The Great American Desert

What was the Great American Desert?

The Great American Desert was the area of land between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. This was the name given to the area by the early settlers in America - later it became known as the 'Great Plains'.

What did white settlers think of the Great American Desert?

Due to the poor conditions, the area now known as the Great Plains was dismissed by most Americans as inhospitable. They called it the Great American Desert.

Why was the Great American Desert inhospitable?

There were 3 reasons why the Great American Desert was thought to be difficult to live in.

• ❖ The weather was extreme. It was cold and windy in the winter, and hot and dry in the summer.
• ❖ A lack of natural resources, particularly wood, made it difficult to build a home or farm the land.
• ❖ Dangerous or disruptive animals, like wolves and locusts, could cause problems for settlers.
• ❖ There were huge thunderstorms. Lightning could ignite fires that raged through the dry grass.

How did native people survive in the American Desert?

Although white Americans struggled to survive on the Great Plains, Native Americans thrived. They had developed ways in which to survive its conditions, mainly focused on a nomadic way of life.

• ❖ The Native Americans followed the vast herds of buffalo, which provided them with food and other resources. No part of a buffalo was wasted.
• ❖ They used tipis as homes, as these were easy to carry, and to erect and dismantle.
• ❖ They treated the land and animals with respect. This reverence helped them survive, as they co-existed with nature, and this honoured the Great Spirit.

How could native people survive the a particularly harsh winter in the American Desert?

When the winter was particularly harsh the tribes sometimes moved into wooden lodges. These were circular buildings built from earth and logs, with a fire in the centre. They could fit around 60 people inside a lodge.

Why did attitudes towards the American Desert begin to change in the 1840s?

The USA won a war against Mexico in 1848. It took over land in California and Oregon. Texas also joined the Union in 1845. These two events meant that white settlers had to cross the American Desert to get to the new territories.