Module 2: Westward Expansion

Module 2: Westward Expansion

America in the 1820s

Factors That Contributed to the Settlement of the West Manifest Destiny The belief that it was America s mission to expand from ocean to ocean, spreading democracy and freedom Americans believed it was their God-given duty to conquer the Western territories and unify the Nation Gold Discovered in California -1849 Homestead Act of - 1862 Transcontinental Railroad -1869 The American Dream

Territorial Expansion of U.S. 1803 Louisiana Purchase 1845 Texas 1848 Mexican-American War: Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, California, Nevada, and Utah By 1850, America gains the Oregon Territory

Great Plains Wilderness Natural Resources Gold, Silver, Copper, Trees The Indians had little contact with the white man Thought of a vast open land Great Plains the grassland extending through the west-central portion of the US. The Great Plains were hunting grounds for the Indians Valued the land Native American Way of Life Worshiped the land and Nature Sun Dance Ghost Dance

FAMILY LIFE ON THE PLAINS Lived in small extended families it takes a village Men were hunters, while women helped butcher the game and prepare it This is called a hunter-gatherer community. Semi sedentary Life Summer, lived on plains, hunted and gathered food Winter, lived in low lands to escape harsh winters Buffalo The Indians hunted the buffalo 30 Million Buffalo Buffalo was the target hunt and they used everything productively

What Happened to the Native Americans? Prior to Columbus (1492), between 1-10 million people lived in present day U.S. By 1800, the number of natives dropped to about 600,000 By 1850, the number was on 250,000 the population of most other groups was rising in America.

Removal becomes Policy Government Views Great plains need to be settled and improved Railroads increase expansion west 1834 Great Plains are a great reservation 1850 Gov t creates territories Boundaries for each tribe Indian Removal Act of 1830-- --US Federal Government negotiates over 90 treaties with N.A. groups to help fund the movement of N.A. tribes from Eastern States.to WEST of the Mississippi River. 16,000 Cherokee, 15,000 Creek, and 14,000 Choctaw---45,000 people are relocated relocated to Indian Territory --(modern day Oklahoma) -- Trail of Tears 1838--20,000 Cherokee were Forced by the US military to march 800 miles from Georgia to Oklahoma...more than 5,000 died due to weather, poor nutrition and lack of shelter...

Treaty Process Reservations: small areas of land within a group s territory, land was reserved exclusively for their use Natives were encouraged to farm & have livestock be more civilized & adopt Christianity The Federal Government never intended reservations to last forever. The goal was to assimilation Native Americans into model American citizens.

Assimilation

Government and Assimilation Assimilation the idea that Native Americans give up their own believes and take up those of white culture to blend (assimilate) in a. Many government officials felt the only way to ensure Indian survival was absorption into white America. b. Government established schools where kids were forced to speak only English, wear proper clothes, and to change their names to American ones. c. Government officials tried to convince American Indians to farm but it did not take. d. Dawes Act to try and encourage individualism

Indian Resistance Hundreds of battles, wars, and massacres took place on the Plains between 1865-1890 in an effort to resist reservations and preserve the Indian way of life: Sand Creek Massacre (1864) US military attack killing 150 native women and children Sand Creek was the first major attack on the Indians Red River Wars (1874) US Army, under command of General Phillip Sheridan, herded friendly Indians onto reservations and attempted to kill all others Destroy their villages and ponies, to kill and hang all warriors, and to bring back all women and children -General Phillip Sheridan

Treaty of Fort Laramie, 1868 Restricted the Federal Government from taking more land from the Northern Plains Indians for railroads and settlers Native Americans agree to move to Reservations

Native American Resistance Battle of Little Big Horn (1876) Between Sioux (put up greatest resistance) led by Chief Sitting Bull and U.S. cavalry led by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer Custer & more than 200 soldiers killed Marked the Indian s final victory Battle of Wound Knee (1890) Following the death of Sitting Bull, U.S. cavalry tried to arrest his followers While surrendering and handing over weapons, a shot rang out=soldiers opened fire Killed more than 200 unarmed Sioux, including around 70 women & children

THE DAWES ACT - 1887 The Dawes Act called for the break up of reservations and the introduction of natives into American life Native Americans would lose their way of life US Wanted them to become landowners and Farmers Most Indian land would soon become white land Native Americans forced onto dry unlivable land

NATIVE LANDS BY 1894

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE BUFFALO Whites began to hunt buffalo for fur and sport (sometimes from trains) they would only take the fur 1800: 65 million buffalo roamed the plains 1890: less than 1000 remained Indians saw this as a insult and a waste of resources William F. Cody Buffalo Bill Organizer of Wild West Shows Killed over 4,300 Bison Signed a pact with RR Companies to provide Bison Meat to workers

