lecture recording on 13 January 2025 at 09.34.56 AM

Upcoming Schedule and Reminders

• Hockey Tournament in Canada

  • Student will be absent Thursday and Friday

  • Interested in making Canada the 51st state but uncertain about it

• Class Responsibilities

  • Students have the opportunity to plan activities (appointments, studying) around absence

  • Discuss upcoming reading on American Imperialism in the next class

Recap of Last Class

• Focus of Lecture: Settlers in the West

  • Categories of Settlers:

    • Religious Settlers: Mormons seeking spiritual community in Utah.

      • View the West as a place of spiritual growth.

    • Agricultural Settlers: Homesteaders aiming for economic opportunity.

      • Seeking to preserve agricultural practices rather than enter industrial economy.

      • Homesteaders as a response to industrialism, trying to recreate past economic practices.

• Key Concepts of Settlement:

  • Cohesive and Adhesive Forces: Movement of settlers brings conflict with Native Americans.

  • Example: Sand Creek Massacre – conflict between settlers and Cheyenne/Arapaho tribes in Colorado.

  • American government uses settlers as proxies to clear land of Native Americans.

The Reservation System

• Introduction Around 1851:

  • Linked to the Union Appropriation Act allowing for establishment of Indian reservations.

• Characteristics of Reservations:

  • Federal land control and coercive assimilations.

  • Native Americans prohibited from traditional practices (hunting, religions).

  • Voluntary movement initially, later enforced through military actions known as the Indian Wars.

Historical Implications

• Shift in the nature of Western settlement post-Civil War.

  • US military becomes involved in clearing Native lands.

• Conflicts Resulting in Loss of Native American Land:

  • Movement towards a systematic approach to containment and removal.

  • Example: Battle of Little Bighorn (1876): Lakota Indians defend land but ultimately lose.

Gold Discovery and Implications for Settlement

• Gold Found in California (1848):

  • Changes land value from agricultural potential to gold deposits.

  • Associated with economic opportunity for diverse groups.

  • Gold rush leads to influx of 49ers (white American prospectors) and immigrants (notably Chinese).

Impact on Settlement Patterns

• White American Prospectors:

  • Mainly young men seeking economic opportunities.

  • Relocation driven by economic dislocation from industrialization in the North.

  • Gold as a means to restore status and masculinity among young men.

• Chinese Immigrants:

  • Motivated by famine and political unrest in China.

  • Anticipated temporary stay but faced exploitative labor practices and other challenges.

Economic Dislocation of Mexican Americans

• Mexican Americans' Land Post-Mexican-American War:

  • Transition into US citizenship faced with legal and economic obstacles.

  • Often displaced as land becomes valuable for mining.

  • Shift from traditional landowners to agricultural laborers.

The Role of Capitalism in Expansion

• Increased Capitalistic Ventures:

  • The discovery of gold ties into banking and finance growth in America.

  • Exploitation of labor forces (especially Chinese labor in railroads) underlines systemic inequalities.

  • Establishment of service economies around mining communities, with women providing essential services.

Conclusion on Historical Tensions and Relations

• The resilience of settler capitalism was achieved at the expense of both Native Americans and immigrant populations.

  • Violent Racial Tension: Manifested towards Native Americans and Chinese immigrants.

  • Anti-Chinese legislation emerges (e.g., Foreign Miners Law), showcasing formal exclusion policies.

  • The reservation system and economic discrimination experienced by Mexican Americans serve as parallels in the history of US territorial expansion.

Upcoming Schedule and Reminders

Absences

• Hockey Tournament in Canada: The student will be absent Thursday and Friday due to participation in a hockey tournament.

• Discussion Point: Interest has been expressed in the concept of making Canada the 51st state of the United States. However, the student is uncertain about the implications and feasibility of this idea.

Class Responsibilities

• Activity Planning: Students are encouraged to take initiative in planning their activities including appointments and study sessions around their upcoming absence. This promotes responsibility and time management skills.

• Upcoming Reading: A discussion on American Imperialism is scheduled for the next class. Students are expected to engage with the reading material beforehand to facilitate informed discussion.

