The West Transformed



The West Transformed

Westward Expansion & American Indians

Cultures Under Pressure

The Great Plains are the western central portion of the U.S. Native Americans shared a common thread – they saw themselves as part of nature and viewed nature as sacred.

|How did each culture use the Buffalo, an important resource? |

|Native Americans |Whites |

|1.Horn used for bowls and spoons. |White settlers often killed buffalo just for |

|2.Bones used for tools. |sport. Many buffalo corpses were just left to rot. |

|3.Hoofs used for glue. | |

|4.Hide used for clothing, tepees, shields. |Buffalo would be killed for just their hides, or for no reason at all. This |

|5.Meat used for food. |eliminated a vast supply of food for Native Americans. |

Buffalo Soldiers – African American soldiers who were sent west

to fight the Native Americans.

New Settlers & Native Americans Clash

Originally all of the Great Plains was one giant reservation, but the government changed its mind.

The Sand Creek Massacre was an attack at dawn on Nov. 29, 1864. U.S. troops killed 150 Native Americans, which consisted mostly of and children. Native Americans attacked settlers on the Bozeman Trail. The government signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie, which gave the Native Americans another reservation.

The End of the Indian Wars

Some tribes went to reservations, while all others went to war. Many Native Americans became extremely frustrated with the US government

because of all of the broken treaties. Many young warriors turned to violence and ended up losing their lives.

It was the lure of gold that did the last of the Plain Indians in. The Black Hills which were owned by the Native Americans

were filled with gold.

Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull led the Sioux against the US

Army. General Custer wanted Little Big Horn and he led his 250

men ahead of the rest of the US cavalry. Custer ran into Crazy Horse

and his 2,000 warriors. Gen. Custer and all of his men were killed.

The Native American response to the loss of their

leaders was to dance.

Ghost Dance – Belief that the ritual would banish white

settlers and restore the buffalo to the plains.

Sitting Bull was to be arrested, but refused and a confrontation occurred and

he was shot and killed. On Dec. 28, 1890 the 7 Calvary rounded up

350 N.A.’s. They ordered the Indians to give up all weapons, but all of a

sudden a shot was fired so the Calvary opened fire on the Indians.

Historical Significance: The “Battle” at Wounded Knee brought about an

to the Indian era.

The Government Promotes Assimilation

Assimilation – To be absorbed into the main culture

of a society.

Helen Hunt Jackson wrote the book “A Century of Dishonor,” which was about how the United States went back on hundreds of

promises and treaties.

Dawes Act – Congressional plan to Americanize Indians by

breaking up reservations and giving land

(160 acres) to Indians as individuals.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The West Transformed

Transforming the West

Railroads Open the West

In the 1860s there were 2 major companies, the Central Pacific and

Union Pacific Railroads. The government supported construction in

the form of loans and land grants.

Central Pacific: 90% of workers were Chinese immigrants.

Union Pacific: Used mainly Irish immigrants for workers.

The Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads were connected in Promontory Point, Utah in 1869. Even back then there were tree huggers. Early environmentalist groups formed.

Government Opens the West

The government supported settlement out west.

1. Homestead Act – 160 acres of land in the

West would be given to any head of household if

he would cultivate the land for 5 years.

2. Exodusters – A.A.’s who migrated from the

South to the West after the Civil War.

3. Sooners – Land given away in Oklahoma by the government for free. Literally, the sooner one got there, the sooner one got their share of land.

Ranchers Build the Cattle Kingdom

Demand for beef after the Civil War rose

dramatically (in part because there was no more

buffalo). This led to the Chisholm Trail.

Open Range – Vast area of grassland on which

livestock roamed and grazed.

Towns were created as

rest stops for the cowboys working the Chisholm Trail.

55,000 people worked as cowboys (25% were African Americans).

Cowboys worked long hours (10-14 hours when at the ranch and 14 hours on the trail). Cowboys tended to be both young an

old.

On the long drives, there was usually only one cowboy for every 250-300 cattle.

The open range system ended because of the following reasons:

1. Overgrazing 2. Severe Drought 3. Barbed Wire.

Farmers Settle on Homesteads

Settlers on the prairie lived in dugouts and

soddies.

Technical support for farmers develops

with help from John Deere (steel plow) and

Cyrus McCormick (Mechanical Reaper).

The West Transformed

Farmers And Populism

Farmers Face Many Problems

The government also opened the west by setting aside land for

agricultural education. The Morrill Land Grant Act

of 1862 and 1890 allowed for agriculture colleges to be established.

Farmers were in debt because of several factors.

1. Bonanza Farms – Farms that specialized in just one crop.

2. Railroads – Charged farmers outrageous prices to transport their goods.

Farmers were in a vicious cycle of debt. The government is trying to determine whether or not the country should continue using

greenbacks or not?

Farmers wanted more money in circulation because that would make their debt decrease in value. Wheat prices were decreasing and the railroads were charging more than ever before. Farmers needed to organize to make a change.

Farmers Organize and Seek Change

Oliver Hudson Kelley formed the Patrons of Husbandry, which later became known as The Grange.

The goals of the Grange included:

1. Providing education on new farming techniques.

2. Calling for the regulation of railroad rates.

Eventually this led to the Farmers’ Alliance, which was not just farmers, but others who wanted to help out. Membership climbed to four million people.

African Americans formed the Colored Farmers’ Alliance, which never became too effective because of racial tensions.

Populist Party Demands Reforms

The country was going through difficult times. Farmers were

in too much debt and the railroads went bankrupt.

People traded their paper money for silver and gold.

This caused investments to go up; including the price of silver.

By December 1894 unemployment rose to 20 percent.

What the Populist Party wanted:

1. Increase $$ supply.

2. Graduated Income Tax.

3. Federal Loan Program.

4. Election of Senators – Term limitations.

5. 8 Hr. Work Day – Restrictions on Immmigration.

Economic Crisis & Populism Decline

The country is divided politically. The North voted for the Republicans, while the South voted for the Democrats and Populists. The biggest issue in the 1896 election was how to back up our money.

|Gold |Silver & Gold |

|“Gold Bugs” |“Silverites” |

|Bankers and Business |Farmers and Workers |

|Value of $ would increase. |Value of $ would increase. |

E

Election of 1896: William McKinley (R) vs. William Jennings Bryan (D) (P)

**Bryan gives his famous Cross of Gold Speech during this election.

Bryan is known as a… Bimetalist!!

McKinley won the North and Bryan won the South and West. McKinley won his reelection bid in 1900 over Bryan and the Populist Party began to fall apart. Most returned to the Dem. Party.

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SAND CREEK MASSACRE

RED RIVER WAR

BATTLE OF LITTLE BIG HORN

WOUNDED KNEE

Is this cartoon in favor of Bimetalism? Why or why not?

The cartoon is in favor of Bimetalism because it is shows a good life for bimetallism and a bad life for people living under monometalism.

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