APUSH 6A

Land and Native American Populations

  • Native Population Assimilation Attempts

    • Restriction of Native populations to certain plots, known as reservations.

  • Legislation

    • Dawes Act introduced for Native Americans.

    • Provided 160 acres to individual Natives.

    • This figure seems significant to settlers but is inadequate for the nomadic lifestyle of Native Americans.

  • Land Reduction

    • As settlers expanded westward, the land allotted to Natives gradually diminished due to broken treaties.

  • Conflict Over Land

    • Discovery of gold in Black Hills, South Dakota led to an influx of settlers.

    • Resulted in conflicts and further broken treaties.

Education and Land-Grant Universities

  • Morrill Act

    • Federal land grant for the establishment of universities aimed at educating settlers in farming and necessary skills for settlement.

  • Example of NC State, which was founded on land acquired through the Morrill Act.

Chief Joseph and Native American Rights

  • Introduction to Chief Joseph (Leader of the Nez Perce).

  • Speech Highlights

    • Delivered to a government body reflecting Native grievances against broken promises by U.S. government.

    • Expresses confusion over contradictory government actions and lack of justice for Native people.

    • Critiques the efficacy of mere words and promises without action.

    • Calls for equality under the law for Natives and for them to be treated as equals to whites.

    • Criticism of confinement to reservations compared to the freedom of white settlers.

    • Urges for a shared, peaceful coexistence based on mutual respect and equal opportunities.

The Gilded Age

  • Definition

    • The term gilded implies something that is superficially attractive but fundamentally flawed (coined by Mark Twain).

  • Visualizing the Era

    • Cities appeared prosperous from above; however, underlying issues included poverty, corruption, and social disparity.

  • Prominent Figures of the Gilded Age

    • Discussion around whether certain figures (Vanderbilt, Carnegie, Rockefeller, Morgan) were seen as Captains of Industry (positive) or Robber Barons (negative).

    • Cornelius Vanderbilt: Notably involved in railroads.

    • Andrew Carnegie: Associated with steel industry and the Bessemer process for efficient steel production.

    • John D. Rockefeller: Established Standard Oil, utilizing monopolistic practices.

    • J.P. Morgan: Known for finance, particularly through banking.

  • Economical Factors

    • Capitalism, individualism, and laissez-faire economics characterized the period.

    • Economic disparity increasing leading to concerns about poverty among labor forces.

    • Emergence of a socialist movement as a response to the disparities created by capitalism.

Economic Strain on Farmers

  • Farmers experience heightened challenges leading to the formation of political movements such as the Populist Party aimed at advocating for bimetallism (currency backed by both gold and silver).

  • Bimetallism benefits poorer populations by increasing money circulation, which would ideally lead to inflation that helps farmers.