Recap of Last Class

Focus of Lecture

• The primary focus of the lecture was the role and impact of settlers in the American West during the 19th century.

Categories of Settlers:

• Religious Settlers: A specific group within the larger settler population were the Mormons who migrated to Utah seeking spiritual community and autonomy. They viewed the West as a land of spiritual growth and refuge.

• Agricultural Settlers: Homesteaders acted out of economic necessity, aiming to capitalize on land for agricultural purposes. They sought to preserve traditional agricultural practices as a counter to the emerging industrial economy. The homesteading movement can be seen as a direct response to the rapid industrialization prevalent in the East during that period.

Key Concepts of Settlement

• Cohesive and Adhesive Forces: Movement of settlers into the West often resulted in significant conflict, particularly with Native American tribes. A notable and tragic example of this conflict is the Sand Creek Massacre, which involved a violent confrontation between settlers and the Cheyenne/Arapaho tribes in Colorado. The American government frequently utilized settlers as proxies in efforts to clear land of Native American populations, leading to widespread displacement and violence.

The Reservation System

Introduction Around 1851

• The reservation system was established as part of the Union Appropriation Act, which aimed to organize and control Native American lands.

Characteristics of Reservations

• Reservations were held under federal control and often involved coercive assimilation tactics. Native Americans were barred from participating in traditional practices, which included hunting and religious ceremonies.

• Initially, the movement onto reservations was voluntary, but over time it became enforced through military actions known as the Indian Wars, illustrating a shift towards more aggressive governmental policies.

Historical Implications

• The nature of Western settlement underwent a dramatic shift following the Civil War, closely aligning with increasing military involvement aimed at clearing Native lands.

• Conflicts Resulting in Loss of Native American Land: The U.S. government adopted a systematic approach to contain and remove Native Americans from their lands. A significant event during this period was the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, where the Lakota Indians defended their territory but ultimately faced defeat.

Gold Discovery and Implications for Settlement

Gold Found in California (1848)

• The discovery of gold in California shifted the economic landscape, transforming land previously valued for agriculture into highly sought-after mining territory.

• This change sparked a massive influx of prospectors and immigrants, particularly the 49ers (predominantly white American prospectors) and immigrants from various backgrounds, especially Chinese laborers fleeing famine and political unrest in their homeland.

Impact on Settlement Patterns

• White American Prospectors: The harsh conditions of industrial realities in the North propelled mainly young men toward the West in search of gold, which they perceived as a pathway to restore their social status and masculinity.

• Chinese Immigrants: Initially intending for a temporary stay, many Chinese immigrants faced harsh labor conditions and discrimination. They were often relegated to the most dangerous and low-paying jobs, facing significant exploitation while contributing to the U.S. economy.

Economic Dislocation of Mexican Americans

Post-Mexican-American War

• After the Mexican-American War, Mexican Americans faced numerous obstacles transitioning into U.S. citizenship. They experienced legal ambiguities and significant economic hardships that often led to their displacement as land, previously owned by Mexican Americans, was repurposed for mining endeavors.

• This transition marked a decline in their status from landowners to agricultural laborers, reflecting the broader systemic inequalities in post-war America.

The Role of Capitalism in Expansion

• The discovery of gold not only revolutionized land use but also intersected with the rise of banking and finance in America.

• Labor exploitation became systemic, particularly regarding Chinese laborers who played a crucial role in developing railroads and mining. This exploitation highlighted the inequalities that underpinned capitalist expansion during this era.

• Mining communities gave rise to service economies, with women often providing essential services for the burgeoning population of miners, thereby playing an underestimated role in these economic transformations.

Conclusion on Historical Tensions and Relations

• Settler capitalism's resilience was realized at the cost of both Native American and immigrant populations, fostering violent racial tensions particularly towards Native Americans and Chinese immigrants.

• Anti-Chinese legislation, such as the Foreign Miners Law, arose as formal exclusion policies against Chinese laborers during this period. The reservation system and the economic discrimination experienced by Mexican Americans further encapsulated the struggles and complexities of U.S. territorial expansion during the 19th century.