The West Economic growth and new communities from: Transcontinental RR Mineral resources Government policies Migration (for self-sufficiency and independence)
Railroads Land Grants made RR largest landowner in the west Jobs (many Chinese and Irish immigrants exploited) Dangerous, exhausting, low wages Transcontinental RR completed 1869 in Promontory, UT
Farming Land RR land, speculators Morrill Act (land to state Agr. Colleges) Homestead Act (160 acres to settle and farm for 5 years) Hardships Thick sod, drought, pests Isolation Debt (low crop prices, high RR charges) Bonanza farms drive out smaller farmer
Farming Hardships lead to Ingenuity (pick 3) Mechanized Reaper Barbed Wire Dry Farming Steel Plow Harrow Steel Windmill Hybridization Improved Communication Grain Drill Bonanza Farm
Ranching Opportunities Cattle and grass were free Railroads made ranching profitable Markets for beef, wool in St. Louis and Chicago Challenges Livestock disease Dangerous Hard work, little pay Barbed wire fences Bonanza Farms drove out competition
Mining Positive Impacts $$ - mining $$ - merchant following the boomtowns Comstock Lode - 1859 - led to statehood for NV Boosted economy and foreign investment Negative Impacts Few got rich Mining towns were dangerous and immoral Large corporations began to push individuals out of mining business
Indians in the West As white settlement increased: Railroads cut through their lands Disease spread Competition for land and resources increased Buffalo over-hunted (source of food, clothing, fuel) Violent conflict increased
Indian Policy 1850s Treaties (Fort Laramie, Fort Atkinson). Native Americans didn t recognize authorities outside of their families. 1860s Reservations The U.S. violated treaties with Indians and responded to resistance with military force, reservations and denying tribal sovereignty.
Indian Wars Sand Creek, CO (1864) - the militia massacred 400 Indians Bozeman Trail, MT (1866) - a Sioux war party ambushed 81 soldiers and civilians
Resisting Reservations Little Bighorn, SD (1876) - Gold attracted settlers to sacred Sioux land. Sitting Bull and 2000 Sioux defeated Col. Custer and hundreds of U.S. troops
What s the REAL story? Read the 3 accounts of the Battle of Little Bighorn and answer the accompanying questions.
Resisting Reservations Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce (1885) fought against shrinking reservation land, but lost. Geronimo and Apache Wars (1886) NM natives escaped US gov t, but were pushed to Mexico and Geronimo held captive Wounded Knee (1890) - the Ghost Dance was stamped out by U.S. troops, who killed 300 men, women and children
Assimilation Carlisle School (1879) - Founded to teach Native American children how to behave like Whites, completely erasing their culture. Dawes Act (1887) - Dissolved the legal entities of whole tribes, distributing land to individuals and promised citizenship after 25 years of farming. Eroded culture. Many preserved their cultures and they attempted to develop self-sustaining economic practices.
Carlisle School BEFORE AFTER
Carlisle School Apache Native Americans Before Apache Native Americans After
Farmers Problems Populism Lower prices for crops (due to mechanization and increased production) Farmers had no cash...went further into debt... foreclosed on mortgages Railroads charged outrageous prices to ship crops (no regulation!)
Farmers Demands Populism Regulate the railroad companies! (stop them from charging such high rates) Make cash more available (back the dollar with silver, not gold, so dollar will be worth less) Political demands: single term for President and Vice-President; secret ballot; popular election of Senators To get industrial workers to support them: 8-hour workday; restrict immigration
Populism 1867: The Patrons of Husbandry (The Grange) 1880s: Farmers Alliance and Colored Farmers National Alliance 1892: Birth of the Populist, or People s Party
1892 Election: Populist Candidate won over a million votes! 1896 Election: Populists decide to improve their chances by supporting a Democratic candidate: William Jennings Bryan, who agreed to support the Silver-backed dollar (though he lost)
William Jennings Bryan Cross of Gold Speech