might be
reminiscing of times past. He might also be depicting the Indians as peaceful at a
time to show the white attacks as all the more barbaric. On the other hand G Catlin
in Sources C and D is writing at a time when the Whites were moving onto the
plains and being attacked by Indians. His work was for a white audience and this
depiction of the Indians as savages would be popular in the east etc
Level 4: Answer develops out of Level 3 and PROVIDES SOME EXPLANATION OF THE LINKS
BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT REASONS FOR THE SOURCE DIFFERENCES (7 or 8 marks)
TOP TIP
LOOK AT WHO HAS MADE THE SOURCES (AUTHOR), WHO THEY WERE MADE FOR
(AUDIENCE), WHEN THEY WERE MADE (TIME) AND WHERE THEY WERE MADE TOO
(PLACE)
USE YOUR KNOWLEDGE TO SHOW WHY THESE THINGS MADE A DIFFERENCE TOO
EXPLAIN YOUR ANSWER FULLY AND TRY TO LINK SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES
TOO
Question 1 (d)
8 marks
This is the question which will ask you how useful you think a source is for understanding something.
It wants you to make a judgement about the usefulness of sources to help you find out about
something
For example:
Source: A view of the Homesteaders’ Life 1887
This cartoon entitled “A farmers’ life is not a happy one” or the woes of Western Agriculture” was
published in “The Puck Magazine”. This magazine began in 1876 and was very successful in the 1880s,
selling 80000 copies a week. The magazine tackled social and political issues.
1(d) How useful is Source E for understanding the problems faced by white people who farmed
on the Plains?
YOU MUST USE THE WORD “USEFUL “IN YOUR ANSWER OR YOU WILL GET 0!
A sources can be useful because of what it tells you (its CONTENT) and it can be useful because of
where it comes from (the author time place etc) Historians call this PROVENANCE
BUT you must read the second part of the question to be sure you comment on what it is that it is
meant to be useful about. For example in this question it is “the problems faced by white people
who farmed the plains”
Level 1: Answer that says whether a source is useful or not because it tells us something about white
people on the Plains. This answer will select details from the source to support their answer
“Source E is useful because it shows Indians attacking white people on the plains
etc.... (1-2 marks)
Level 2: Answers will EITHER explain that the sources is useful or not by understanding its
CONTENT in relation to the problems of the white people who farmed on the Plains...
Source E is useful because it show there was a problem with Indians because.... It is
also useful because it shows there was a problem with insects because.....
OR it might say the source is useful or not because of it PROVENANCE (date, author, audience etc)
in relation to the problems of the white people who farmed on the Plains
“Source E is useful because it shows that by 1887 they could make fun of their
problems because they had been solved. They no longer believed they were true
problems” (3-4 marks)
Level 3 answer will appreciate and explain the value of a sources because of BOTH its CONTENT and
its PROVENANCE in relation to the problems of the white people who farmed on the Plains
“Source E is useful because it shows that although there had been lots of problems by
1887 they could begin to poke fun at them. These complaints like grasshopper attack
Indian scalping people, claim jumpers were beginning to be less important
although they had been issue for homesteaders when they originally went to the
Plains in 1860s. The West was becoming more civilised. Problems such as law and
order were becoming solved by vigilante groups. However the source does not show
all the problems – the isolation, hard work and lack of medical care as well as the
tough soil and lack of water.” (5-6 marks)
Level 4: This would develop out of Level 3. The answer might say whether content or provenance is
more important AND consider the source in relation to other sources e.g. The source does not
show us the real impact of insect attacks (content) .This was produced after the
problems had ended. (Provenance) but diary extracts, letters might be better
evidence... (7-8 marks)
TOP TIP
REMEMBER TO USE THE WORD USEFUL IN YOUR ANSWER OR YOU WILL GET “0”
WRITE ABOUT WHAT THE SOURCE TELLS YOU (CONTENT) ABOUT THE SUBJECT AS
WELL AS WHERE THE SOURCE COMES FROM(PROVENANCE)
SAY WHICH IS MOST USEFUL – CONTENT OR PROVENANCE
Question 1(e)
10 marks
This will be a long question about the topic the sources were on
E.g. Why were white people able to settle and farm successfully on the Great Plains?
