Unit 2. Westward Expansion

American Frontier: An imaginary line separating the lands settled by Americans and denser unsettled land inhabited by Native Americans.

Great Plains: Rolling stretch of plains inhabited by buffalo and Great Plains Indians.

• Received little rainfall

• Texas to North Dakota

*Between 1870 and 1890, the buffalo were killed to cripple the Great Plains Indian’s resources and the Native Americans were relocated to other land by the Americans

• The Great Plains were separated into ranches and farms

• By 1890, the “frontier” was closed by the U.S. Census Bureau (the west was settled by the Americans).

Factors Settlement of Last Frontier

Push factors- Factors that influence people to leave the place they are in

• Escape Religious Persecution

• War

• Poverty

• Drought

Pull factors - Factors that influence people to choose a certain place

• religious freedom

• Gold Rush

• economic opportunities

• new way of life

• Cheap or free land

• Relocation of Native Americans

• Completion of Transcontinental Railroad

Settlement Patterns

Farmers

They adapted to the dry and tough soil and land

Cattle Kingdom

Cattle herders or “cow boys” would herd cows to railroads on the open range

California Gold Rush of 1849

Settlers found an abundance of gold, silver, and other precious metals in the west.

A rush of settlers mined starting in California, up to South Dakota, Nevada, and Arizona and started mining towns and clashed with Native Americans.

Completion of Transcontinental Railroad (1863-1869)

Congress passed the Pacific Railway Act and promised money for every mile of track built.

2 Railroad companies built tracks to connect the west, California, to the East, Omaha, and completed the Transcontinental Railroad.

The Union Pacific railroad started from Omaha

• Was made up of Irish immigrants

• Fought with the Native Americans

The Central Pacific railroad started from California

• Was made up of Chinese immigrants, African Americans and veterans.

  • (African Americans and veterans joined in 1865).

• Harsher conditions to build the railroad (mining tunnels, building tracks through mountains, etc).

Advantages

• Enticed more people to settle west

• Made it possible to farmers and ranchers to ship out products to the Northeast

• Made it easier for people to receive supplies and settle west

• Railroad companies sold land grants to settlers

Disadvantages

• Gave the railroad companies a monopoly over the transportation industry

  • They could overcharge customers, the government, etc

• Took more and more land away from inhabiting Native Americans

Relocation of Native Americans

The U.S. government ordered the relocation of all Native Americans living in the Great Plains in order to make way for settlers.

Trail of Tears (1830)

An order by the U.S. Government to relocate Native Americans in the Southern States west of the Mississippi River.

• 25% of the Cherokee tribe

• Many died

• Lasted for many months

Indian Wars

Conflict between Native Americans who were being relocated repeatedly and “land-hungry” miners, settlers, and ranchers.

Federal troops stationed near settlers killed Native Americans

*The Native Americans were asked to relocate again if settlers found their land attractive

• Lasted about 25 years

• 1864-1890

Buffalo Soldiers

African Americans who were tasked to protect the settlers from the Native Americans.

• Were doing so in order to gain favor from the government and white americans.

• For honor and a sense of dignity

Culture of Plains Indians

Lived in the Great Plains, Colorado-Texas, the central part of the Western U.S.

Used horses to

• travel farther and faster for food

• hunt easier

They followed the buffaloes for

• They made clothes,

• hunted it for food,

• used it for tools,

• Shelter

The women prepared the food, and skinned the buffalo for clothing and shelter

The men hunted down the food

They lived in small extended families in groups called “tribes”

• The Native Americans of Colorado were attacking the settlers to take back their land.

Sand Creek Massacre

The U.S. Government killed over 200 Cheyenne warriors including women and children to protect the settlers from the natives.

