Great West and Rise of the Debtors Goal 4

Great West and Rise of the Debtors Goal 4

Cultures Clash on the Prairie Settlers push west White culture differed from Native-Americans Whites felt Indians did not improve land so for they gave that right up Pull Factors: Lure of Gold Building of railroads Lure of Land Farming Deadwood Dakota

Lure of Silver & Gold California Gold Rush (1848 1855) 1855) 49rs Gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill News of the discovery soon spread, resulting in some 300,000000 people coming to California Comstock Lode (1859) The 1st major U.S. deposit of silver ore, discovered under what is now Virginia City, Nevada prospectors rushed to the area and Mining camps soon thrived Businesses that went along with the boom towns sprang up Large mining companies took the place of local panning

Lure of Land Morrill Act Gave federal land to the states to erect agricultural colleges (Land Grant Colleges like NC State) Homestead Act The governments way of trying to push settlers west by offering 160 acres of land free Oklahoma Land Rush Newly opened lands that were sold first- come, sold by bid, or won by lottery, or by means other than a run 9

Building of the Railroad Transcontinental Railroad Promontory Point Utah (May 10, 1869) Revolutionized the American West, making the system of wagon trains obsolete It served as an essential link for travel Congress supplying land grants Chinese & Irish Immigrants 3

The Long Cattle Drives 1867-1880 s1880

Settling on the Great Plains Life on the plains Settlers on the Plains faced: Droughts Floods Fires Blizzards Locust plagues And occasional Native American raids Sod Homes No trees in sight

Life on the Plains Women More active role & more responsibility African Americans Exodusters, looking for fresh start

Settling on the Great Plains

Cultures Clash on the Prairie i Destruction of the Buffalo The most significant ifi blow to tribal life on the Plains Native American relocation Reservation System American Calvary Buffalo Soldiers African Americans Fierce fighting g & Thick Curly Hair Earned respect from Native Americans

Cultures Clash on the Prairie Sand Creek Massacre (1864) While flying a white and US Flag, the military led an attack on the Cheyenne, killing 200 Battle of Little Big Horn (1876) Gold found in Black Hills Mont. Colonel George A. Custer was ordered to force the Sioux back on to the reservation The Sioux led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, killed Custer and all of his men

Cultures Clash on the Prairie A Century of Dishonor Helen Hunt published her book exposing how the US govt. broke countless promises to the Native Americans Dawes Act (1887) An act aimed at Americanizing the Native Americans Gave land to individual Native Americans Assimilation

Cultures Clash on the Prairie Wounded Knee (1890) Sioux Indians developed a new religion which came to be known as the Ghost Dance The US military killed 170 to 370 Sioux The Battle of Wounded Knee was the last major, outright Indian-white confrontation in 1890.

Farmers and the Populist Movement The Farmers' Plight Bonanza Farming Drought Plagues of Grasshoppers Boll Weevils Rising Costs of land & Falling Prices for crops High Interest Rates 75% of African American Farmers & 25% of White Farmers Were Sharecroppers or Tenant Farmers Increasing Productivity in Agriculture Led to Price Declines

Farmers and the Populist Movement Farmers Blamed Discriminatory Railroad Rates Monopoly Prices Charged for Farm Machinery and Fertilizer A Oppressively High Tariff Unfair Tax Structure Inflexible Banking System Greenbacks Civil War money taken out of circulation Political Corruption Corporations that Bought Up Huge Tracks of Land

Farmers and the Populist Movement Grange Because of the horrible financial i conditions and debt of farmers, it was time for reform The Grange was an alliance of farmers that assisted in all the facets of farming (fought RR companies) Interstate Commerce Act Farmers Alliance Began to organize and spread further than local Colored Farmers National Alliance & Southern Alliance Populism Farmers decided to make a change through politics Increase in money supply, graduated income tax, federal loan program, election of senators by popular votes, single terms for president and VP, secret ballot, and 8 hour workday

Farmers and the Populist Movement Panic of 1893 RR went bankrupt, people grew scared and traded money in for gold, stock market crashed Silver vs. Gold Republican v. Democrat Silverites: favored bimetallism, govt. would give citizens gold or silver for paper money inflation Gold Bugs: backed only gold behind paper money deflation

Farmers and the Populist Movement William Jennings Bryan Omaha Platform Bryan was the Democratic nominated presidential candidate and became the Populist candidate Cross of Gold Speech William McKinley was the Republican nominee McKinley was elected in the election of 1896 Populism never recovered