Level 1: General statement /single factor (1-2 marks)
Level 2: Comment briefly on several factors or one in depth (3-5 marks)
Level 3: Explain several factors (6-8 marks)
Level 4: Evaluate the relative importance of individual factors, come to a summary
assessment/ provide details of the links between them (9-10 marks)
For example: For the above question the following factors might be used to explain the
answer and a judgement made about their relative importance

Government encourages them with free lands – Homestead Act,
Timber Culture Act, Desert Land At

Railways encourages with exploration tickets, cheap loans,
adverts, trips for newspaper editors

Technology helped -Problems of ploughing overcome by Sod Buster,
lack of water overcome by wind pump, fencing solved by barbed
wire

Innovations helped like Turkey red wheat, dry farming, cow dung
and sod houses

Hard work and determination of men

Role played by women as mothers, wives, cooks, nurses, teachers etc
TOP TIP
WRITE ABOUT 4-6 FACTORS
EXPLAIN EACH FACTOR IN A SEPARATE
PARAGRPAH
EXPLAIN WHICH FACTORS ARE MORE IMPORTANT
THAN OTHERS
There will be TWO questions
You choose ONE only
The questions will be divided into 3 sub sections – a, b and c
Make sure you do ALL sub sections of the question you choose
Mark Scheme
Question (A)
4 Marks
This question will pick out a key feature and ask you how important it was
What is the examiner looking for? That you understand a key feature of the American West
Level 1 answer (1-2 marks)
If you show you recognise the key feature and you can explain it simply
Level 2 answer (3-4 marks)
If you can EXPLAIN IN DETAIL why it was IMPORTANT within the history of the American
West
For example: Why was Joseph McCoy important?
Level 1 answer: Simple statements about him, 1-2 marks
Joseph McCoy was a cattleman. Joseph McCoy built Abilene
Level 2 answer: Shows his importance within the context of the period, 3-4 marks
Joseph McCoy transformed the cattle industry in America. Before Joseph Mc Coy
built his cow town, cattle were not farmed on the Plains. Because Abilene was
built cattle ranching spilt over onto the Plains and this led to Open Range
Ranching.
TOP TIP
Make sure you are familiar with all the key individuals and key words and phrases
you have used on the course (see next page in booklet)
Also make sure that you don’t just describe in simple terms what the person or thing
did but you show that you understand why they were important within the history of
the American West
Key Features for Q 2 and 3 (a)
Great Plains
Turkey Red
Tipi
Sod Buster
Buffalo
Cattle Drive
Horse
Texas
Dances and Ceremonies
Abilene
Mountain men
Open Range
Joseph Smith
John Iliff
Brigham Young
Cowboys
Salt Lake City
Sheriff
Miners Courts
Marshalls
American Civil War
Johnson County War
Joseph McCoy
Humanitarians
Barbed Wire
Exterminators
Wind Pumps
Reservations
Texas Longhorn
Sand Creek Massacre
Warfare
General Custer
Permanent Indian Frontier
Little Big Horn
Manifest Destiny
Wounded Knee
Rendezvous
Independence
Wagons
Polygamy
Railroad
Homestead Act
Desert Land Act
Timber Culture Act
Dry Farming
Question B
8 marks
You will have a source of evidence and the examiner will ask you to use the source and
your knowledge to explain an issue/problem
What is the examiner looking for?
That you can understand a key feature of the American West and use sources
Level 1
(1-2 marks)
If you just discuss the source or if you just describe the key feature
Level 2 (3-5 marks)
If you just write about ONE aspect of the issue or problem – probably the one that is
mentioned in the sources and maybe mention some other aspects related to this issue or
problem
Level 3 (6-8 marks)
You will need to explain more than one factor related to the issue in detail
For example: Using Source F and your own knowledge, explain why law and order was a problem
on the Great Plains
Source F An account of the temptations in Virginia City, Nevada in the 1860s
Gold was everywhere and the gamblers, traders and women who had come with the miners did
anything to obtain it. Nearly every third cabin was a saloon where vile whiskey was bought and sold for
50 cents in gold. Many saloons had gambling tables.
