Unit 7 Wild West Gilded Age notes

Last Frontier (Wild West)

  • Pacific Railroad Act: Passed by President Lincoln in 1862, it granted a charter to Union Railroad Company for building a transcontinental railway from Nebraska to the Pacific, with a connecting line from Central Pacific Railroad Company.

    • Right of way: Government granted land (5 acres) on both sides of the track to the railroad companies, leading to the creation of towns along the railway and substantial profits.

    • Cheap labor: Central Pacific hired Chinese immigrants, while Union Pacific hired Irish immigrants. Difficulties included crossing the Rocky Mountains.

    • The transcontinental railroad decreased travel time from New York to San Francisco from three months by ship to one week by rail, with both lines connecting at Utah in 1869.

Indian Wars (1869-1877)

  • The arrival of RR increased settler numbers, leading to conflicts with Native Americans due to gold discoveries on Indian lands.

  • About two-thirds of western tribes (such as Comanche, Sioux, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Crow) inhabited the Great Plains, facing conflicts with white settlers.

    • The U.S. policy involved assigning large tracts of land for reservations, but most tribes refused to sign due to their nomadic lifestyle, primarily following buffalo.

    • "Counting coup": Indian practice of trophy-taking for bravery, with scalping regarded as the highest honor.

Bozeman Trail

  • Sporadic fighting arose between U.S. troops and Indians as gold miners resisted staying off recognized Indian land.

  • Red Cloud's War: In 1866, a Sioux war party attacked and killed 81 soldiers to secure their territory, leading to the Ft. Laramie Treaty of 1868, which allowed Sioux to retain reservations in Montana and the Dakotas.

Battle of Little Bighorn

  • In 1876, Colonel George Custer led an expedition into Sioux territory, discovering gold which attracted hordes of miners.

  • Sioux leaders Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse ambushed and encircled Custer’s 7th Cavalry at Little Bighorn, resulting in the death of all 264 soldiers.

Battle of Wounded Knee (1890)

  • The final major act of resistance by Indians to white removal was fueled by fear of a religious movement, the "Ghost Dance", which led to violence.

  • The battle resulted in over 200 Indian fatalities, marking a tragic end to Native American resistance.

Gilded Age

  • The term Gilded Age was coined by Mark Twain to describe the era's superficial wealth displayed in the late 19th century. Politicians were often corrupt and influenced heavily by big businesses.

  • Neither political party effectively addressed the issues emerging from industrial and urban growth, fearing alienating wealthy business donors.

Businesses in the Gilded Age

  • Railroads: RR mileage surged post-Civil War from 35,000 to 193,000 miles by 1900, revolutionizing the economy through mass production and consumption.

    • Standardized time was developed with the creation of four time zones.

    • Cornelius Vanderbilt: He expanded RR networks, creating Grand Central Station in NYC, and attempted to form a railroad trust to control the market.

  • Steel Industry: The Bessemer Process transformed iron into steel.

    • Andrew Carnegie: A poor immigrant who dominated the steel production industry through vertical integration—controlling all aspects from mining to distribution.

    • Carnegie Steel became the largest global producer of steel by 1900.

  • Oil Industry: Prior to petroleum, whale oil was the primary source for lighting; its use plummeted after oil was drilled in 1859.

    • John Rockefeller: Founded a refinery in 1863 and monopolized the oil market, deploying tactics like rebates to eliminate competition.

    • By 1881, Standard Oil controlled 90% of the market through horizontal integration.

Inventions during the Gilded Age

  • Thomas Edison: Established the first modern research lab at Menlo Park, producing innovations including the phonograph, light bulb, and movie camera, while popularizing DC electricity.

  • Nikola Tesla and Westinghouse: Developed AC electricity, which was more efficient than Edison's DC; both were co-opted into General Electric by JP Morgan.

  • Telecommunications:

    • Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876.

    • Samuel Morse developed the telegraph, revolutionizing long-distance communication.

Captains of Industry vs. Robber Barons

  • Captains of Industry: Viewed positively as heroic figures who epitomized success.

  • Robber Barons: Portrayed negatively as exploitative figures profiting at the expense of their workers.

Immigration

  • Push Factors: Factors forcing emigration include poverty, overcrowding, oppressive monarchies, and religious persecution (e.g., Jews in Russia).

  • Pull Factors: Positive aspects attracting immigrants include a reputation for freedom and economic opportunity in the U.S.

  • Key entry points include Ellis Island (New York) for Europeans and Angel Island (California) for Asians.

Labor Unions

  • Late 19th century experienced violent confrontations between striking workers and management, leading to fears of widespread conflict between labor and capital.

    • Industrial Warfare: Strikes often met with replacement workers (scabs) and aggressive employer tactics to suppress union organization such as lockouts, blacklists, and yellow dog contracts.

Labor Union Conflicts

  • Strikes arose from conditions like low wages and long hours, often resulting in violence:

    • Great Railroad Strike of 1877: Triggered by wage cuts during a depression, when a strike swept across the nation, resulting in federal troops suppressing it with over 100 deaths.

    • Haymarket Square Bombing (1886): In Chicago, a police intervention at a labor meeting led to a bomb explosion, killing officers and sentencing anarchist leaders to death, damaging public perception of unions.

  • American Federation of Labor (AFL): Founded in 1886 aimed primarily at economic goals, focusing on skilled labor under Samuel Gompers, culminating in the largest union by 1901.

    • Homestead Strike: Carnegie’s plant faced a major strike after wage reductions, leading to a five-month lockout and setback for the union movement.

  • Pullman Strike: Triggered by wage cuts in a model town run by George Pullman, leading to a nationwide disruption of rail transport under the leadership of Eugene Debs, culminating in federal intervention and Debs’ arrest.

    • Background: The Pullman Strike occurred in 1894 in the model town of Pullman, Illinois, established by George Pullman for workers of his luxury sleeping car company.

    • Cause: Triggered by the economic depression of the early 1890s, which led to wage cuts for workers while rents in company-owned housing remained high.

    • Leadership: Led by Eugene V. Debs, president of the American Railway Union (ARU), who promoted a nationwide boycott of Pullman cars.

    • Escalation: The strike began with workers protesting wage cuts and the high cost of living in Pullman, leading to a refusal to handle Pullman cars.

    • National Impact: The strike quickly spread nationwide, disrupting rail traffic and communications across the country, significantly impacting the U.S. mail delivery.

    • Federal Intervention: The situation resulted in federal intervention; the government obtained an injunction against the strikers, citing interference with mail delivery. President Grover Cleveland sent federal troops to Chicago in July 1894 to break the strike.

    • Outcome: The arrival of federal troops led to violent confrontations, resulting in several deaths and injuries. Debs was arrested and the ARU was effectively dissolved, marking a significant setback for the labor movement. The strike highlighted the growing tensions between labor and federal government, as well as the struggles of the working class during the Gilded Age.