...Land in Chase County originally used by settlers in the 1862 Homestead Act to develop large family farms. Since 1870, with the railroads moving into Kansas, the land has moved from private ownership into corporate ownership with absentee landowners. Today the absentee landowners and corporations still own much of Chase County and the largest money making industry is from tourism. William Least Heat-Moon writes about the change in land ownership in PrairyErth in the chapter “In the Quadrangle: Elk” and effects that corporate and absentee owners have made to the family farmer and the average person born and raised in Chase County. Absentee ownership results in Chase County residents being unable to buy land, unable to find good paying jobs,...
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...Shane by Angela Day “Shane” is a screenplay that was based on Jack Schaefer's 1949 book of the same name. The film is a classic western tale which is a very familiar and highly regarded in the western genre and the most successful Western of the 1950s and it is also a period piece since it is set in the late 1800’s. The film's rich color cinematography captures the beautiful environment of the frontier which was filmed on location in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with the mountains as a backdrop. The location and the having been filmed in color is effective in telling the story and had it been done in black and white it would have lost some of the visual impact. This film received six Academy Award nominations including “Best Cinematography” and won one for photography. Many films since Shane have paid homage to the film and used a similar plot and theme. The film used technicolored panoramic angles to create a symbolic myth: the age old story of the duel between good and evil, the social conflict (with families, law and order, and homesteaders) the challenges faced in the era which included an implied love connection between Shane and Marion, lawless gunslingers, and a land-dispute conflict between a homesteader and cattle baron, and the coming of age of a young boy. The film is riddled with classic symbols and conflicts from the uprooting of the stubborn stump in the yard, Torrey's murder in the muddy street and his hilltop funeral, and the climactic finale...
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...Hensley, Marcia Meredith. Staking Her Claim: Women Homesteading the West. Glendo, WY: High Plains, 2008. Print. Reviewed by Megan Smith. This lovely piece of work is about the true stories of some incredible pioneer women who seized the opportunity to own their own piece of land during a time when this was almost unheard of for women. Marcia Meredith Hensley wrote this book after moving to Wyoming in the 1980s. She was taking a Western History class and read the book “Letters of a Women Homesteader” by Elinore Pruitt Stewart when she noticed a few differences between her college textbooks and these letters. She learned that Stewart was a single homesteader who had come out west with her daughter and was very appreciative of the land and the lifestyle, contrary to how pioneer women were perceived in her textbooks. This sparked an interest in Hensley and started her on a twenty year research project to write a book about women becoming landowners in the west, and the role played in western settlement by single women homesteaders. The twenty diligent years of research conducted by Hensley provides the book with incredibly detailed looks in to the intimate lives of women’s adventures and hardships as they fight to win social and financial independence in a world where many women still led their lives by a strict and restricted Victorian belief system. From stories of lemon pies that make your mouth water to a story about setting fence posts in the summer heat of Utah, Hensley’s...
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...Pickett. I.Introduction A. Opening remarks B. Thesis statement II.Will Rogers A. Childhood B. Joins ranch C. Life after ranch and death III. Bill Pickett A. Childhood B. Joins ranch C. Steer wrestling D. Life after ranch and death IV. 101 Ranch Wild West Show A. Will Rogers' contributions B. Bill Pickett's contribution V. Conclusion The 101 Ranch Wild West Show was a great, if not the greatest wild west show of all time. Its diversity and showmanship gathered thousands of people from around the world to watch and be amazed at the spectacular show that was put on. The 101 Ranch Wild West Show combined the thrills of the Wild West with the acts and performances found in a circus; from trick riding and roping to elephants and their trainers (1927 Show Roster, 2013). The 101 Ranch Wild West Show traveled the world and many people got to bask in its glory during its hay day. The show was a masterpiece put together by visionaries and it brought many people jobs and even stardom. The 101 Ranch Wild West Show was great in part to performers like Will Rogers and Bill Pickett. Will Rogers was born on the 4th of November in 1879 (Biography, 2013), in the area that is now Oologah, Oklahoma. He was part Indian descending from the Cherokee tribe (Rodeo Star, 2013). Will Rogers was the baby of the family, having seven older siblings (Biography, 2013). After four of Will's siblings passed...
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...It’s the year of 1870 and I recently have decided to move west in search of a better life. Farming is the only thing I rely on to make a profit and I am tired of the hard, rock filled soil that I have to fight every time I work on the field. The main reason that brought me to choose the West was “The Homestead Act”, which offered 160 acres of free land. The Great Plains is no more than a huge, flat, plateau that has a very wide variety of weather; cold and harsh winters, and very hot and humid summers. Furthermore, as grasslands are among one of the least protected biomes, there are often very strong winds. With all these new conditions, I had some trouble adjusting to my new home. For example, there were no trees on this dry land, so I was forced to make my house out of sod instead of wood. Although the sod house was very dusty and prone to leaks, it was well-insulated. I also started to do “dry farming”, in which soil was plowed to break up the sod and help keep the moisture in the soil. My main crop has now become wheat, as it was most suitable for the climate of The Great Plains. Despite all these new conditions, I am determined to make the best out of what I have....
