The Wild West & Gilded Age: Westward Expansion, Railroads, and Post-Civil War America

Flashcards covering the concept of historical eras, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Homestead Act, agricultural technology, the Transcontinental Railroad, railroad mileage milestones, westward expansion, and the growth and decline of the cattle industry.

Do historical eras actually exist, according to historians?

No; eras are constructs used to categorize events and study history, and they often overlap.

Name two common eras used to describe the late 19th to early 20th century.

The Gilded Age and the Progressive Era.

What is the purpose of the Gilded Age Unit?

To set the scene for post-Civil War US history and lay the foundation for future studies, showing how the US became a dominant economic power while many did not benefit.

What are the key features listed for the Gilded Age?

Migration to the West; Growth of the Railroad; Industrialization and Urbanization; Increased Immigration; Unrestricted Capitalism; Political Machines; Emergence of Labor Unions.

How many American lives were lost in the Civil War?

750,000.

What percentage of the US population did Civil War deaths represent?

2.5%.

What did the 13th Amendment accomplish and when?

Abolished slavery in 1865.

What period followed the Civil War in the South?

Reconstruction (1865–1877).

What Act opened up western lands for settlement?

The Homestead Act.

Who primarily used the Homestead Act?

Civil War veterans, former slaves, and immigrants (especially from Europe).

What two developments enabled rapid settlement of the western frontier?

The Homestead Act and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.

Who invented the steel plow and when?

John Deere, 1845.

Who invented the mechanical reaper and when?

Cyrus McCormick, in the 1830s.

When did the Transcontinental Railroad open?

1869.

What were the impacts of the Transcontinental Railroad?

Connected the West to the rest of the country, spurred settlement and economic growth, enabled shipping to the East and around the world, and allowed farmers access to distant markets (including refrigerated rail cars).

What Texas town is given as an example of a town that sprang up near a railroad depot?

Crowley, Texas.

By 1860, how far west had the Iron Horse penetrated, and which additional states were touched?

To the Missouri River; into Iowa, Arkansas, Texas, and California.

By 1870, how many miles of railroad were present?

52,922 miles.

By 1880, how many miles of railroad did the nation have in total?

93,267 miles (about 40,000 miles were built in the decade before 1880).

What were the rail milestones between 1860 and 1890 (miles in 1860 and 1870)?

30,626 miles in 1860; 52,922 miles in 1870.

Between 1880 and 1890, how many miles of railroad were built?

About 70,300 miles.

By 1890, what was the total railroad mileage?

163,597 miles.

What happened to the population west of the Mississippi by 1890?

It quadrupled (fourfold).

Where did many Southerners move after the Civil War in search of land and opportunity?

To the West, especially Texas.

What two factors contributed to the end of the great cattle drives?

Barbed wire and the expansion of railroads into Texas.

Why did the cattle industry continue to prosper after cattle drives ended?

There was ongoing high demand for beef in growing eastern markets.