The West During Period 6

Outline of Helen Hunt Jackson's "A Century of Dishonor" and Its Historical Context

I. Overview of "A Century of Dishonor"

  • Author: Helen Hunt Jackson (1881)

  • Subject: Mistreatment of Plains Indians by government and settlers.

  • key role in mobilizing public support later for Dawes act

  • Key Points:

    • Corruption of Indian agents and officials.

    • Advocacy for assimilation of Native Americans.

II. The Dawes Act of 1887

  • Purpose: Promote assimilation into agricultural lifestyles. ( break up tribal lands into individual plots)

  • only those NA that accept the division were allowed to become us citizens

  • Impact: Seizure of over 90 million acres from Native Americans; land sold to non-natives.

III. Turner's Frontier Thesis

  • by 1889 North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington state and Montana were populated enough to achieve statehood Wyoming and Idaho followed in 1890

  • Articulated after the 1890 Census.

  • Frederick Jackson Turner Declared the American frontier closed.

  • Argument: Frontier shaped American character, defined the american spirit, encouraged democracy and offered a safety valve for urban economic distress.

IV. Challenges Faced by Western Farmers

  • Adverse living conditions: extreme weather, water scarcity, natural disasters.

  • Housing: Sod homes due to lack of timber.

  • short water supply and spread disease like typhoid

  • Yeoman farmers as the backbone of society.

  • Importance of cooperation (e.g., barn-raising).

  • many homesteaders went back east and became city dwellers

V. Role of Women in the West

  • Equal contributions to farm work led to egalitarian relationships.

  • Early involvement in women's suffrage, with local elections participation since 1887( two towns in Kansas that allowed women to vote

  • Notable achievement: A woman became mayor of a Kansas town before the 19th Amendment.

VI. African American Migration Post-Civil War

  • Exodusters: Migrated westward to escape oppression.

  • Challenges: Discrimination and economic hardships; only 20% succeeded in farming.

VII. Agricultural Developments

  • Establishment of the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1862.( provided information on new agricultural developments and news to farmers)

  • The 1960s in 1970s saw the introduction of new farming equipment somewhere even steam powered

  • Rise of bonanza farms: Large agricultural businesses overshadow small farmers, leading to debt and foreclosure.

VIII. Conclusion

  • between 1860 and 1900 the percent of Americans working on farms fell from 60% to 37%

  • many farmers fell into debt

  • The agriculture industry face a lot of unique challenges

  • farmers called for many changes in the government, especially within an economic and fiscal policy

  • Impacts of Jackson's work and Turner's thesis reflect significant philosophies of western expansion.

  • Women and African Americans experienced varied opportunities and challenges amidst hardships in frontier life and an industrializing agricultural landscape.

  • Yeoman, farmers and smaller farmers in the west face a lot of challenge