Section 2: Mining & Ranching

SETTLERS PUSH WESTWARD The white settlers began to push Westward in search of land to start a living Indians shared the land Settlers- own the land Gaining wealth from the land There s gold in them there hills!!! 1849 - Gold in San Francisco 1,000 people 1848 to over 100,000 in 1849 Denver, Colorado was a mining town This lead hundreds of thousands of settlers west into the Great Plains Irish, Chinese, Germans, Polish, African Americans RR Companies Advertised the West

Settlers push West Many different people moved westward a. White Americans from East mainly middle-class farmers moved in search of fertile soil while others (Civil War veterans from south) sought a new start. b. African Americans from South moved to escape violence and seek a new life. Biggest rush was called Kansas Fever Exodus of 1870 in which 20,000 40,000 African Americans moved. Exodusters c. Many European immigrants (including Irish, German, and Polish) also sought a new life in the west. Advertisements from RR Companies d. Chinese immigrants also sought to farm in the west after gold rush was over. Helped to build RR. Employment

Cattle Business Cattle Ranchers and big business Settlers learn ranching from Mexicans and Spanish settlers The Chisholm Trail Drive cattle overland from ranches in Texas to Kansas railheads. cattle would be sold and shipped eastward. Demand for Beef The Civil War soldiers & Population Boom in the East Coast The only problem how to get the cows across the country? Longhorns

1. The real-life cowboy: 1. About 55,000 worked on the plains between 1866 and 1885. 1. About 25% of them were African Americans 2. 12% were Mexican.

The Long Drive: The overland transport of animals usually lasted about three months. One Cowboy to every 250-300 heads of cattle. All in a day s work: 10-14 hr days As young as 15 yrs old. Many broken down by the time they were 40 years old The Roundup: Cowboys would herd up all the longhorns they could find and take off the open range and into a corral.

End of the Open Range Changes in Ranching Overgrazing, bad weather from 1883 to 1887 destroy whole herds Ranchers keep smaller herds that yield more meat per animal Fence land with barbed wire; turn open range into separate ranches

SECTION 3: SETTLING ON THE GREAT PLAINS

Homestead Act 1862 Congress passed Homestead Act which allowed 160 free acres to any head of household 600,000 Families moved west Each homesteader had to live on the land, build a home, make improvements and farm for 5 years before they were eligible to "prove up". Race to grab land best available RR Companies rush to claim land Exodusters African Americans who from the South to the West. Still faced discrimination Provide an opportunity to start a life Law was misused. People claimed land, put up fences, took advantage of natural resources

Railroad Expansion 1871 Federal government made land available Union Pacific and Central Pacific Two companies began a race Central Sacramento Union Omaha 1860s, Central Pacific goes east, Union Pacific west, meet in Utah By 1880s, 5 transcontinental railroads completed Railroads sell land to farmers, attract many European immigrants The West was expanding rapidly the transcontinental railroad (connected East and West of the USA In 1869, Americans celebrated the first transcontinental railroad as the Union Pacific s tracks from NE and the Central Pacific s from CA met at Promontory Point, UT.

The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1868. The Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met in Promontory Point, Utah and laid a Golden Spike

Building the RR s 2.2m foreign-born settlers between 1870-1900. Chinese Immigrant Workers Low wages Helped to clear land Irish Immigrant workers Laid down track

The Railroad s Impact Transportation of people and goods was quicker and cheaper New era of interstate trade and commerce 1865 it cost $3.45 to ship a barrel of flour from NY to Chicago 1890 it costs.68 cents New jobs Irish/Chinese Westward Expansion Safer/Quicker/Cheaper Native American wars and removal

SETTLERS ENCOUNTER LOCUST SWARM HARDSHIPS The frontier settlers faced extreme hardships droughts, floods, fires, blizzards, locust plagues, and bandits Native Americans Lack of Natural Resources (Trees) Used sod (Soddy Homes) Advancements 1837 John Deere Steel plow JOHN DEERE S STEEL PLOW HAD TO BE PULLED BY A HORSE OR MULE

Settlers from all walks of life including newly arrived immigrants, farmers without land of their own from the East, single women and former slaves came to meet the challenge of "proving up" and keeping this "free land". Norwegian settlers in 1898 North Dakota in front of their homestead, a sod hut. Families of former slaves who had fled to Canada prior to the Civil War returned to the United States in the early 1900s and settled in DeWitty, Nebraska, taking advantage of the opportunity to own their own land.

Blocks were laid, grass side down, layers staggered like brickwork, usually in 2 parallel rows resulting in walls 24 inches thick. Spaces were left for doors and windows. The roof was the most difficult and dangerous part of the house to build. The lack of normal roofing materials, like wooden shingles or slate tiles, led to the inventive use of natural materials. A series of poles held up layers of brush tied into bundles, mud, grass and sod.

