THE WEST
Conflict with Native Americans
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American expansion into the west led to the
weakening and destruction of Native American
societies.
Millions of Americans poured into the West in late
1800’s – gold silver – land – new cities along
transcontinental railroad.
The “Indian Problem” – what could and should be
done with western Indians so their lands could be
used for mining, ranching, and farming?
Conflict with Native Americans
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Most Native Americans lived on the Great Plains –
grassland between the Mississippi River and the
Rocky Mountains.
1800’s millions of buffalo roamed the Great Plains.
They were used for meat, shelter, and clothing.
Plains Indians were introduced to guns and horses
by the Europeans – became nomads following
buffalo.
Conflict with Native Americans
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Settlers and Indians began to clash because they
had different views on the natural resources of the
land.
Settlers felt they could take Indian land because
they would produce more food and wealth with it
than Indians.
Indians saw the settlers as invaders trying to take
away their sacred property.
Conflict with Native Americans
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The United States government encouraged attempts
to take Native American land from them.
Federal government first tried treaties.
Restricting their movements to reservations – land
set aside for them to live on.
Conflict with Native Americans
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Many treaties were corrupt – written in a way to
deceive the Indians – violently forced them into
signing.
Many agreements between Native Americans and
the federal government fell apart because they had
different concepts of land ownership.
Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs created to manage
delivery of supplies to reservations – corruption led
to supplies being stolen, or never delivered at all.
Conflict with Native Americans
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Some aggressive settlers stole Indian land, killed
buffalo for money, diverted water sources, and even
attacked Indian camps.
These acts increased hostilities and violence between
both groups.
Americans had more guns and Indians suffered more
deaths, but Indians naturally fought off more
disease and adapted to lack of food and shelter
better.
Conflict with Native Americans
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Because American military was focused on the South
during Reconstruction, their presence in the west to
battle Indians was limited.
Most Americans felt the Indians had to be “civilized”.
Give up their traditions, become Christians, learn
English, adopt white dress and customs, support
themselves by farming and learning a trade.
Conflict with Native Americans
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Christians volunteered and setup schools on reservations.
An Indian Rights group even formed because of the
outrage over the government’s treatment of Native
Americans.
In 1879 the United States Indian Training and Industrial
School in Carlisle, Pennsylvania was opened. Indian
children as young as five were forced off of
reservations and sent there to learn how to become
Americans.
This practice was called assimilation – making one
society a part of another by adopting its culture.
Conflict with Native Americans
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In 1887 The Dawes Act divided up reservation land
into individual plots.
Each Native American family received 160 acres
and granted U.S. Citizenship.
Goal was to require them to farm individual land
plots to encourage them to be self-supporting and
change their lifestyles.
Conflict with Native Americans
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However, many Native Americans did not want to
farm.
Were not skilled as farmers; and reservation land
was not suitable for farming.
Some sold their land for a quick profit; by 1930s
over 130 million acres of this land ended up owned
by whites.
Conflict with Native Americans
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In 1889 Federal Government bought out over 2 million
acres of Indian Territory because of pressure from
settlers.
They wanted the land – they took it from Indians and
opened the area up for settlers.
It took nearly half a century for the U.S. to conquer
Native Americans – millions of men, women, and
children died in fighting or on bad living conditions on
reservations.
Conflict with Native Americans
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Summary
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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Mining, ranching, and farming started out as
individual family businesses and turned into major
industries which changed the west.
Settlers came with one common goal in mind; take
advantage of the wealth of the land by using the
natural resources.
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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Mining:
Gold rushes in California, Colorado, and Nevada
caused a stampede of settlers out west based on the
lure of quick wealth.
Large gold strikes led to large towns and even cities to
be developed.
Merchants opened stores to sell supplies to miners when all precious metal was gone, miners left,
merchants left, leaving ghost towns.
GOLD!
GOLD!
GOLD!
GOLD!
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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The promise of ore attracted larger mining
corporations.
Diverted streams and used huge drills to dig into
the left over beds.
Workers tunneled into mountains and plunged into
mines often losing their lives - dynamite was
sometimes used to blast the ore out of mountain
sides.
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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Ranching:
In early 1800s Mexicans taught Americans cattle
ranching.
Prior to Civil War, pork was Americans meat of
choice - afterwards, nation went on a beef binge.
The price of cattle skyrocketed with the switch in
appetite.
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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The expansion of the railroads contributed to the
cattle ranching boom.
Shipping cattle east by railroad was expensive, so
in 1870s refrigerated railcars were established –
cattle were slaughtered before shipping – cool cars
kept meat from spoiling.
Cow towns were developed – ranchers conducted
cattle drives to move cows to railroad pickup
stations.
