The Building of Modern America, Part 1 The Transcontinental Railroad and the Rise of the American City
SSUSH11 The student will describe the growth of big business and technological innovations after Reconstruction. a. Explain the impact of the railroads on other industries, such as steel, and on the organization of big business. b. Describe the impact of the railroads in the development of the West; include the transcontinental railroad, and the use of Chinese labor. c. Identify John D. Rockefeller and the Standard Oil Company and the rise of trusts and monopolies d. Describe the inventions of Thomas Edison; include the electric light bulb, motion pictures, and the phonograph, and their impact on American life SSUSH12 The student will analyze important consequences of American industrial growth. a. Describe Ellis Island, the change in immigrants origins to southern and eastern Europe and the impact of this change on urban America. b. Identify the American Federation of Labor and Samuel Gompers. c. Describe the growth of the western population and its impact on Native Americans with reference to Sitting Bull and Wounded Knee. d. Describe the 1894 Pullman strike as an example of industrial unrest. SSUSH14 The student will explain America s evolving relationship with the world at the turn of the twentieth century. a. Explain the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and anti-asian immigration sentiment on the west coast.
The Transcontinental Railroad
The South Industrializes After the Civil War, the South began building more railroads South now relied on its own manufacturing centers. Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia are rejuvenated as key railroad hubs Plans begin for a construction of a Transcontinental Railroad to link the West Coast and East Coast of the United States
The Mining Boom During and after the Civil War, westward migration increased The discovery of gold and silver drove many Westward looking for quick riches The Transcontinental RR made it easier for settlers to move West Around the deposits of minerals (gold and silver), mining towns developed and became famous/infamous: Tombstone, Arizona Silver City, New Mexico Deadwood, South Dakota
The Cowboy Way of Life Cattle ranching fueled westward migration as well. Open prairies of the West were perfect for grazing large herds of cattle. Ranchers employed cowboys to move their herds from the ranch across the open prairie to the railroads Cowboy-ing drew large groups of young men, former Civil War soldiers, and freed slaves to the Great Plains Barbed wire made ranching more efficient. Invented by Joseph Glidden As a result, the beef industry exploded due to the ease of ranching cattle.
WESTWARD HO!!! : Farmers Move West Farmers migrated West in pursuit of new, fertile, cheap lands. The Homestead Act of 1862 promised plots of land to anyone willing to move and settle in these Western lands. After the Civil War the railroad caused a dramatic increase in the settlements of the West Prairie states became a new agricultural center of the US
Linking the Continent: The Transcontinental Railroad In 1863, two different companies began construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Central Pacific Company began laying track in California and worked eastward (hint: Pacific to Center) Union Pacific Company began laying track in Nebraska and worked westward (hint: Union to Pacific) Funding for the railroad came from private donations and grants/bonds from the U.S. Government CENTRAL PACIFIC SECTION UNION PACIFIC SECTION
Immigrants Build the Railroad Both Companies employed new immigrants to build the railroad Union Pacific hired many Irish immigrants coming into New York City Central Pacific hired many Chinese immigrants coming into San Francisco Thousands of these immigrants died due to dangerous working conditions.
Transcontinental Railroad Completed In 1869, the railroads finally met and the two tracks were connected at Promontory Point in Utah. Railroad President Leland Stanford hammered in the ceremonial golden spike to complete the railroad The Transcontinental Railroad cut the time needed to cross the continent from 6 months by wagon, horse, and foot to 6 days by train
Native Americans and Westward Expansion
Westward Expansion and Native Americans In the 1860s, the US government began forcing Native Americans onto reservations. Settlers pushed the buffalo (a sacred animal in Native traditions) to the brink of extinction. Faced with no other options, Native Americans had no choice but to fight back.
Westward Expansion and Native Americans In 1875, gold was discovered in the hills of South Dakota. Miners began settling on Sioux tribal lands in search of gold. Sioux leader, Sitting Bull, assembled his own army of Natives to drive the settlers out.
