3,4 ### Historical Challenges in Midwest Farming and Western Mining Rushes#### Section 3: Midwest Farming ChallengesMoving to the Midwest often allowed for people with little financial resources to own property and farms for the first time in their lives. Numerous immigrants also came to America to take advantage of cheap and easy land in the West. However, there were numerous challenges once one settled on the Midwestern prairie.**Question: What was one of the biggest obstacles for homesteaders on the Great Plains?**- **Option 1:** Railroad companies refused to run railroads to sparsely laid-out settlements as they saw the venture as unprofitable. This reduced the ability for farmers to ship their products to markets and stay profitable for the long term. This caused numerous defaults on loans and forced many farmers to move further West and become Gold miners. - **Option 2:** Lack of overall resources to help build and maintain a productive farm. This was due to the fact that there were few natural resources in the region, and most railroads did not reach the sparsely placed settlements, thus making needed equipment prohibitively expensive and hard for a farmer to turn a profit. - **Option 3:** Government loans, of $1000, were established to help Homesteaders build a new, and profitable farm in the Midwest. However, many of these government loans held high interest rates, and had to be paid back within 5 years, or the homesteader would default and the land would be turned over to the Government. Most farmers could not be profitable enough within 5 years to pay back the high interest loans, thus lost their property to the Federal government. - **Option 4:** The Government required farmers to make extensive investment on the property provided. Thus farmers were required to take out large loans to buy the needed equipment in order to meet the government standards of "substantial property improvements." This forced many farmers into bankruptcy.#### Section 4: Western Gold and Silver Mining RushesOne item that lured numerous settlers to the West was Gold and silver mining. This was seen as a way for one to get rich quick, with little effort or investment. Numerous gold and silver deposits were located, causing a number of different rushes West, the most famous being the 1849 California Gold Rush. However, by the 1860s and 1870s, these rushes started to die out. **Question: Why?**- **Option

The California Gold Rush of 1849 was a significant event in American history that sparked a massive…

3 4 Moving to the Midwest often allowed for people with little financial resources to own property and farms for the first time in their lives. Also numerous immigrants came to America to take advantage of cheap and easy land in the West. However, there were numerous challenges when one settled on the Midwestern prairie. What was one of the biggest obstacles for homesteaders on the Great Plains? Railroad companies refused to run railroads to sparsely laid out settlements as they saw the venture as unprofitable. This reduced the ability for farmers to ship their products to markets and stay profitable for the long term. This caused numerous defaults on loans, and forced many farmers to move further West and become Gold miners. Lack of overall resources to help build and maintain a productive farm. this was due to the fact that there were few natural resources in the region, and most railroads did not reach the sparsely placed settlements, thus making needed equipment prohibitively expensive and hard for a farmer to turn a profit. Government loans, of $1000, were established to help Homesteaders build a new, and profitable farm in the Midwest. However, many of these government loans held high interest rates, and had to be paid back within 5 years, or the homesteader would default and the land would be turned over to the Government. Most farmers could not be profitable enough within 5 years to pay back the high interest loans, thus lost their property to the Federal government. The Government required farmers to make extensive investment on the property provided. Thus farmers were required to take out large loans to buy the needed equipment in order to meet the government standards of "substantial property improvements." This forced many farmers into bankruptcy. One item that lured numerous settlers to the West was Gold and silver mining. This was seen as a way for one to get rich quick, with little effort or investment. Numerous gold and silver deposits were located, cause a number of different rushes West, the most famous being the 1849 California Gold Rush. However, by the 1860s and 1870s, these rushes started to die out. Why? Native Americans, unsettled by these ining rushes, took up arms and started to fight back against the settlers and miners. After numerous violent massacres, most miners decided to move to cities and towns that were better protected and defended. This meant that only major mining companies that could afford security could operate without fear of being attacked. Mining for gold and silver was too difficult for many Western settlers, who quickly gave up the ventures and headed back to the East coast to work in the developing industrial centers of the United States in the 1870s. Easy gold and silver claims were quickly taken over by government agencies, and only given out to major mining corporations, thus forcing out smaller mining operations. Most easily obtained gold and silver deposits had been found and mined, thus the only way to make money mining was to bring in heavy industrial equipment to reach major, yet buried loads of ore. This was out the reach of many average miners.

3 4 Moving to the Midwest often allowed for people with little financial resources to own property and farms for the first time in their lives. Also numerous immigrants came to America to take advantage of cheap and easy land in the West. However, there were numerous challenges when one settled on the Midwestern prairie. What was one of the biggest obstacles for homesteaders on the Great Plains? Railroad companies refused to run railroads to sparsely laid out settlements as they saw the venture as unprofitable. This reduced the ability for farmers to ship their products to markets and stay profitable for the long term. This caused numerous defaults on loans, and forced many farmers to move further West and become Gold miners. Lack of overall resources to help build and maintain a productive farm. this was due to the fact that there were few natural resources in the region, and most railroads did not reach the sparsely placed settlements, thus making needed equipment prohibitively expensive and hard for a farmer to turn a profit. Government loans, of $1000, were established to help Homesteaders build a new, and profitable farm in the Midwest. However, many of these government loans held high interest rates, and had to be paid back within 5 years, or the homesteader would default and the land would be turned over to the Government. Most farmers could not be profitable enough within 5 years to pay back the high interest loans, thus lost their property to the Federal government. The Government required farmers to make extensive investment on the property provided. Thus farmers were required to take out large loans to buy the needed equipment in order to meet the government standards of "substantial property improvements." This forced many farmers into bankruptcy. One item that lured numerous settlers to the West was Gold and silver mining. This was seen as a way for one to get rich quick, with little effort or investment. Numerous gold and silver deposits were located, cause a number of different rushes West, the most famous being the 1849 California Gold Rush. However, by the 1860s and 1870s, these rushes started to die out. Why? Native Americans, unsettled by these ining rushes, took up arms and started to fight back against the settlers and miners. After numerous violent massacres, most miners decided to move to cities and towns that were better protected and defended. This meant that only major mining companies that could afford security could operate without fear of being attacked. Mining for gold and silver was too difficult for many Western settlers, who quickly gave up the ventures and headed back to the East coast to work in the developing industrial centers of the United States in the 1870s. Easy gold and silver claims were quickly taken over by government agencies, and only given out to major mining corporations, thus forcing out smaller mining operations. Most easily obtained gold and silver deposits had been found and mined, thus the only way to make money mining was to bring in heavy industrial equipment to reach major, yet buried loads of ore. This was out the reach of many average miners.