ECONOMIC DISTRESS HITS FARMERS Educating Farmers Morrill Act - gave federal land to the states to help finance agricultural colleges. (1862, 1890) Breadbasket of America First time federal government provided money for higher education Farmers hit hard times Between 1867 and 1887 the price of a bushel of wheat fell from $2.00 to 68 cents Farmers couldn t pay their loans Railroad companies charged the farmers high prices to ship grain to buyers In response, a new type of farm emerged called a Bonanza farm. (needed more crops to pay their loans) Bonanza Farm huge single-crop farms of 15,000 50,000 acres.

Section 4: Farmers And The Populist Movement

Lesson Two Review: 1862 Congress passed Homestead Act which allowed 160 free acres to any head of household Many flocked to the open range to start their lives huge farms Since so many were producing excess crops, prices fell drastically Railroads also started to charge extremely high prices for crop transportation Farmers couldn t keep up and fell into great debt In addition, bad weather spells were wreaking havoc on the crops

Populist Movement BIG IDEA: Farmers united to address economic problems Why it matters: Many Populist reform issues are still seen today Income Tax Rights of workers Populist Platform Increase money supply Regulate the banks Income tax Government regulation of RR s HIP HUGHES: POPULISTS MOVEMENT

What is Populism? An appeal to the hopes and fears of the common people especially in opposition to the political, social, intellectual or economic elite

The Plight of the Farmers 1870s-1880s The numbers of farmers declined from 60% of the population in 1860 to less than 37% in 1900. They experienced falling prices. Droughts and storms caused crops to fail Falling prices Farmers cannot pay back loans, so banks foreclose on mortgages A rise in the costs of farm machinery and freight costs They experienced a heavy tax burden Dependent upon railroads Railroads overcharging the farmers

Railroad Abuses Railroads making secret deals- bribes Unfair pricing- long haul cheaper than short hauls There are three great crops raised in Nebraska. One is a crop of corn, one is a crop of freight rates, and one is a crop of interest. One is produced by farmers who sweat and toil the land. The other two are produced by men who sit in their offices and farm the farmers. ~ Nebraska Newspaper Editorial Use of rebates for large customers Politicians

Farmers Organize The Grange Founded in 1867 by Oliver H. Kelley Organized social gatherings and farmer education Created cooperatives to control supply of crops and buy supplies in bulk Granger laws passed in western states attempted to regulate railroads Farmers Alliances Endorsed candidates running for state offices (R Midwest, D South) Northern, Southern & Colored Alliances: regionalism and racism limited its effectiveness

Decisions on Railroad Regulation Munn v. Illinois, 1877 Intrastate commerce States can regulate

POPULIST PARTY IS BORN Populism the movement of the people The Populist or People s Party was formed The Populist Party (The People s Party): formed by farmers, labor leaders, and reformers THIS POLITICAL CARTOON SHOWS A POPULIST CLUBBING A RAILROAD CAR

POPULIST REFORMS What did the Populists want? 1. Graduated Income Tax More $ = higher tax rate 2. rise in crop prices 3. coinage of silver (which would increase money supply thus producing a rise in prices received for goods and services) 4. Lower taxes 5. Restrict Immigration (losing jobs to immigrants) 6. Loans for farmers 7. 8-hr. workday Political Reforms; 1. Direct election of senators 2. Single terms for presidents

Election of 1892 The Populist Party marked its entrance into national politics in the Election of 1892. Delegates from several states met in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1892, to draft a political platform and nominate candidates for president and vice president James Weaver 1 st Populist Candidate for President

Money Troubles Panic of 1893, a financial panic that sent stock prices plunging, occurred 3 million people lost their jobs putting unemployment at 20% Govt. gold supply depleted, leads to rush on banks Business, banks collapse Panic become depression lasted 4 years J.P. Morgan bails out govt.

Silver or Gold 1. Silverite s favored bimetallism monetary system which is backed by gold and silver a. Backing with both would make more currency which would make the value of a dollar worth less more purchasing power b. Supporters believed it would help stimulate the economy c. Supporters also believed it would allow farmers and others to be able to pay off their debt to banks 2. Gold Bugs favored gold standard backing dollars solely with gold a. Supporters argued retaining the gold standard would provide a more stable currency b. Industrialists and bankers would not lose money from the loans they had made

SILVER OR GOLD? The central issue of the 1896 Presidential campaign how is our money backed? Bimetallism - those who favored using both gold and silver Gold Standard American dollar would be backed just by gold Why did it matter? People regarded paper money as worthless unless it could be exchanged for gold or silver.

BRYAN AND THE CROSS OF GOLD Republicans favored the Gold standard and nominated William McKinley Democrats favored Bimetallism and nominated William Jennings Bryan BRYAN S CROSS OF GOLD SPEECH Despite Bryan s stirring words, You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold, McKinley won the 1896 election

THE END OF POPULISM With McKinley s election victory, Populism collapsed, burying the hopes of the farmer Populism left two important legacies: 1) A message that the people can organize and be heard Impact of 3 rd Political party 2) An agenda of reforms, many of which would be enacted in the 20 th century The People s Party Ended But Left An Important Legacy Leading to Progressivism