Growing America Moves West Chapter 3 Miners Ranchers

Growing America Moves West Chapter 3

Miners, Ranchers, and Railroads Timeline: 1855 -1888 Key Terms: frontier, Comstock Lode, boomtowns, Cattle Kingdom, cattle drive, Chisholm Trail, Pony Express, transcontinental railroad Main Ideas: A mining boom brought growth to the West. The demand for cattle created a short-lived Cattle Kingdom on the Great Plains. East and West were connected by the transcontinental railroad.

Mining Boom Brings Growth • California joined the country in 1850 so settlers began to travel to the west coast • This undeveloped area (frontier) continued to change- homes, fences, farms • Railroad eventually changed the landscape of the west. It was used to transfer natural resources back and forth from east to west (vice versa). • Most valuable resources were gold and silver

Cause and Effect • Causes: new land for settlers, mineral resources, supportive businesses, and immigration • Effects: new towns, railroads connect cities, and the Cattle Kingdom

Big Business • Comstock Lode- large collection of gold & silver in Nevada-lured thousands • Comstock Lode produced more than $500 million in 20 years through mining • Problems with mining: dangerous, unsafe equipment, dark dusty tunnels, stuffy air, explosions, cave ins, and fire • Labor unions were formed to protect the miners

Importance of Cowboys • Cowboys/cowhands took care of the cattle on the ranches using techniques used by Mexican ranchers (vaqueros). • Most important job was the cattle drive-long, hot, dangerous journey taking cows to the railhead. Usually lasted months. Cowboys stopped in towns and stirred trouble. • Wyatt Earp was a law officer that became famous for keeping peace • Chisholm Trail-most popular route to transfer cows from Texas to Kansas

Boomtowns • Settlers from America and other countries travelled to mine for gold • Communities grew quickly around a mine – boomtown – and disappeared immediately when the mine closed. • Boomtowns typically had a general store, , saloon, and boardinghouses/hotel • The few women in boomtowns washed, cooked, sewed, and chopped wood

The Cattle Kingdom • Cattle industry grew rapidly also due to high demand in the East. • Cows were cheap in Texas ($3 -$6) but people paid more for them in other states like Kansas ($38) and New York ($80). Longhorns were popular. • Joseph Mc. Coy built cow pens in Kansas to put them on the railroad to sell in New York. • The Cattle Kingdom spread from Texas to Canada throughout the Great Plains.

End of the Open Range • Great Plains was covered with open range until farmers bought land where cattle once roamed • Barbed wire was invented in 1874 so large amounts of land to be fenced • This helped conclude the Cattle Kingdom. Cows ate the prairie grass. Severe winters killed cows. Ruined financial lives of ranchers and ended the Cattle Kingdom.

Transcontinental Railroad • • Need for goods to transfer across the country increased. Pony Express began to carry messages on horseback in 1860. Telegraph replaced the Pony Express. (Listen to telegraph online) Transcontinental railroad made transportation easier and faster

Great Race • Federal government loaned money to build railroad- called the Pacific Railway Act. The agreement gave land for the railroad if the railroad would carry military and mail cheaply. Others were trying to create more railroads. • Central Pacific (Cali) and Union Pacific (Nebraska) began building with plans to meet in the middle. • Conclusion was in Promontory, Utah where a golden spike was used to connect the railroads which made one railroad across the Great Plains.

Railroad Workers • Immigrants and Americans worked with many challenges – travel, explosions, snow, disease, heat, etc. • It took years to build the railroad but became largest industry in U. S. • Soon afterwards, the Great Plains was crisscrossed with numerous railroads which made transportation faster and easier. The interdependent economy and population grew near railroads, families moved to the Plains. • Four time zones were created in 1883. (Watch Men that Built America)

Golden Spike • Promontory Point, Utah is today a museum honoring the final spike of the building of the transcontinental railroad in 1869. • Companies continued to build railroads to connect with the transcontinental railroad until the west was crisscrossed with railroads. • There were parties, parades, and celebrations throughout the country once the railroad was completed-it was a BIG deal to everyone!

