Great Plains
A vast region in the central United States characterized by flat land and prairies, known for its role in agriculture and as the frontier during the westward expansion.
Transcontinental Railroad
A contiguous network of railroad trackage that crosses a continental landmass, connecting the eastern U.S. rail networks to the western U.S. This monumental construction project was completed in 1869.
Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)
An agreement between the United States and several Native American tribes, including the Sioux. It aimed to bring peace by establishing the Great Sioux Reservation, including the Black Hills.
Treaty of Medicine Lodge (1867)
A series of treaties signed between the U.S. government and several Native American tribes, which aimed to relocate the tribes to reservations in present-day Oklahoma.
Battle of the Little Bighorn (1876)
A battle between the combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the U.S. Army. It is famously known as "Custer's Last Stand."
Buffalo Soldiers
African American soldiers who mainly served on the Western frontier following the American Civil War. They were given the nickname by Native American tribes.
Dawes Act (1887)
Legislation aimed at assimilating Native Americans into American society by allotting them individual plots of land to farm, thereby breaking up tribal lands.
Ghost Dance
A religious movement incorporated into numerous Native American belief systems. It was believed to reunite the living with spirits of the dead and bring peace, prosperity, and unity to Native American peoples.
Comstock Lode
A lode of silver ore located under the eastern slope of Mount Davidson in Nevada, which was the first major discovery of silver ore in the United States and sparked a silver rush.
Long Drive
A term used to describe the herding of cattle from Texas to railheads in Kansas, where they would be shipped to meatpacking centers in the Midwest.
Homestead Act (1862)
A law that provided 160 acres of public land to any adult citizen, or intended citizen, who paid a small filing fee and agreed to live on and improve the land for five years.
Mormons
Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, founded by Joseph Smith in the 19th century. They are known for their migration to Utah to escape religious persecution.
Californios
A term used to describe the Hispanic residents of California, particularly those who lived there before the Mexican-American War and the subsequent cession of California to the United States.
Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)
The first significant law restricting immigration into the United States, which prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers, reflecting the growing anti-Chinese sentiment of the time.