AMSCO® Advanced Placement® United States History, 4th Edition (John J Newman, John M Schmalbach)

Westward Expansion and Economic Development (1877-1898)

Understand the causes and effects of the settlement of the West during this period.

Economic development in the western United States post-1865 significantly differed from earlier settlement patterns due to industrialization.

Transcontinental Railroads: Critical in promoting settlement and linking the West with the East, thereby fostering a national market.
- Built mainly during the railroad boom in the late 19th century.
- First Route: Authorized during the Civil War; consisted of the Union Pacific (westward from Omaha) and Central Pacific (eastward from Sacramento).
  - UP utilized war veterans and Irish immigrants.
  - CP utilized a large number of Chinese laborers, especially in difficult terrain like the Sierra Nevada.
- The railroads were completed on May 10, 1869, at Promontory Point, Utah (the driving of the golden spike symbolizing the link between the East and the West).

Additional Routes Constructed: 1883 completion of Southern Pacific, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, Northern Pacific, and Great Northern.
- Established greater commercial and residential connectivity for settlers, miners, ranchers, and farmers leading to town growth.

Many railroads were financially unsuccessful, built in areas with limited customer bases.
Environmental impact: Over-exploitation of natural resources led to ecological destruction and near extinction of the buffalo.
Native American Displacement: High human cost; Indigenous populations lost lands and culture through settlement and economic development.

Initially considered “The Great American Desert,” the character of the land changed post-1865 due to urban expansion and settlement.
By 1900, buffalo herds nearly extinguished; significant infrastructural development including fencing and railroads.
State Admissions: Multiple new states formed from the frontier, including Nebraska (1867), Wyoming (1890), Idaho (1890), and others.

Gold Rush Influence: 1849 California Gold Rush initiated a series of gold and silver rushes across several states, fostering migration.
- Placer Mining: Individual prospectors using simple tools.
- Deep-Shaft Mining: Shift to company-led mining operations involving expensive machinery, utilizing miners from various national backgrounds.
- Major strikes included the Comstock Lode in Nevada, leading to statehood in 1864.

Economic opportunities of vast grasslands led to the expansion of ranching post-Civil War.
- Cattle Driving: Long drives allowed for transporting Texas cattle to markets via railroads (e.g., Abilene, Kansas).
- Emergence of cow towns and increasingly diverse workforce involved in ranching.
Decline of Cattle Drives: By the 1880s, cattle drives diminished due to overgrazing and environmental challenges coupled with the rise of homesteaders utilizing barbed wire.

Homestead Act of 1862: Influenced settlement of the Great Plains by granting 160 acres of land to settlers under specific conditions.
Early settlers faced numerous challenges including poor soil conditions, harsh weather, and limited resources leading to widespread farm failures.

Successful farmers adapted by employing techniques such as "dry farming" and introducing drought-resistant crops (e.g., Russian wheat).

Farmers organized in response to hardships; span of farmer alliances advocating for reforms.
The Populist Party emerged reflecting labor and agrarian concerns, pushing for systemic reforms including direct election of senators, expanded currency, and control over railroads.

The era of Westward Expansion showcased a complex interplay of economic opportunity, social transformation, environmental degradation, and the plight of indigenous peoples, culminating in significant changes to the American social, political, and economic landscape.