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Homestead Act of 1862 Summary

Kien Lai | HIS 202 | 4/10/03 | California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Homestead Act of 1862

Document # 1 / The Homestead Act of 1862 states that anyone who is a naturalized citizen or intends to become one and is of the age twenty-one or over shall be entitled to a section of land allocated by the government that may not exceed one hundred and sixty acres. The exception being that the person has never rebelled against the government and or has "given aid and comfort to its enemies".

Document # 2 / Marry Barnard Aguirre marries a Spanish man and seems to be quite happy. Occupying the then unknown southwest territory, she talks about sunny winters and year-round beautiful weather. With the abundance of food, love, and celebration, she has integrated herself into the Spanish lifestyle very well. Apparently, she is in the west because her husband has a contract with the government as a supplier to military posts in the territory.

Document # 3 / In September 8th of 1865, a council meeting took place to determine the fate of tribal Indians who broke treaties with the government by forming pacts with the Confederate States. A proposed treaty is formed by the government stating that the Indians are to: keep the peace amongst themselves, with other tribes, and with the government. Secondly, to free as well as end all slavery. And last, lands inhabited by the Indians are loosely defined as government property. There was general acceptance of the treaty with the exception to a few modifications on behalf of the Indians, which the document does not go into further detail.

Document # 4 / The battle of Washita River left many dead, including Chief Black Kettle of the Cheyenne as well as several women and children by the hands of Custer's soldiers. A year later Custer forms peace talks with the Cheyenne tribe and smokes the peace pipe with the tribe leaders. Custer was admired by many of the women within the tribe and even given the name Hi-es-tzie (Long Hair). In the battle of Little Big Horn, Custer breaks the peace treaty and engages in battle with the Indians resulting in his death (killed in action).

Document # 5 / Chief Joseph states that he will not go on fighting. All of the high ranking people are dead. All that is left are young men with no leader to lead them. He is tried and saddened by what has happened. He will drop his weapons and journey into the mountains in search of his children who have fled from all the carnage.

Document # 6 / The Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 gives power to the President of the United States to allocate land settled on by the Indians for agricultural or residential purposes. Moreover, Indians who reside within these territories will be given citizenship and entitled to all privileges and rights set by the constitution.

Document # 7 / An account of the tension during 1885 between the white men and china men. The hostility begins as a result of the Chinese workers, working along side white workers, refusing to strike if companies refused to increase wages, which, surprisingly, were paid equally between white and Chinese men. The climax of the hostilities stem from groups of white men walking through Chinatown beating and killing china men in addition to robbing them of their valuables (gold, silver, and personal belongings). Some white men even went as far as burning down or demolishing building that china men occupied.

Document # 8 / With blacks continuing to be suppressed after fifteen years since the introduction of the emancipation, the search for greener pastures is thought to be obtained by moving west.

Document # 9 / The exciting times of the move westward toward greener pastures and fertile land escalates as families who were brave enough to travel great distances were rewarded with rights to land and fertile soil.

Document # 10 / Turner discusses and compares the separation of American and European frontiers. As America migrates west, the bases by which America is structured upon strengthens and European thinking weakens. Although bold and new, the west holds opportunities for those who venture into the west. The landscape and conditions were all different from what they were used to in the east, but it also provided open space to restart and rebuild their lives.

Essay # 1 / The essay, by Ray Allen Billington, talks about social equality among its people in the west, excluding people of color. Incoming travelers who display any signs of wealth or status was driven out of town because it was thought that the visitor believed himself to be superior to everyone else and not an equal. The west, according to Billington, was established on the foundation of equality for all in terms of "economic equality, common shared living standards, and the absence of traditional aristocratic values". So entrenched was this belief in equality that titles of men and women were rephrased as being more of equals rather than master and servant. In fact, everyone was addressed as "gentlemen" and "lady" in casual and public settings. Anyone who displayed signs of wealth was frowned upon. The rich were to live and dress as their poorest neighbors.

Essay # 2 / The essay, by Patricia Nelson Limerick, talks about how diversity in the west reflected many of the same hostilities the blacks faced in the southeast. A specific group that had been singled out were the Chinese, of which the whites saw as a threat to its labor pool. The author specifically refers to a case in 1854, People vs. Hall, stating that (in the words of California Supreme Court Justice J. Murray) the Chinese are not specifically named by state law excluding the china man from testifying against a white man, but like the Indians who are named as being excluded from testifying, fall into the same category as them. Racism continues to be a major issue throughout the 19th and 20th century as the move west intensifies. The black population who migrated to the west were treated the same. Many states in the west, including California, Oregon, and Nevada adopted laws of the south, limiting black rights. White residence even encouraged blacks to get out of their state. Race was generally used as a scapegoat for society's problems. Religion was also discriminated upon as Mormons in Missouri were massacred for their beliefs.

I would have to agree with Limerick's version of the new frontier simply because she gives a more realistic account of the times in terms of how the colored were treated as opposed to how the whites treated each other.