Westward Expansion

5. a long journey taken by cowboys to herd, or drive, cattle from the ranches in Texas north on trails leading to the railroads.
7. a house built of strips of sod
8. one hard challenge that was experienced when living on homestead.
10. used on the very last rail of the transcontinental railroad marking its completion.
12. a Former slave turned Cowboy.
13. a Famous cattle trail used to herd longhorns from San Antonio, Texas to Abilene, Kansas
14. person who claimed land on the Great Plains under The Homestead Act of 1862
15. young men mainly from Texas paid to herd and drive cattle north.

1. a type of steel fencing with sharp points at various intervals.
2. a person who claimed land on the Great Plains under The Homestead Act of 1862
3. a railroad that crosses an entire continent
4. a name given to the transcontinental railroad by Native Americans
6. Nickname given to the first African American Cavalry regiments of the U.S. Army who served in the western U.S. during 1867-1896
9. a law passed by Congress in 1862 offering government loans and free land to the two companies building the Transcontinental Railroad. (President Lincoln)
11. a person settling land early west prior to the official opening