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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Cowboys – or men who drove cattle – mainly used
the Chisholm Trail – from southern Texas to Kansas
where the railroads were.
Had to pass through Indian Territory and raids were
common.
But the biggest fear of the cowboy was a stampede
– something to spook the cattle into a dangerous
thunderous herd.
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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As the cattle business grew a new breed of wealthy
ranchers created huge cattle operations.
Some owned more than 100,000 cattle and millions
of acres.
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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Farming:
Homesteaders often had to struggle even for the
necessities.
Had to build a home – with trees rare on the plains
homes were dugout in the ground, or a “soddie” –
made from sod.
After home built, plowing the field for planting was
a grim task.
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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Hard work could also be ruined from floods, prairie
fires, dust storms, and drought.
Bugs were also a concern – grasshoppers and
locusts ravaged the fields of crops. Mosquitoes and
flies carried diseases.
Goal was to farm the land for five years and it’s
yours – but some settlers lacked farming skills and
could not financially hang on.
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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The challenges and hardships of settling the Great
Plains led settlers to depend on help from each other –
families and neighbors were your source of aid.
Men did farm labor and lent themselves out to make
more money.
Women cooked, cleaned, washed clothes, raised the
children, and helped raise food crops.
Children as young as four also helped with labor, or
had to seek jobs to help make money for the family.
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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Farmers welcomed any machines that would save
time and effort.
Developments included devices to help them plow
more land at once, and automatic drills to help
spread grain.
Farm mechanization resulted in an increase in farm
production.
Mining, Ranching, Farming
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Summary
Populism
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Economic crisis led to organized protests by farmers
seeking government assistance for relief.
The economic reform that followed became an issue
and led to the development of Populism.
Farmers have always struggled with two forces –
nature and the economy.
Populism
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Economic dangers can be just as devastating as a
drought or a swarm of locusts.
With the introduction of machines, farmers’ debt
increased as they purchased them to help them
produce more crops.
Plus, farm production around the globe increased
competition which caused the prices of their crops to
decline.
Populism
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Lower crop prices means lower income.
Lower income plus increased debt equals an economic crisis for
farmers.
Two different economic recessions hit the U.S. (like 2008) in
1873 and 1893.
Same characteristics unemployment levels soared, banks,
businesses and farmers lost money from high debt.
Populism
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Farmers in distress began demanding the U.S. Government to
help them.
The first issue that farmers wanted the U.S. Government to take
care of was to lower tariffs.
Tariffs are taxes on imported goods.
High tariffs hurt farmers because it raises the prices of
imported farm machinery, and it prevents foreign countries
from making money which they can use to buy more crops.
Populism
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The second issue that farmers wanted the U.S. Government to take
care of was to provide free silver – the unlimited coining of silver
dollars – to increase crop prices.
The federal government needs to keep our currency in balance to
avoid inflation and deflation.
Inflation is where there is too much money in circulation which causes
prices on goods to increase.
Deflation is where there is too little money in circulation which causes
prices of goods to decrease.
Populism
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In 1873 during an economic recession the U.S.
Government to prevent inflation and stabilize the
economy put the nation’s economy on the gold
standard.
This hurt miners and farmers in the west because it
reduced prices of their goods.
This caused them to form powerful protest groups.
Populism
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The Farmers’ Alliance formed in 1870s and called for federal
control on railroad shipping prices, and more money in
circulation.
Pressure from the group produced the Interstate Commerce Act
– a law that regulated prices that railroads could charge to
move freight between states.
The Farmers’ Alliance led to a new political party called the
People’s Party.
Populism
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Members called themselves Populists.
Populists hoped to gain more power in government by winning
elections.
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Their stances included:
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an increased circulation of money
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the unlimited mining of silver
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a progressive income tax – higher taxes for higher wealth
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government ownership of communication and transportation systems.
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Populism
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Populists had the support of western farmers and miners,
and they tried earning support from eastern workers by
supporting an eight hour work day.
They also sought a united front of white and black
workers to pull blacks away from the Republican Party.
In 1896 they nominated William Jennings Bryan – a
fantastic speaker – for president.
Populism
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Bryan gave a powerful speech called the Cross of
Gold Speech in which he used biblical references to
protest the gold standard.
The Populists reached the peak of their popularity
at this time.
However, Bryan lost the1896 election to Republican
William McKinley.
Populism
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McKinley raised the tariffs to new levels hurting farmers even
more.
Gold discoveries in South Africa, Canada, and Alaska
cemented the U.S. stance on the gold standard.
To the surprise of farmers crop prices eventually began to
increase.
Populism died, but the idea of trying to reform society lived
on.