Recording-2025-03-10T03:56:14.879Z

Economics of Westward Expansion (1865 - 1898)

Mechanization of Agriculture

• Overview: The agricultural West underwent significant changes during this period due to mechanization, which transformed farming from manual labor to machine-driven processes.

• Key Inventions: Introduction of machines such as the mechanical reaper and combine harvester.

  • These machines drastically increased agricultural productivity.

• Effects:

  • Increased Production: The production of corn and wheat doubled between 1870 and 1900 due to mechanization.

  • Obsolescence of Small Farmers: Small farmers struggled to compete against large mechanized farms that could afford new technology, leading to many losing their farms.

  • Economic Pressure: As crop prices fell due to an oversupply (law of supply and demand), small farmers were further economically pressured and often could not survive.

Economic Challenges Faced by Farmers

• Industrial Trusts: High prices for manufactured goods created difficulties for farmers who were primarily occupied with farming and relied on purchasing these goods.

• Railroad Issues:

  • Farmers faced challenges regarding railroad transportation, as railroad owners often charged high prices to transport crops to market.

  • The reliance on railroads for selling crops intensified farmers' economic struggles.

Organized Farmer Resistance

• National Grange Movement:

  • Established in 1868 as a collective organization for farmers.

  • Aimed at socializing and addressing the grievances of isolated farmers.

• Granger Laws: A legal reaction to support farmers included:

  • Interstate Commerce Act of 1886: Made railroad rates reasonable and just, establishing the Interstate Commerce Commission to enforce these standards.

Government Support for Westward Migration

• Federal Government Motivation: The government actively supported migration westward to stimulate settlement in frontier regions.

• Pacific Railroads Acts:

  • These acts granted large land parcels to railroad companies to encourage the construction of transcontinental railroads.

  • Notable achievement: In 1869, the first transcontinental railroad was completed at Promontory Summit, Utah.

  • Over subsequent decades, four more transcontinental railroads were developed with government assistance.

• Homestead Act of 1862:

  • Provided 60 acres of free land to settlers, conditional upon farming and settling the land.

  • Many found the land insufficient, especially due to mechanization issues, resulting in financial struggles for new farmers.

Discovery of Precious Metals

• Continued Gold Rush Impact:

  • Following the California Gold Rush in 1848, further discoveries of gold and silver attracted many new settlers to the West.

  • Example: Gold discoveries in 1869 at Pikes Peak led to a significant influx of migrants to Kansas and Nebraska.

  • Resulted in the rapid establishment of boomtowns like Denver City and Boulder City, reflecting a diverse population attracted by the prospect of wealth.

Conclusion

• Overall, from 1865 to 1898, the settlement of the West was characterized by economic transformations and challenges leading to both growth and turmoil in agricultural practices, farmer dissatisfaction, and a push for organized resistance amidst governmental support for westward expansion.