US History - Settlement in the West

2. One who makes exploration, search, or examination, especially for minerals
3. People who are the first to settle in a region
8. A large covered wagon used to carry passengers and mail on regular routes between towns
12. The herding and moving of cattle over long distances
14. The first rail line to California that relied on gov't support and immigrant labor
15. The Native American tribe that defeated Custer and put up the greatest resistance to U.S. domination
18. 1862 Act that gave 160 acres of land to citizens willing to live on and cultivate it for five years
20. Name given to African Americans who migrated from states along the Mississippi River to Kansas in the 1800s
21. Troops trained to fight on horseback
22. Forts or stopping places along the trail where people could buy supplies
23. Former mining town that became deserted is known as a _________ town

1. Unexplored land
4. Someone who has committed (or been legally convicted of) a crime
5. Trail A trail that ran from San Antonio (TX) to Abilene (KS). One of the most popular routes for cattle drives in the 1860's
6. Areas of federal land set aside for Native Americans
7. Sam Houston came to rely on this group for defense of the frontier after experiencing issues with the army
8. A public bar, especially in the past in the western United States
9. Land designated by the federal government for building schools, roads, or railroads
10. A group of persons with legal power to help a sheriff keep the peace
11. A town that grew fast in mining areas where there were rushes
13. Symbol burned into an animal hide to show ownership
16. Mountain range in the north that the Oregon Trail passed to the south of
17. Act that authorized the President to survey Native American tribal land and divide it into allotments for individual Native Americans
19. A hired hand who tends cattle and performs other duties on horseback
23. Many traveled to California and Nevada to mine for this metal