Westward Expansion Questions

1. What are some of the main reasons that the federal government's policy of assimilation failed?

Think About:

• Native Americans' way of life
• Cultural differences
• Attitude of whites toward Native Americans
• Government promises

Assimilation failed because the Americans, who treated the Native Americans terribly since they arrived, were asking them to forget all of their current lifestyle, traditions, and culture, and adopt lives just like those Americans that have always mistreated them. The Native Americans had completely different lives and the Americans tried to make them throw away all of their customs and beliefs and act as Americans do. Also, even if the Native Americans obliged, the Americans would probably betray them before long anyways. The government hadn't had a history of keeping their promises to the Native Americans. There was no chance assimilation would be successful.

2. How successful were government efforts to promote settlement of the Great Plains? Give examples to support your answer.

Think about:

• The growth in population on the Great Plains
• The role of railroads in the economy
• The Homestead Act

Government efforts to promote settlement of the Great Plains was very successful. It took only 30 years to settle into the western half of the country, while it took over 250 to settle the first half. Railroads were quickly built for transportation of people and merchandise. With the railroads goods could be shipped from anywhere in the U.S. Water was no longer needed to transport goods now that railroads could be used, so people could ship goods and profit from the middle and west of the country. Also, the homestead act offered free land to settlers, so of course people rushed to settle and get their free land. The settlement of the west didn't take long at all.