Main factors of Growth

• The West as the last frontier (The last West): key drivers include railroads, miners, cattlemen, and farmers; the West expands from the eastern frontier toward the Pacific; becomes the final section of continental settlement from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Coast.
• Transcontinental railroads and expansion of mileage:
  • 1865: approximately 3.5\times 10^4 \text{ miles} of railroad were built; by 1900: over 2\times 10^5 \text{ miles}.
  • This improved transportation dramatically, shrinking long journeys from months to days (e.g., travel time reduced from about 6 \text{ months} to 6 \text{ days}).
• Impact on trade and military relations:
  • Enhanced trade networks across the expanded railroad system.
  • Military conquest and displacement of Native American populations as part of westward expansion.
• Liberal land distribution and private land ownership:
  • Land policy favored widespread private ownership between 1860–1900, totaling around 7.5\times 10^8 \text{ acres}.
  • Free land policy through the Homestead Act encouraged settlement and rapid population growth on the western frontier.
• Population growth and generational expansion:
  • Expansion expected to unfold over many generations; the notes mention roughly about 100\text{ generations} (interpreted as broad, long-term growth) with rapid expansion occurring across a few generations.
• Immigration patterns:
  • General migration flow: east to west as people moved toward new lands and opportunities.
  • Chinese immigrants played a notable role in westward expansion (associated with labor on frontier projects and industries).
• The Gilded age (context-setting):
  • Gilded: something that has a shiny, captivating surface on the outside.
  • Gilded Age: a period that looked prosperous and glamorous on the surface but had significant, real problems beneath the appearance.

Settlement of the Last West

• A. The Land (approx. 1.2\times 10^6 \text{ square miles})
  • The Great Plains: the first extensive land area to contact east to west; Native American populations were present before expansion.
  • The Spanish influence: in the 1500s, Spaniards brought Native Americans into contact with horses, and many groups became skilled horsemen.
  • The Rocky Mountains: major vertical barrier shaping settlement patterns and transportation routes.
  • The Great Basin: includes desert regions such as the Salt Lake Desert and the Mojave Desert.
  • The Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range: prominent mountain ranges affecting climate, travel, and settlement.
  • The Pacific Coast: the western edge of the nation and a key destination for westward expansion.
• Native populations and adaptation:
  • Native American communities adapted to new technologies (e.g., horses) and changing landscapes as settlers moved west.
• Economic and geographic implications:
  • The varied geography created diverse resources and opportunities (plains for farming and grazing, mountains for mining, deserts for resource extraction, and coastal access for trade).

The Gilded Age (context and implications)

• Definition:
  • Gilded: having a shiny, captivating surface that masks deeper realities.
  • Gilded Age: a period characterized by conspicuous wealth and growth on the surface but underlying social, political, and economic problems.
• Significance for growth and expansion:
  • The era framed rapid industrialization, railroad expansion, land policy, and population movement while masking tensions such as inequality, conflicts with Indigenous peoples, labor strife, and political corruption.
• Connections to broader themes:
  • Ties to federal land policy, infrastructure development, and westward migration.
  • Ethical and practical implications of conquest, displacement, and the distribution of wealth and opportunity.
• Key examples and implications:
  • Large-scale railroad building and land grants accelerated expansion but also intensified environmental and social costs.
  • Immigration fueled labor forces and demographic change, raising questions about labor rights, integration, and cultural impact.
• Foundational and real-world relevance:
  • Understanding the Westward expansion requires balancing economic drivers (land, resources, rail) with consequences for Indigenous communities, settlers, and industrial society.
• Numerical references and scale (recap):
  • Transcontinental railroad mileage growth: 3.5\times 10^4 \text{ miles} \rightarrow 2\times 10^5 \text{ miles} by 1900.
  • Land distribution: 7.5\times 10^8 \text{ acres} allocated or made available to private ownership via policy.
  • Land area discussed: 1.2\times 10^6 \text{ square miles}.