Battle of Little Big Horn In June 1876, President Grant sent Lt. Col. George Custer to battle the Sioux. Custer thought he had surprised to Sioux by finding their camp so he ordered an attack Custer s 250 soldiers were slaughtered and scalped by 2,000 Sioux warriors, led by Crazy Horse, at the Battle of Little Big Horn. The US Army retaliated, crushing the Sioux, and forcing Sitting Bull (and his chief warrior, Crazy Horse) to flee to Canada.
The Ghost Dance Rebellion In response to the loss of their land and the buffalo, many Natives welcomed a religious revival based on the Ghost Dance. Fearing the Ghost Dance would cause problems, the US government ordered the capture and arrest of Sitting Bull. In a confrontation over his arrest, Sitting Bull was killed.
Wounded Knee Massacre As Native Americans fled after Sitting Bull s death, US troops were sent to capture them and force them onto reservations. Wounded Knee Creek became a gathering point for captured Indians before moving onto reservations On December 29, 1890 an accidental shot triggered a massacre of more than 200 Lakota Indians (men, women, and children) The Wounded Knee Massacre effectively ended the Native attempts stop white settlers
The Rise of the American City
Steel Changes American Society 1856 Henry Bessemer creates a process that shortens the time it takes to transform iron into steel (known as the Bessemer Process) Andrew Carnegie (right) uses the Bessemer Process in the US and makes millions off steel production.
America Becomes Urbanized Cheap, efficient steel leads to the construction of skyscrapers, elevators and bridges throughout the country. Railroads and canals allow quick, easy transport of steel. America experiences rapid urbanization the process of people moving from rural areas to cities
People Flock to American Cities With help from new railroad lines, cities become magnets for rural Americans. Factories offer work for skilled laborers, job opportunities for women and education for children. Seizing on these new opportunities, a new waves of immigrants began arriving on America s shores.
Immigrants Flock to America Beginning in the mid-1800 s, the origins of immigrants change from Western Europe to Southern and Eastern Europe. Hundreds of immigrants from Italy, Poland, and Russia arrived daily in the US Most new immigrants were forced to live in low-cost, urban family housing developments, called tenements, that squeezed as many families as possible into a single space.
Immigrants Enter the US Ellis Island Port in New York Harbor that processed immigrants coming from Europe. Angel Island Port in San Francisco Bay that processed immigrants coming from Asia.
Nativism takes Root Nativism the belief that native-born white Americans were superior to newcomers. Similar to the fate of Native Americans, many immigrants were forced to assimilate to American culture.
Chinese Exclusion Act With rising pressure from nativists, Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. Many nativists thought more immigrants would hinder the economy and cause the loss of jobs Act prohibited Chinese immigration to the US and limited the rights of the Chinese immigrants already living in the country. Marked the first time that a specific racial groups was forbidden to enter the United States.
Technology Expands Cities In addition to skyscrapers, elevators and bridges, new inventions give rise to the modern American city. 1876 Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone
Technology Expands Cities Thomas Edison famous American inventor; accumulated 1,093 US patents including: Light Bulb Motion Picture Camera Phonograph Edison s light bulb allowed factories to operate 24 hours a day instead of just during daylight hours. The phonograph and motion picture camera created new pastimes for many Americans.
Transcontinental Railroad TOD It s 1869. Your job is to promote the upcoming joining of the railroads at Promontory, Utah. Create a promotional flyer that you might want to hand out or write a letter to a friend inviting them to join you at the ceremony. Be sure to include the who, what, when, where and why of the event!!! Turn these in before class ends.
Edison Invention Ad A local magazine has asked you to create an advertisement for one of Thomas Edison s latest inventions. Choose either the light bulb, the phonograph or the motion picture camera and create your own advertisement. These will be collected for a grade. The more colorful and informative, the better your grade will be.