DCUSH Unit 5: The Gilded Age 1865-1900

Factors for Westward Expansion

#1 Reason: Transcontinental Railroad!!!

• Land: Homestead Act 1862

• People: Immigrants

• Wealth Opportunity: Mining, Livestock, Agriculture

Construction of the Railroad

1869: 1st Transcontinental Railroad (5 total)

• 15 years built

• Construction Workers: Chinese + Irish

• Public Land Grants to RR Companies: in exchange for building tracks in specific locations

Railroad Consequences

Buffalos Near-Extinction: Devastated Plains Indians’ food, housing, weapons, etc.

• Entertainment: Hunting tours in Plains

  • → Migrant Troops. Farmers, Miners, Cattlemen in Great Plains: Range-fed cattle, ranches, cowboys, fences replace buffalo

Meat Industry

Ranching: Problems getting meat to East → Meatpacking

• → Long Drives: Cattle drives across Plains = Texas → Railroad Depots in Kasas

  • → Harsh Weather: No grazing grass + homesteader encroachment

  • 1866-1888: 4M steers driven north by white, black, mexican cowboys

Barbed Wire

Invented for farmers + ranchers to fence off land: West = public land

• → Large-scale Farming: Harmed small-scale businesses

  • Cattle Drives: Ended by sprawling farms in 1890

Mining Industry

1849: Californian gold discovered

1858: Colorado gold discovered: “Pike’s Peak or Bust”

• 1859 Comstock Lode in Nevada: Boom → Statehood + 3 votes for Lincoln

  • Boomtowns: Lawless Deserts → Often Ghost Towns

  • → Mass Migration to West

  • → Quick Creation of New States + Territories

Century of Dishonor

Post-Civil War: Plains Indians surrender land afer gov, promises alone + supplies

1881 Helen Hunt Jackson recounts abuse, broken gov. promises, massacres, forced removal

• 1887 Dawes Severalty Act: Assimilate dissolved tribes into legal entities + remove tribal land ownership

  • Granted families 160 acres of farmland: Despite their nomadicsm

  • Promised citizenship in 25 years

  • “Kill the Indian, Save the Man

Carlisle Indian School

Assimilation: Stripped of language, cut hair, Christianity

• Many did not return home → Lost connection to native culture

Battles on the Plains

Cruelties on both sides: “battle” = white victory vs. “massacre” = native victory

• → Plains Indians: Forced surrender b/c buffalo near-extinction + railroad transports troops/supplies

Custer’s Last Stand

Plains Battle: Crazy Horse + Sitting Bull’s 2500 warriors kill all of Custer’s 400 soldiers die

Battle of Wounded Knee

Plains Battle: Dakota Sioux’s Ghost Dance to “stamp out” colonialism → End of Indian Wars

Buffalo Soldiers

Plains Battle: 1/5 Frontier troops = Black

Homestead Act

1862: Up to 160 aces if land fir $30 for living on it for 5years + “improving” it into a farm

• Before: Public land sold for revenue

• Now: Given away to encourage rapid immigration and family farms

  • New Machinery

    • Bonanza Farms: 1890 large farms drive out small businesses

Exoduster

Post-War: New freedmen →West as farmers to escape discrimination b/c West = Promised Land

Agriculture Problems

1. Lack of Resources: Built soddies b/c lumber wasn’t available for homes

2. Increasd production often reduces prices

3. Pay Back Mortgages

4. Nature: Destroys income

5. Compete w/ Bonanzas

6. Railroads: Believed…

   1. to have discriminatory rates to exploit farmers

      1. → Interstate Commerce AcT

1. Belief that defkationary monetary policy based on gold hurt farmers

The Populists

1892— win congressional seats + 1M+ votes

• James B Weaver: Pres. Candidate = Limited Success

• Supporters: Farmers frustrated w/ Wall Street (debt) + industrialists (monopolies—”controlled” gov.)

1896—attempted to unite discontented farmers by improving economic by supporting:

• Gold Standard: Paper money represents gold

  • Bimetalism: Increase money supply w/ free + unlimited coinage of silver/gold

    • → more circulated money

    • → inflation

    • → farmers make more

    • → pay debt

• Interstate Commerce Act 1887: Prevent discrimination against small customers (RR)

• Organize cooperative marketing societies

• William Jennings Bryan: 1896 Pres. Candidate loses

William Jennings Bryan

Democratic Party post-Populists: Promoted Bimetallism in opposition to gold standard in “Cross of Gold” speech

Reasons Populists Failed

• West/South Farmers disagree on political candidates

  • Racism: Prevented poor whites + blacks working together

  • Rapid Urban Growth: Higher agricultural prices

  • Gold Discoveries: Easier Credit

  • Democrats: Absorbed most of their programs

  • Bryan: Lost 1896 Election