Social Studies Chp. 3

John Deere

Settler who built homesteads on small farms and raised crops. One of the most instrumental men who made this possible.

Williams Jennings Bryan

Strongly opposed to the gold standard. One of the best political speeches in U.S history was his Cross of Gold speech in 1896, in which he denounced the gold standard.

William McKinley

Was the republican presidential candidate who supported the gold standard.

Chief Crazy Horse

Was a fierce leader of the Lakota Sioux Plains Indians. His tribe refused to relocate to the Indian reservation. His band of followers fought a number of battles against the white man’s encroachment in the sacred black hills of South Dakota and other areas.

Grover Cleveland

Signed the law of Indian Appropriations Act of 1899.

Benjamin Harrison

Carried out the Indian appropriations act of 1889

Helen Jackson

Became a forceful advocate for the Native Americans. She investigated the issue and published her findings in A Century of dishonor in which she exposed the shameful mistreatment of them.

Annie Oakley

Was known for her sharp shooting skills.

Leland Stanford

Drove a gold spike in the route of the transcontinental railroad.

Ghost Dance

Spiritual dance adopted by the Sioux.

Exoduster

The group of settlers became known as this. The term is a name given to the African Americans who migrated after the Civil War from Southern states to escape the unjust black code laws, racial violence, and white supremist organizations.

Ghost Town

Boomtowns that were completly abandoned when the ore ran out.

Grange

Men and Women gathered for social activities and discussed problems common to farmers, such as the scalping prices the railroad charged to store and transport their crops. Played a pivotal role in creating the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887.

Promontory Summit

Where the two groups of continental railroad builders met. With a silver hammer Leland Stanford, president of the Central Pacific Railroad Company, drove the final spike made out of gold.

Panic of 1893

The issue centered on wheter the free coinage of silver or the gold standard would increase the money supply. Increasing the money supply by using silver coinage was an inflationary measure that would drive the prices of farmers’ goods , and economic effect that was desired. Inflation would also reduce the debts of farmers. By use of the deflationary gold standard, which resulted in falling prices for farm goods and other commodities.

Populist Party

An agrarian-based initiative that evolved into a major political force. Its core belief resided in the power of ordinary common workers and in their right to influence the government.

Sooners

Jumped the gun by entering the unassigned territory sooner than the starting time in order ti stake their claim to a choice piece of land.

Homestead Act of 1862

Designed to encourage western migration.

1868 Treaty of Laramie

Had promised the black hills forever as a reservation for the Lakota- Sioux Indian tribes. The hills were sacred land to the Sioux.

Wounded Knee

Closed the tumultuous chapter between the Native Americans and the American Government. Believed to also close the American frontier.

Indian Peace Commissions of 1867

Concluded that the U.S. government and its representatives, including Congress, were responsible for the warfare on the plains by failing to treat the Indians with honesty and by failing to fulfill their legal observation. The report appeared to reach blind eyes and deaf ears because the warfare continued despite the drafting of new treaties. U.S was responsible for the Indian wars on the plain.

Comstock Lode

Because Henry Comstock was one of the early claim filers, people began calling silver strike this. The Western part of Nevada quickly became a center of bustling mining activity. Boomtowns such as virginia city and Gold hill, sprang up. Most boomtown went through a cycle of rapid growth.

Cattle Kingdom Era

Happened during the mid-1860s to mid-1880s

Reasons Sodbusters had difficulty making a profit

A profit was difficult because so many pioneers in farming, the food market became flooded with crops which lowered the price of goods, and subsequently, the profit. Farmers had to borrow money to pay for machinery, seed, and fertilizer leaving them in debt until harvest season. The plains climate consisted of blistering summers, harsh winters, blizzards, wildfires, droughts, floods, and tornadoes. Insects also made it difficult.

Why the Dawes Act was disastrous

It stripped away tribal customs and tribal identity from the individual Indian. No Indians had desire to farm. The lands allotted to the Indians was unsuitable for farming. The Indians couldn’t afford supplies either.