January 21, 2009 (Wed)
Greg Smoak: Lincoln and the West
Image of Lincoln was that of the “Rail Splitter”
Images are both romanticized, used as propaganda, and used as political satire
Jefferson and idea of everyone able to succeed filtered through Jackson and Democracy
and filtered through the free-labor ideology; cannot succeed if slavery is allowed to
extend West= Lincoln and the Republican Party.
Free Labor: Utopian capitalism and Individualism played out in 1850’s
West is so critical because Congress controls the territories. If slavery is allowed to
extend out to the West, then people cannot succeed through their hard work and
individual desire to succeed.
Lincoln was an astute politician and politics were his passion
In Congress he was known for his opposition to the Mexican War and he was called “old
spotty” because he kept requesting spot resolutions
He only serves one term, is voted out of office in 1848
Zachary Taylor offers him the governorship of OR, Lincoln turns it down and returns to
law in Illinois
Lincoln is successful and practices throughout Illinois
You do not become president of the U.S. without ambition
Runs for Senate in IL in 1858 against Douglas
Becomes the Republican Party’s standard-bearer
Believes southern Democrats would try to take over Congress and extend slavery to the
territories. If that happens than the free labor system will collapse.
Election of Lincoln in 1860
Lincoln is not even on the ballot in most Southern States
Election is between North and South
All you need is the electoral votes in the North and you can see that the North in 1860
alone can elect a president
South hates this idea
The West is important to Republican ideology and the need to keep the control with the
Federal Government
Wartime Policies in the American West
Lincoln’s vision included having the RR to tie the country together
1862 signed the Pacific RR Act, but it didn’t get started until 1867
Political Control
Lincoln’s single greatest achievement was organizing the territories into political units
that are pro-union and strong in controlling that territory
Western Territories at the Eve of the Civil War (MAP)
CO, UT, NV in 1861 Territories
UT and WA appointed new governors
ID, AZ, MT in 1863 and 1864
1863 NM Territory (MAP)
Case Studies
Confederate Territory of AZ/southern miners move into AZ
Governor takes over and declares AZ part of the confederacy
Fall of 1862, Confederate forces are retreating
Mining lobby goes to Union Congress
In 1863, Union creates the modern state
Prescott is the capital—union miners, ME—John Goodwin (ME) first governor
Next challenge is UT
Mormon church had moved church West, outside of Federal control
Founded Salt Lake City in the summer of 1847
Vilified in most of the US by its practice of polygamy
Young envisions the State of Deseret with LA as the port
Utah Territory 1851 (MAP)
UT Territory created through compromise with Brigham Young becoming the governor.
Bring federal control through working with the powers that be. Territorial judges flee the
territory. Young removed as governor in 1857. Young was a slaveholder. What happens
is the shrinking of UT as the federal government works to gain control of the territory.
UT founded as a slave territory (no economic base)
NV State in 1861, has a tiny population (SEE MAP in FOLDER)
Republican platform was anti-polygamy and anti-slavery
Utah War
Buchanan sends army to try to get the Mormons under federal control
Albert Sidney Johnson leads, quits army and becomes a confederate commander, killed at
Shiloh
Debacle—no ground gained in UT
Mountain Meadows Massacre, Sept. 11, 1857
Mormons killed a group of settlers and UT became a difficult battleground for union
loyalty
At the outset of the Civil War, Lincoln is worried that UT will not remain loyal
Lincoln sends a message to Young—if you leave me alone, I will leave you alone
Social Control
Lincoln is less involved in the social control of the West—extending the free-labor
ideology
The Homestead Act (pure Jeffersonian ideology)
Most southern congressmen did not see this as pivotal to their survival and their
economic base
As southern congressmen secede, congress can finally pass it
1862—Homestead Act is passed and the point is to encourage individual ownership in
the land
160 acres of public domain land
Difficult in places where the farming that is done is very different than mid-west type
farming—ARID WEST
Homestead is very difficult
RR will have massive land grants, removed from public domain
RR offered package deals to encourage dependence and RR growth
1862-1900: 1.62 million Homestead applications that are carried through to patent
map homestead division (GET THIS FROM JIM)
Other piece of Social Engineering in the West was the Land Grant College: Morrill Act
or Land Grant College Act of 1862—Reserved two townships of land (according to how
many Congressmen per state)
Military Control in the West
Lincoln wants to control the West by controlling Western Trails—results are some of the
worst massacres in Western history
The Bear River Massacre, January 1863
Nov. 1864, Sand Creek Massacre
In the West, Native Americans suffer the worst casualties during the Civil War
Creation of the Pony Express: April 1860 to October 1861
15 miles apart
190 stations
Never is financially viable—even with federal subsidies
Telegraph provides instant communication, makes express obsolete by 1861
Butterfield Route takes the South—not viable during the War
Central Route—follows Express
Communication and Transportation between East and West handled through federal
monopolies and subsidies to private companies
Deeper history of transcontinental RR is vital to West’s history
1850’s there are 4 different surveys of routes
Realization is that the territories have to be organized before RR can be built
Contingency of history—given possibilities and making choices based on what they are
given
Lincoln felt the West was vitally important for keeping the strength of the Union
Reconstruction and the West
SANDERSON ASSOCIATES MAP
Land transferred by Indians from 1775-1992
Federal Control and Private Ownership
Transfer wealth of public domain and make it accessible to private interests
Dispossess Native nations to make ownership possible
Water development in the West
Mining Law of 1872
Still on the books and hotly contested; especially in the West
Same miners leave each gold rush to become
Ideology of government is to open land to development; creates wealth for nation and
(more people “buy into” free labor/capitalist philosophy) WHO BENEFITS?
X FOR ABANDONED MINES IN THE WEST