Adapted from N P LANGFORD Vigilante Days, 1983
A Level 3 answer will expect you to explain that mining towns and the gambling and drinking in
saloons were ONE of the reasons why law and order was a problem. But it will also expect you to
look at other reason such as: Geography, Communication and Transportation, Federal System of
Government, Social Diversity, Gun Culture, Economic Rivalry and shortage of Law enforcement
officers. Each reason should be fully explained.
TOP TIP
Use your knowledge as well as the sources
Try to write about at least 4 to 6 factors
Explain each one in a paragraph
Question C
This is similar to Question 1(e) in Section A. It will ask you to make a judgement about how
important something was in relation to something that happened in the American West. There
are 12 marks on offer so it is a very important question to get right.
For example: How important was the leadership of Brigham Young in both leading the Mormons
to the Great Lake and then settling there?
Level 1 (1-2 marks) General statement or describe a single factor or factual details
Brigham Young was a leader of the Mormons. He decided to go to the Great
Salt Lake
Level 2 (3-6 marks) Brief comments on several factors to do with the question e.g. the
Mormons journey and settlement at the Greta Salt Lake OR one in depth
The Mormons were able to move because they were obedient and disciplined.
They had great faith. They were organised Young was a great leader. He
decided they could not own land etc.
Level 3 (7-10 marks)
Recognise and explain several factors to do with the question – the Mormons move and
settlement of the Great Salt Lake – in detail
Role of Brigham Young
The Journey
Overcoming the problems of Salt Lake City A level 4 answer will do all of this and
evaluate the importance of factors, come to
Self Sufficiency
a summary assessment and show how they
are linked
Division of land and water
Perpetual Emigration Fund
Determination to succeed
Actions of the US Government
Top Tip
Write about a number of factors to do with the question
Explain each one in a separate paragraph
Say which factors are more important and which are less important too
Examples of Questions for Section B
Early Settlers
(A) Why was Joseph Smith important? (4 marks)
(B) Source E
A Mormon view of their neighbours
We would not mix with our neighbours, many of whom were the lowest of men who had fled
to the West to escape justice. They held wild parties, broke the Sabbath, drank and gambled.
From Amongst the Mormons, Historic Accounts from Contemporary Observers, by W Mulder
and A Mortensen 1936
Using Source E and your own knowledge, explain why the Mormons were unable to make a
home for themselves in the states of Missouri and Illinois between 1831 and 1846?
(8 marks)
(C) How important was the leadership of Brigham Young in both leading the Mormons to the
Great Salt Lake and then settling there? ( 12 marks)
OR
As above for (A) and (C)
(B) Source F An account of Mormon customs
A Mormon man returned from England bringing with him a wife and child, although he had left a wife
and family here when he went away. I am told that his first wife is happy. Her husband and his Mormon
friends have persuaded her that polygamy is taught in the bible – Abraham and all the old prophets
had several wives. If it was right for them then it was right for the Mormons.
From alter written by a non Mormon women from Nauvoo in September 1843
Using Source F and your own knowledge, explain why Mormons, beliefs and actions often caused
conflict with non Mormons between 1830 and 1844? (8 marks)
(A)
How important was the “Great American desert”? (4 marks)
(B)
Source F Going West
From the diary of Jane Gould, who travelled across the Plains to California in 1862
August 10 We came to the Snake River. We heard that eleven wagons had been attacked by Indians. The
wagons had been robbed and the men killed.
August 13 We came upon a wagon that had been attacked and we saw the bodies of the three dead men
August 15 We slept under the wagons, dug a trench and blockaded the outside of the wagon
Using Source F and your own knowledge explain the problems faced by early white settlers travelling to the West
Coast of America (8 marks)
(C)
How important was a belief in Manifest destiny amongst other factors in encouraging white people to
settle on the Great Plains? (12marks)
3 (a) Why were Mountain Men important?
3 (b) Using Source G and your knowledge, explain why the journey west was a dangerous and difficult
one for white people.
3 (c) How important was the railroad, amongst other factors, in the development of the West?
Cattlemen and Cowboys
(A)
How important was the open range?
