Across
- 4. The buffalo was very important to Native American tribes on the Great Plains. They used the buffalo for food, clothing, and tools. Settlers hunted the buffalo so much that almost all of them were gone.
- 5. Plains: This region in the middle of the country became a top farming area. Settlers grew crops like wheat and corn, even though the weather and soil were tough to deal with.
- 7. Railroad: Finished in 1869, this railroad connected the eastern and western parts of the U.S. It made it faster and easier to travel and move goods across the country.
- 9. Boom: Gold, silver, and other minerals were found in the West, which caused people to rush to places like California, Colorado, and Nevada to find their fortune.
- 10. Act of 1887: This law tried to make Native Americans live like settlers by dividing up their land. It caused Native Americans to lose a lot of their land and their way of life.
Down
- 1. Wire: In the 1870s, people started using barbed wire to fence off their land. This ended the open land where cattle used to roam freely and reduced fights over land.
- 2. Destiny: This was the idea that the U.S. was meant to expand its land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. It was a big reason why people moved west.
- 3. Act of 1862: This law gave 160 acres of free land to people who promised to live on it and farm it for at least five years. It helped encourage people to move west.
- 6. Drives and Cowboys: Cowboys herded cattle from Texas to places where they could be shipped by train. This helped grow cowboy culture, which became a big symbol of the American West.
- 8. American Displacement: As people moved west, many Native American tribes were forced to leave their homelands. Laws and events like the Indian Removal Act made them move to new areas.