Chapter 7 – Looking to the West

Section 1: Moving WestSection 2: Conflict With Native AmericansSection 3: Mining, Ranching, and Farming

Section 4: Populism

Section 1: Moving West

TEKS – 10A, 10B, 12A

TEKS

10A Analyze the effects of changing demographic patterns

resulting from migration within the United States.

10B Analyze the effects of changing demographic patterns

resulting from immigration to the United States.

12A Analyze the relationship between private property rights

and the settlement of the Great Plains.

West’s Appeal

Kindled people’s: sense of adventure entrepreneurial spirit appetite for profit and

conquest Push-Pull Factors –

events and conditions that either force (push) people to move elsewhere or strongly attract (pull) them to do so.

Push Factors

Push factors1. Civil War had

displaced thousands of farmers and former slaves

2. Failed entrepreneurs seeking a second chance

3. Ethnic and religious repression

4. Opens spaces sheltered outlaws

Pull Factors

Pacific Railway Acts – governmnet gave large land grants to the Union Pacific and Central Pacific railroads 175 million acres of land

Morrill Land-Grant Act – gave state governments millions of acres of western lands, which the states could then sell to raise money for the creation of “land grant” colleges Sold to land-speculators

People who bought up large areas of land in the hope of selling it later for profit

Pull Factors Cont.

Homestead Act – for a small fee, settlers could have 160 acres of land if they met certain conditions (age 21, citizen, built a house, and stayed on it for 5 years)

Private Property The acts helped to limit settlers’ risks and avoid a total free-

for-all

Mass Exodus of African Americans

Benjamin Singleton led groups of southern blacks on a mass “Exodus” to a prophesied homeland Exodusters – the

settlers that took part in the mass exodus

Some 50,000

Section 2: Conflict With Native Americans

TEKS – 2A, 12A, 21A, 21C

TEKS

2A Analyze political issues such as Indian policies, the growth of

political machines, and civil service reform. 12A

Analyze the relationship between private property rights and the settlement of the Great Plains.

21A Explain actions taken by people from racial, ethnic, and religious

groups to expand economic opportunities and political rights in American society.

21C Analyze how the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic,

and religious groups have helped to shape the national identity.

The Great Plains

Great Plains – the vast grassland between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains

The Great Plains Cont.

Millions of buffalo ranged the plains Supplied Native

Americans meat, hides for shelter and clothing, and a wealth of other uses

Spanish introduced the horse to the Native Americans Became nomads –

people who travel from place to place following food sources

Conflict Over the Land

Americans view of the land Justified in taking the land because, in their

view, they could make it more productive

Native Americans view of the Americans The settlers were invaders intruding on sacred

land

Native American Reservations

Reservations – federal lands set aside for Native Americans Created the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

Supposed to manage the delivery of critical supplies to the reservations, but corruption limited their abilities

Sand Creek Massacre, 1864

Location: East of Denver, Colorado

Native American Tribe: Cheyenne

Cause: Cheyenne raids on wagon trains and settlements

What happened: Colonel John Chivington attacked the Native Americans after they had been promised protection at Sand Creek

Result: Between 150 and 500 slaughtered and the Cheyenne agreed to move to a reservation

The Battle of Little Big Horn, 1876

Location: Little Big Horn River in present-day Montana

Native American Tribe: Sioux Cause: Miners overtook the Black

Hills region after whispers of gold What happened: Lieutenant

Colonel George A. Custer sent to round up the Native Americans under the leadership of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse; Custer wiped out by 2000 Native Americans in an hour

Result: Stunned Americans; Troops flooded the area and forced the Indians back to the reservations

The Battle of Wounded Knee, 1890

Location: Wounded Knee Creek

Native American Tribe: Lakota or Teton Sioux

Cause: Indian Police Officers shot and killed Sitting Bull

What happened: Native Americans gathered at a creek called Wounded Knee; someone fired a shot, soldiers opened fire, and killed more than 200

Result: The last major episode of violence in the Indian wars

Attempts to Change Native American Culture

Assimilation – the process by which one society becomes a part of another, more dominant society by adopting its culture

Dawes Act – dismantled the Native American concept of shared land in favor of the principle of private property

Opening Indian Territory

On April 22, 1889, tens of thousands of homesteaders lined up at the territory’s borders to stake a claim to some land Boomers – those that staked claims Sooners – people who had sneaked past government

officials earlier to mark their claim

Section 3: Mining, Ranching, and Farming

TEKS – 8A, 20E, 22A, 22B, 22C

TEKS

8A Create thematic maps, graphs, charts, models, and databases

representing various aspects of the United States. 20E

Identify the impact of popular American culture on the rest of the world. 22A

Explain the effects of scientific discoveries and technological innovations such as electric power, the telegraph and telephone, petroleum-based products, medical vaccinations, and computers on the development of the United States.