(B)
Source E A cowboy recalls life on the cattle trails
It was the duty of the cowboy to ride from twelve to twenty four hours every day with rarely a day of rest.
They had to guard the cattle at all hours. It was hard and bitter work. The vast distances, the loneliness, the
days and nights of solitude were hard, but by no means the worst of their difficulties.
From: Milt Hinkle, True West Magazine 1961. Hinkle was a cowboy who had ridden the trails
Using Source E and your own knowledge explain why the long drives were difficult and
dangerous for cowboys? (8 marks)
(C)
How important were the railways in the development of cattle ranching on the Great
Plains? (12 marks)
__________________________________________________________________
(A)
How important were the long drives?
(B)
Source E Open Range Ranching
From a letter by John Iliff published in the Rocky Mountain News 3 August 1870
I have grazed cattle in nearly all the valleys of Colorado and Wyoming for the past eight years, both in
summer and winter. The cost is simply the cost of herding, as no feeding or shelter is required. The summer
grasses on these plains are better than hay. My cattle have thrived on the grass during the past eight
e=winters and many of them, thin in the autumn, have become fine beef by the following spring. During this
time the herd has grown to twenty thousand
Using Source E and your own knowledge, explain why ranching ion the Open Range was
successful? (8 marks)
(C)
How important was the winter of 1886-7 amongst other factors in the development of
the cattle industry on the Great Plains? (12marks)
2 (a) Why was Texas important in the early development of the cattle industry?
2 (b) Using Source F and your knowledge, explain why the work of the cowboy was dangerous?
2 (c) How important were men like Charles Goodnight and John Iliff, amongst other factors,
in the development of the cattle industry in the West?
Homesteaders
(A)
How important were the Mountain men? (4 marks)
(B)
Source E The Grasshopper Plague of 1874
One of the children who had gone off to the well came rushing in.”They’re here. The sky is full of them”.
The whole family rushed outside. Overhead the sun dimmed like the start of an eclipse. Blades of grass
bent under the weight of grasshoppers. Before sunset the cornstalks were stripped bare, the onions
gone, fruit on the trees eaten away. Drowned grasshoppers made the water from the wells undrinkable.
Eggs, and even milk, tasted of grasshoppers.
From an account by William Meredith i The Old Plum Grove Colony in Jefferson County”,1 938
Using Source E and your own knowledge, explain why it was difficult to farm on the Great
Plains? (8 marks)
(C)
How important were new farming methods in overcoming the problems which white
people faced in settling on the Great Plains? (12 marks)
Law and Order
(A)
(B)
How important were the miners’ courts? (4 marks)
Source F
A “wanted” poster
Issued by the Governor of New Mexico 13 December 1880
Reward $5000
For the capture, dead or alive, of William Wright, better known as “Billy the Kid”. Age, 18. Height
5 feet 3 inches. Weight, 125 lbs. Light hair, blue eyes and even features. He is the leader of the
worst band of desperadoes the Territory has even had to deal with
Using Source F and your own knowledge, explain how the government tries to create law and
order in the West (8 marks)
(C)
How important was cattle rustling as a cause of lawlessness and violence in the West?
(12 marks)
(A)
How important were sheriffs and marshals? (4 marks)
(B)
Source F The temptations in Virginia City, Nevada in the 1860s
Gold was everywhere and every way was used by the gamblers, traders and women who had come with the
miners to obtain it. Nearly every third cabin was a saloon where vile whiskey was bought and sold for fifty cents
a glass in gold. Many saloons had gambling tables.
From D. Merrill, Vigilante Days 1893
Using Source F and your own knowledge, explain why law and order was a problem on
the Great Plains? (8 marks)
(C)
How important were the actions of the government in trying to overcome the
problems of law and order? (12 marks)
Indians and Battle for the Plains
(A) How important was the Permanent Indian Frontier? (4 marks)
(B) Source F
An Indian Chief Comments on the promises of the white people
When I was in Washington, the Great Father told me that all Comanche land was ours and that no
one should stop us living on it. So why do you ask us to leave the rivers and the sun and the wind
and live in houses? Do not ask us to give up the buffalo for sheep. The young men g-have heard talk
of this and it has made them sad and angry
From a speech by Ten Bears a Comanche Chief at Medicine Lodge in October 1867
Using Source F and your own knowledge explain why the Plain Indian did not trust white people?
