: Explain how the 1862 Pacific Railroad Act connected the East and West, accelerating migration and the decline of the buffalo.
: Trace the rise of the "Beef Bonanza" and the era of the open range, led by figures like Joseph McCoy. 3. Conflict and Conquest (1876–1895) The American West
: Analyze how this act incentivized settlement by offering 160 acres of land to anyone who could farm it for five years. : Explain how the 1862 Pacific Railroad Act