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...believes the police officer is from one of the stories he'd heard from when he was younger. While he believes two arrowhead is enough protection for both of them, Leon takes with him a .30-30 rifle in the truck. During another run on the highway they find themself being stalked again. Leon pulled over and got out of the truck and left Tony in the passenger seat with the .30-30 rifle across his lap. Right when the big cop took out his stick and raised it up high, Tony fired his rifle and killed the cop. While Leon doesn't know if he should run or stay, Tony believes he has killed "it" and thinks they're safe now. Historical Values Throughout history the Natives has been pushed away and treated like they were a weaker race. During the homestead act in the 1860's the Native Americans were thrown out of their land. During that time they were heavily suppressed and discriminated by "the white men". Theme Tony's story describes how the native americans have been inflicted with violence and discrimination from the white men who took their land. The cop treats the natives like they are a problem and tries to attack them. This is more or less how some people treat natives...
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...Predominantly within the post-modern, American context the "good life" is understood as the freedom and ability to do or posses whatever we want; a complete lack of nothing but the ability to posses anything one might desire. However, in Robert Neuwirth's book "Shadow Cities" readers are introduced to multiple people groups, more commonly known as "squatters", who's lifestyles and beliefs challenge what many might consider the good life as generally accepted by members of Western civilization. As Neuwirth takes us from Rocinha, Rio De Janeiro to Istanbul the reader is continuously faced with the same three issues plaguing our world: the fact that the worlds population is steadily increasing at an alarming rate, that everyone must have a place to live and that housing costs and must be lowered in order to provide the amount of houses necessary to sustain our world's growing population (Neuwirth xiii). In this paper I will seek to summarize Neuwirth's book, "Shadow Cities", beginning with a brief history of the squatter community. When comparing past and present examples of squatter communities Neuwirth begins by noting that, "very little has changed since the Middle Ages. The barracks of Rocinha, the mud huts of Kibera, the wooden shanties of Behrampada, or the original Gecekondu houses in Sarigazi are not far removed the dwellings that were common centuries ago in Europe and North America." With very little difference between communities of the past and present it becomes apparent...
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...Limiting the thoughts and actions of a human to an extend is allowed, that's why we have laws but limited the food consumption of single humans is invalid. The government should go to the companies and list suggestions instead of going straight to humans and trying to limit our rights. Humans are mind washed on tv about the relationship between smoking and lung cancer but if one was to chain smoke, and another one was to smoke a cigarette, the effect can be the exact same. If the debate was made to save animals my ideology would be different, but limiting humans right is...
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...The American West was promoted by the federal government to Americans who had hopes of creating a new life by passing the Homestead Act in 1862 (Schultz 2014). What the Homestead Act offered settlers was the award of 160 acres of land for anyone who would occupy it for five years and by 1890 over 2 million residents had established farms in the West. The Northern government officials, which were in control of Congress in 1862, were in favor of settling the Western territories, so along with promoters they glamorized the idea to where it was more appealing. Who the Homestead Act attracted were new immigrants, African Americans, and Northerners who wanted to avoid industrialization from their hometowns (Schultz 2014). Consequently, for the ones who abandoned the venture, corporations were waiting to buy the land for their own projects which were known as the bonanza farms which employed low-paid laborers to work them....
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...innovations in science, and the rise of big business. New products and technologies improved middle-class quality of life for Americans. The rise of the Gilded Age in American History helped the American economy long-term to this present day. Economic development in the United Sates was made through the impact of transportation innovations. The Gilded Age brought upon positive changes in America there was a demand of manufactured goods that increased, therefore, needing an efficient way to keep up with high demand. This brought upon the construction of the first transcontinental railroad, connecting the Pacific and Atlantic lines, which would be used for centuries to come. The Pacific Railway Act passed on July 1, 1862 provided what was needed for the construction for this production. In the act it states: The question of "internal improvements" was constantly before Congress in the 19th century: Should Congress assist in improving the country’s transportation system? One such improvement was the dream of constructing a railroad that would cross the entire country. Railroading became a highly profitable business venture during this time period. The expansion of the railroads meant that goods and products could be more easily exported around the country and helped the progression of manufacturers selling those goods. The railroads made a broader variety of goods possible for people to obtain. Railroad because allowed people to get across the country out west quicker and safer...
