Terms
Frontierland
Taylor Grazing Act Matthew Shepard
Woody Guthrie
Indian Reorganization Act
Ghost Dance
Comstock Lode
Biological Survey Chiricahua Apache
pan-Indian movement
Dawes Act
Joe Hill
Fish Famine
Auntie Annie
Repatriation Movement
Americanization
Sheldon Jackson
EPIC
Alcatraz
Frontier Antithesis
Afognak
Simpson's Bar
Lalu
Termination
Soil Conservation Act
William Cody
Dillon Myer
Sitting Bull
Natsumi Hotel
War Manpower Commission
Great Die-Up
Central Valley Project Hadleyville
AIM
Thomas Builds-the-Fire
"Big Rock Candy Mountain"
Black Sunday
Essay Questions
1. Americans have long seen the west as a masculine place, a place where men alone -- or so it seems -- conquered nature, subdued “savages,” mined for metals or logged tall trees, built railroads, established governments, founded towns, and in most other enterprises, made the modern West. But women lived here, too. Drawing on class readings, lectures, and discussions, describe some of the contributions that women made to the development of the West from the 1850s to the present. How did women experience the West? What roles did they play in family and community formation, in the Western workforce, or in society or politics? Were they liberated from more traditional gender roles and expectations in any way by their residence and experiences in the region?
2. The federal government’s official policies toward Indian peoples has often been criticized; one author called the government’s actions toward Indians a “Century of Dishonor.” Describe the official Indian policies of the United States government from 1876-1976. What were the goals and intentions of the various policies? Were they successful in achieving their goals? How did Indians respond to these policies? Be sure to cite specific examples from the readings, lectures, and class discussions.
3. One prominent historian has argued that towns, not individual family farms, “were the spearheads of the frontier. Planted far in advance of the line of settlement, they held the West for the approaching population.” To support this historian’s argument, trace the development of towns and urban areas in the West from 1850 to 1940. Where and when did Western urban growth occur? What were some of the factors in the development of Western towns and cities? Who settled in these urban centers and what was life like for urban residents? What role did towns and cities play in the further development of the West?
4. Assess the economic history of the American West during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. What kinds of economic activities were westerners involved in during this period? How, why, and when did the western economy change over time? What were some of the social and political consequences of western economic development in this period?
5. Summarize the major environmental problems in the West from the 1850s to the 1980s. How have westerners contributed to environmental changes in the region? How have westerners tried to resolve some of the region’s most pressing environmental crises? What are some of the institutions and legal remedies that have been developed to cope with environmental changes in the region?
6. Describe the nature of the West’s diverse population during the twentieth century. How and why has the ethnic and racial composition of the population changed during this century? What are the region’s major ethnic or racial groups? What have been some of the social and political consequences of these demographic developments?
7. Assess the legacy of Frederick Jackson Turner's "Frontier Thesis" on twentieth century Americans. What is the meaning of the "frontier" at the dawn of the 21st century?