22B Explain how scientific discoveries and technological innovations such as those in

agriculture, the military, and medicine resulted from specific needs. 22C

Analyze the impact of technological innovations on the nature of work, the American labor movement, and businesses.

Mining

Placer Mining – a Spanish technique where miners shoveled loose dirt into boxes and then ran water over the dirt to separate it from gold and silver particles

Mining Pictures

Ranching

25 million buffalo in 1840 and 1,100 remained in 1889 Replaced with cattle

Cow towns – a town built specifically for receiving cattle

Chisholm Trail

Long drive – the herding of thousands of cattle to railway centers scattered across the plains 3:30AM – Wake up 4:00AM – In the saddle Could spend 18 hours in the

saddle Cattle Barons – a new breed

of wealthy ranchers that created huge cattle operations

Combination of over-expansion, price declines, cold winters, dry summers, and cattle fever drove thousands into bankruptcy

Farming

Homesteaders – those who farmed claims (land) given to them by the Homestead Act Built homes first

Dugout – a home carved out of the side of an embankment

Soddie – a sod home where the walls and roof were made from blocks of sod (strips of grass with the thick roots and earth attached

• Cost less than $10

Men and Women Farming Roles

Family Roles in Farming Men – Labor and worked for hire Women – cared for the household

and worked on the farm Children – worked on the farm or

were hired out Dry Farming – water

conserving techniques including planting crops that do not require a great deal of water (sorghum), keeping the fields free of weeds, and digging deep furrows so water could reach the plant roots

Farming

Bonanza Farms – operations controlled by large businesses, managed by professionals, and raising massive quantities of single cash crops

In 1890, the end of the frontier was declared by the Census Bureau Turner thesis – an idea that frontier life had

created Americans who were socially mobile, ready for adventure, bent on individual self-improvement, and committed to democracy

Myths in Literature, Shows, and Song

Writers celebrated characters such as Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, and Deadwood Dick Stereotypes – exaggerated or oversimplified

descriptions of reality The west was where a young man could find

freedom and opportunity

Section 4: Populism

TEKS – 4C, 5B, 24B, 24C

TEKS

4C Evaluate the impact of third parties and their candidates such as

Eugene Debs, H. Ross Perot, and George Wallace. 5B

Analyze the impact of significant individuals such as Clarence Darrow, William Jennings Bryan, Henry Ford, and Charles A. Lindbergh.

24B Analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-

effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions.

24C Explain and apply different methods that historians use to interpret the

past, including the use of primary and secondary sources, points of view, frames of reference, and historical context.

Farmers and Tariffs

Tariffs on imported goods discourage people from buying imports by making them more expensive, thus encouraging the sale of goods produced at home

Hurt farmers in two ways:1. Raised the prices of manufactured goods,

such as farming machinery2. U.S. tariffs on manufacturing goods spurred

nations in Europe to retaliate with their own tariffs against American crops

The Money Issue

Money supply – the amount of money in the national economy Money supply increase, value of the dollar decreases

Causes inflation which helps farmers Money supply decrease, value of the dollar increases

Causes deflation – a drop in the prices on goods and hurts farmers

Monetary policy – the federal government’s plan for the makeup and quantity of the nation’s money supply Major political issue

Gold Standard

U.S. government on bimetallic standard Currency consisted of

gold or silver coins or United States treasury notes that could be traded in for gold or silver

U.S. changed to the gold standard which made the “gold bugs” happy

Silverites

“Silverites” called for free silver The unlimited coining of silver

dollars to increase the money supply

Bland-Allison Act of 1878 Required the federal government

to purchase and coin more silver, increasing the money supply and causing inflation

Sherman Silver Purchase Act Increased the amount of silver the

government was required to purchase every month

The Grange

Formed by Oliver H. Kelley

The Grange Helped farmers form

cooperatives, through which they bought goods in large quantities at lower prices

Interstate Commerce Act

Interstate Commerce Act Regulated the price that railroads charged to

move freight between states, requiring the rates to be set in proportion to the distance traveled

Set up the Interstate Commerce Commission

The Populists

Built the platform on the following issues:1. An increased circulation of money

2. The unlimited minting of silver

3. A progressive income tax

4. Government ownership of communications and transportation systems

Cross of Gold

William Jennings Bryan spoke at the democratic National Convention in 1896

Gave his famous Cross of Gold speech “You shall not press down

upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

Gold supplies increased, gold standard was reinstated, and populism slowly faded

End of Chapter 7 – Looking to the West

Prepare for a QUIZ!