Treaty of Laramie (1876)

A treaty to make the SioA treaty to make the Siux Native Americans to live on reservations

Battle of Little Big Horn River

Sioux Chief, Sitting Bull, did not sign the treaty and defeated troops sent by the government

• General George Custer and all of his men were killed by the Sioux Native Americans

Dawes Act

An act to make Native Americans assimilate in white culture and give up their beliefs

Offered services to “Americanize'“ them: religious institutions and Indian agents educate them

• Relocated Native Americans to poor dry pieces of land

• Made them participate in the economy by farming

*The buffalo hunters killed all of the buffalo (3 million) to make sure the Native Americans needed to farm on the land given by the government

Battle of Wounded Knee

The U.S. government sent troopers to capture and kill 300 Sioux

Homestead Act of 1862

Government offered 160 acres of free land to anyone who would farm the west for 5 years in the 1900s.

• 400,000 people moved west because of this (Homesteaders)

Exodusters: African Americans who moved from south to north to farm

*This plan did NOT Work: only 10% farmed the land, the rest mined and were cattlemen

Challenges of Living in the West vs Solutions

Challenges

1. Lack of markets

2. Lack of wood, clay, or rock for homes

3. Lack of water

4. Lack of wood for fencing

5. Tough, dry, soil

6. Lack of fuel

7. Lack of manpower

Solutions

1. They built a railroad

2. They used soil and grass to build sod homes

3. They built wells and pumps to get water from underground

4. They used barbed wire

5. They made plows to make the soil fresh

6. They used Buffalo manure “Buffalo chips“

7. Machinery (horse-drawn harvesters)

Morill Act

An act to establish agricultural colleges to develop farming techniques and new crops

Farmers V. Railroads

After Civil War, government started rescinding money printing during that era

The value of money rose too high for farmers, laborers, and the common people to pay back their loans, make a profit etc…

• The loans they took out at a lower value were becoming harder to pay back

Railroads kept overcharging farmers because they held a monopoly

• Farmers were earning as much as they were paying the companies

Farmers begged the government to start printing more money and lower interest but they did NOT listen

Farmers Problems

• High costs of manufactured goods

• Middlemen

• Overcharging from railroad companies and grain regulators

• high shipping costs

• indebtedness

• rural isolation

Grange Movement

A farmers’ movement by Oliver Hudson Kelly to fight against the railroad companies and lower interest by the government

• Wanted government to take control of railroad companies

• Wanted laws to protect farmers

Farmer Cooperatives

Farmers decided to fight back and try to make businesses that they could buy and sell in bulk

Granger Laws

Laws caused by farmers and grangers convincing their state politicians to follow Illinois’ lead after Illinois passed a law to establish passenger rates and prohibit discrimination by railroads

Munn V. Illinois

Railroad Companies vs. Illinois

• Supreme Court decided states could decide laws for railroads

Wabash V. Illinois

Congress overruled Munn V. Illinois and stated only Congress can regulate interstate commerce

Interstate Commerce Act of 1886

Federal government had the right to supervise all railroad activities in the U.S.

• Railroad companies could not charge different rates for same train & same distance

• Railroad companies cannot charge more for shorter distances than long ones

• Interstate Commerce Commission was Founded

Populist Movement

The Farmer’s Alliance realized they needed political power and started the Populist Party/People’s party

• Represented common people, farmers, and laborers

Proposals

• Secret Ballot

• Restriction on Immigration Laws

• 8 hour work day

• Direct election of senator

• progressive income tax

• referendum procedures

Unapproved Proposals

• Government ownership of railroads

• Unlimited supply of silver money

• postal savings bank

Election of 1896

Candidates and Outcome

Populist Party and Democrats: William Jennings Bryan (LOST)

• Wanted bimetallism (“silverities”)

Republicans: William McKinley (WON)

• Wanted Gold standard (“gold bugs”)

Issue

The main issue was whether to back paper money by only using Gold (gold standard) or using silver and gold (Bimetalism).

Gold Standard would:

• Keep prices from rising

• Keep wages from rising

• Rich people happy

Bimetallism would:

• New money could be printed

• Wages would be higher

• Common people would be happy

Cross of Gold Speech

Speech made by William Jennings Bryan that inspired the common people but failed to impress electoral college

• Symbolism between Jesus carrying the world’s sins and the gold standard weighing down the common people