(8 marks)
(C) How important was the leadership of Custer in the defeat of the Seventh Cavalry at
the Battle of the Little Big Horn? (12 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________
(A) How important were dances to the Plains Indians? (4 marks)
(B) Source E
Indian Fighting Tactics From an account in Hunting Grounds of the
Great West by Colonel Dodge 1877
Their fights with each other are nearly always surprise attacks. The first impulse of the Indian on being
surprised is to do what animals do and run away as fast as possible. However they never stand and fight
and rarely face up to a charge. When their numbers make them bold enough they form an army of
different bands, each under a chief.
Using Source E and your own knowledge explain how the Plains Indians ideas of
bravery and warfare were different from those of white people? (8 marks)
(C) How important was the US army in the defeat of the Plains Indians? (12 marks)
Examples of long questions on the topics - You should plan answers for the following questions which are commonly asked
Remember don’t JUST mention these reason EXPLAIN EACH ONE IN A PARAGRAPH
Geography and Plains Indians
Why were the Indians able to settle successfully on the Plains?
 Nomadic
* Polygamy
 Buffalo
* Exposure
 Tipi
* Warfare
 Horses
* Nature
Why was there conflict between the white man and the Indian?
Disagreed over
 Land/Wealth
 Marriage
 Religion
 Hunting
 Manifest Destiny
 Warfare
 Settlement and Housing
 Family Life
Early Settlers
Why did people move west?
 Push and Pull Factors
What were the dangers and difficulties in moving west?
 Time/ Getting stuck in snow
 Supplies running out
 Buffalo Stampede/ Indian attacks
 Weather
 Natural Boundaries
 Getting lost
Why were the Mormons unable to live in the East?
 God’s Chosen People
 Polygamy/Lots of children
 Joseph Smith’s political ambitions
 Kept to themselves/ did not drink smoke or gamble
 Worked hard and were successful
 Links with Indians and Slaves
 Own army and Secret Police- Danites
Why did the Mormons successfully settle at the Great Salt Lake?
 Leadership of Brigham Young
 Way he organised the journey
 Division of land and water
 Self sufficiency
 Perpetual Emigration Fund
 Action of US Government
 Building of the railroad
Cattlemen and Cowboys
What was Open Range ranching?
Homesteaders
Why did so many people go to live on the Plains?
Ranching on the Plains with no fences
Cattle could roam freely
Cowboys “ranched” the cattle
Plenty of grass/water for cattle
What difficulties did cowboys face on the Long Drive?
Weather
Long hours
Natural Boundaries
Buffalo
Indians
Rustling
Cattle stampedes
Why did open range ranching come to an end?
Overstocking
Lack of grass
Drought 1886
Severe winter 1886/7
Wind pumps and barbed wire
Law and Order
Why was Law and Order a problem on the Plains?
Federal Government
Economic Tension
Geography and communication
Gun Culture
Social Tension
Lack of law enforcement officers
What sorts of problems were there on the Plains?
Bank robberies Claim Jumping Train Robberies
Fence Cutting
Shoot outs
Stage Coach robbery
Cattle rusting
Horse stealing
How were these problems overcome?
Miners Courts Vigilantes More settlers =State More officers
Better communication (railroad and telegraph)
Push and Pull factors ad help from Government and railroads
What were the problems living and farming on the Plains?
Lack of water, building materials, fuel , food supplies and medical care
Isolation and loneliness
Difficulties in ploughing and harvesting (machinery)
Difficulties growing and protecting crops
Natural hazards – grasshopper, weather, prairie fires
What were the solutions to living and farming on the Plains?
Government land acts
Wind pumps
Dry farming
Railroad
Turkey Red
Cow dung
Sods
Sod buster
Hard work and determination
Battle for the Plains
Why did the Indians lose and the whites win?
US Army -Stronger and better equipped
US government on side of whites
Reservations
Indian Warfare
Destroyed buffalo
Destroyed culture and way of life
Groups came into conflict – Cattlemen, Homesteaders, Miners
Manifest Destiny
End of American Civil War