The Changing West

A battle of the Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho against the US Army. Battle of the Little Bighorn. It was an 1876 conflict where Native American forces defeated General Custer's 7th Cavalry.

Involved cowboys moving herds of cattle long distances to market and railroad. Cattle drive. A cattle drive was a historic journey where cowboys led large groups of cattle over long distances to sell them or transport them by train.

A railroad executive who was one of the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad. Charles Crocker. He was a key figure in building the First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States.

A leader of the Nez Perce who were forcibly removed onto a reservation. Chief Joseph. Chief Joseph was a Native American leader known for his resistance against the U.S. government's attempts to forcibly relocate his tribe.

A midwestern frontier settlements that catered to the cattle industry. Cowtowns. Cowtowns were towns in the American West where cattle were driven to be sold and shipped by rail to eastern markets.

A Lakota war leader who led tribes to victory at the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse was a Native American leader known for his role in defeating General Custer's forces.

African Americans who migrated from the Mississippi River to Kansas. Exodusters. Exodusters were African Americans who moved to Kansas in the late 1800s seeking freedom and opportunities after the Civil War.

A United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the American Indian Wars. George A. Custer was a prominent military leader known for his defeat at the Battle of Little Bighorn.

An Union general and executive of the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Grenville Dodge. He played a key role in building the first railroad across the United States.

A writer who became an activist on behalf of better treatment of Native Americans. Helen Hunt Jackson. She was a 19th-century author who advocated for Native American rights and highlighted their struggles.

A leader of Exoduster migration to Kansas. Henry Adams. He was a key figure in the movement of African Americans from the southern United States to Kansas in the late 19th century, seeking better opportunities and freedom from racial oppression.

Laws by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land. Homestead Acts. The Homestead Acts were laws that allowed people to claim and own land in the U.S. by living on and farming it for a set period.

An individual who owned and operated their own farms on land given by government. Homesteader. In history, a homesteader was a person who received government land to farm and build a home, often through programs like the U.S. Homestead Act of 1862.

An inventor best known for his creation of farm plows for sodbusting, James Oliver. James Oliver was a significant figure in agricultural history for developing the chilled plow, which improved farming efficiency in tough soil conditions.

A businessman and farmer who invented barbed wire. Joseph Glidden. He revolutionized fencing and helped shape the development of the American West.

An entrepreneur known for promoting the transport of Longhorn cattle. Joseph McCoy. Joseph McCoy was a key figure in the cattle industry from the 19th century, helping to establish cattle drives and markets in Kansas to connect Texas cattle with northern markets.

An African-American cowboy and former slave, Nat Love. Nat Love was a famous cowboy in the late 19th century known for his adventurous life and detailed autobiography.

Acts of Congress that promoted the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Pacific Railroad Act. The Pacific Railroad Act was a law passed in 1862 that provided government support for building the first transcontinental railroad across the United States.

A law that determines how resource or economic good is used and owned. Property rights. In history, property rights refer to the rules that determine who owns and controls land, goods, or resources.

A point on a railway system where goods are loaded, unloaded or transferred. Railhead. In History, a railhead is where goods and troops were concentrated during wartime logistics, crucial for supply and movement.

An area of land managed by a Native American tribe. Reservation. In history, a reservation is land designated by the government for Native American tribes to live on, often as a result of displacement from their ancestral lands.

A Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance to US government policies. Sitting Bull was a Native American chief known for his role in resisting US expansion and for his leadership in the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

An agricultural labourer or farmer on the Great Plains. Sodbusters. Sodbusters were farmers in the late 1800s who broke up the tough prairie soil to plant crops on the Great Plains.

An alternative to the log cabin during the settlement of the Great Plains. Soddy. A soddy is a small house made from blocks of sod, or grass-covered earth, used by settlers on the Great Plains.

An enclosed yard, with pens, where livestock is kept temporarily. Stockyards. Historically, stockyards were essential for managing livestock trade and transportation in growing urban areas.

A 1912 mile continuous railroad line, from Iowa to San Francisco. Transcontinental railroad. A transcontinental railroad is a train route that connects the east and west coasts of a continent.