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...Geographic and environmental factors have a momentous impact on the development of trade and migration systems. Those systems and migration patterns lead to correlations among diverse people and their cultures. Therefore, geography and resources have an influence on the growth and relations between societies. Two of the most significant geographical and environmental factors that have led to the development and expansion of the United States is the growth of industry after the Civil War, and the abundance of agriculture. After the Civil War, the population in the United Sates more than doubled and industrial growth was also rapid because of the large quantity of natural resources. The United States had enormous assets such as coal, copper, petroleum, iron, water power and timber. Due to this immense supply of natural resources, many immigrants came to the States for work and many rural workers traveled many miles to flourish as well. There were many jobs like coal mining, constructing railroads, and silver and gold mining that promised wealth, like in the California Gold Rush. When gold was discovered in 1849 in California, people came from all over the world and with such an influx of people and the following development, California became an official state in 1850. Gold wasn’t the only abundant resource in the U.S. With the production of coal and other minerals, exporting to other countries was in high demand and expanded the trade industry for...
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...Gke Task 1 Geographic and environmental factors have a momentous impact on the development of trade and migration systems. Those systems and migration patterns lead to correlations among diverse people and their cultures. Therefore, geography and resources have an influence on the growth and relations between societies. Two of the most significant geographical and environmental factors that have led to the development and expansion of the United States is the growth of industry after the Civil War, and the abundance of agriculture. After the Civil War, the population in the United Sates more than doubled and industrial growth was also rapid because of the large quantity of natural resources. The United States had enormous assets such as coal, copper, petroleum, iron, water power and timber. Due to this immense supply of natural resources, many immigrants came to the States for work and many rural workers traveled many miles to flourish as well. There were many jobs like coal mining, constructing railroads, and silver and gold mining that promised wealth, like in the California Gold Rush. When gold was discovered in 1849 in California, people came from all over the world and with such an influx of people and the following development, California became an official state in 1850. Gold wasn’t the only abundant resource in the U.S. With the production of coal and other minerals, exporting to other countries was in high demand and expanded...
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...Commonwealth Act No. 141 of 1936 AND AN ACT TO AMEND COMPILE THE LAWS RELATIVE TO LANDS OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN TITLE I TITLE AND APPLICATION OF THE ACT, LANDS TO WHICH IT REFERS, AND CLASSIFICATION, DELIMITATION, AND SURVEY — THEREOF FOR CONCESSION CHAPTER I Short Title of the Act, Lands to Which it Applies, and Officers Charged With Its Execution SECTION 1. The short title of this Act shall be "The Public Land Act. SECTION 2. The provisions of this Act shall apply to the lands of the public domain; but timber and mineral lands shall be governed by special laws and nothing in this Act provided shall be understood or construed to change or modify the administration and disposition of the lands commonly called "friar lands'' and those which, being privately owned, have reverted to or become the property of the Commonwealth of the Philippines, which administration and disposition shall be governed by the laws at present in force or which may hereafter be enacted. SECTION 3. The Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce shall be the executive officer charged with carrying out the provisions of this Act through the Director of Lands, who shall act under his immediate control. SECTION 4. Subject to said control, the Director of Lands shall have direct executive control of the survey, classification, lease, sale or any other form of concession or disposition and management of the lands of the public domain, and his decisions as to questions of fact shall be conclusive...
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...Test 1 Key Terms: * 13th Amendment: 1865, abolishes slavery. * 14th Amendment: 1868, ensures equal rights and protections to every person born or naturalized in the United States. * 15th Amendment: 1870, prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race. * Radical Republicans: Believed that the federal government should guarantee certain basic rights that would provide freed people with a measure of economic opportunity, and some went further to suggest that meaningful economic opportunity would require a program of land re-distribution from former Confederated to former slaves. * First Reconstruction Act (1867): An act that prevented the former Confederate states from entering the Union until they had ratified the 14th Amendment and written new constitutions that guaranteed black men the right to vote. It also divided the South (with the exception of Tennessee, which had ratified the 14th Amendment) into five military districts and stationed federal troops throughout the region. * Black Codes: Southern state laws passed after the Civil War to limit the rights and actions of newly liberated African Americans. * Freedmen’s Bureau: Federal agency created by Congress in March 1865 and disbanded in 1869. Its purposes were to provide relief for Southerners who had remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War, to support black elementary schools, and to oversee annual labor contracts between landowners and field hands. * Ku Klux Klan: A...
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...President Abraham Lincoln’s involvement in the Civil War was the key to the Union army’s victory because he was able to unite many groups of people to fight as a united front and he implemented policies that benefited them. Lincoln’s main goal during his presidency was to acquire peace and union of the United States. Lincoln’s views appealed to many groups of people and thus he was able to gain opposing group’s approval and support. Abraham Lincoln’s influence in the Civil War led to the Union Army's victory. Lincoln was able to unite numerous groups of people because his views appealed to many and his policies he implemented throughout his presidency gave other groups, such as enslaved people, the opportunity to support the Union army....
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