Making Connections

1. Westward migration brought settlers into conflict with Native Americans. What was the U.S. government’s policy toward Indians in the West, and how did it evolve over time?

2. How did innovations in business and technology transform mining and agriculture in the West?

3. In competition for work and land in the American West, why did Anglo-American settlers usually have the upper hand over settlers from other countries? How did legal developments contribute to this circumstance?

4. What role did railroads play in western settlement, industrialization, and agriculture? How did railroads affect Indian populations in the West?