Results of the Railroad • • Increased economic growth and population in the western states Better transportation of people and products Increased land sells in the west Helped western businesses like miners, ranchers, and farmers Helped eastern businesses exchange products Four time zones were established Investments from Americans-made railroads a BIG business

Wars for the West Key Terms: Treaty of Fort Laramie, reservations, Crazy Horse, Treaty of Medicine Lodge, buffalo soldiers, George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, Battle of the Little Bighorn, Massacre at Wounded Knee, Long Walk, Geronimo, Ghost Dance, Sarah Winnemucca, Dawes General Allotment Act Main Ideas: As settlers moved to the Great Plains, they encountered the Plains Indians. The US Army and Native Americans fought over land throughout the west. Despite efforts to reform US policy toward Native Americans, conflict continued.

Settlers Encounter Plains Indians • Great Plains covered the center of the US from Canada to Texas and many Native Americans lived there. US tried to negotiate treaties over land despite the numerous languages. They used a common sign language. • Native American Tribes: Apache, Comanche, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Pawnee, Sioux… • Indians depended on horse & buffalo for survival. Food, shelter, clothing, utensils and tools cam from buffalo. Horses helped them to kill buffalo.

Struggle to Keep Land • Treaty of Fort Laramie-FIRST major treaty between US and Indians -acknowledged Indian land but allowed US to build forts and roads. • Soon afterwards, US created reservations-areas of federal land set aside for Indians but hunting was difficult remaining on reservation. Indians were nomads and followed the buffalo. • Bozeman Trail allowed miners to cross the Plains. Sioux leader, Crazy Horse ambushed troops.

Other Treaties • Second Treaty of Fort Laramie-US closed Bozeman Trail, abandoned forts and provided land for reservation • Treaty of Medicine Lodge-Indians agreed to live on reservation. Comanche Indians fought until they finally surrendered. • African American Buffalo soldiers assisted US in forcing Indians to leave

Battle of Little Bighorn • US Lt George Custer discovered gold in S. Dakota mountains. Sioux Indians claimed the land so fighting began. • Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull surrounded and conquered Custer’s troops in Montana-worst defeat in the west. • Revenge at the Battle of Wounded Knee-last major battle in the west.

Long Walk • Navajo Indians refused to surrender so the US troops invaded • US Army led Navajo’s on a 300 mile march to a reservation. Many Indians died on the way • Geronimo led the southern Indians until he surrendered to the US Army

Ghost Dance • Religious movement predicting paradise • US feared it was a war chant encouraging rebellion so they outlawed it • Sarah Winnemucca – Native American encouraged reform through speeches • Helen Hunt Jackson wrote books about reservations and needs for reform

Dawes Act • Dawes General Allotment Act 1887 -tried to decrease traditional influence on Indian society by making land ownership private rather than shared • It promised land to Indians but failed-only gave a little poor soil to Indians • Broke up reservations and took 2/3 of Indian land

Chief Joseph • What would you do to protect your home and ways of life? (discuss) • • 1840 -1904 in present day Oregon, Nez Perce Indians Tried to lead 700 Indians on a 3 month 1400 mile hike to Canada Hungry, cold, exhausted, and sick Analyze Chief Joseph’s speech (p. 99)

Farming & Populism • Key Terms: Homestead Act, Morrill Act, exoduster, sodbuster, dry farming, Annie Bidwell, National Grange, deflation, William Jennings Bryan, Populist Party • Main Ideas: Many Americans started new lives on the Great Plains. Economic challenges led to the creation of farmers’ political groups. By the 1890’s, the western frontier had com to an end.

Life on the Plains • Homestead Act 1862 gave government owned land to small farmers-160 acres in exchange for 5 years of living and farming that land • Morrill Act gave 17 million acres of government land to states for them to sell and use the money to build colleges and teach agriculture (farming) and engineering (Auburn University)

Great Plains Settlers • • Single women African Americans White settlers European immigrants from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, and Czechoslovakia • Exoduster-southern African Americans escaping prejudice to live in the west

Farming • Challenges: extreme heat and cold, poor soil, crop failure • Successes: sodbusters broke up hard dry soil for planting; mechanical farming introduced machines to the farm which required less workers • Dry farming was a method used to shift away from water dependent crops like corn • Europeans introduced a wheat seed that grew in dry climates • Eventually, the Great Plains became known as the breadbasket of the world

Building Communities • Women settling the Plains brought a new respect which facilitated strong political voices • Annie Bidwell from California used her influence to support moral and social issues • Created local church and school to support one another • Children did chores • Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote Little House on the Prairie (book/tv show)

Farmers’ Income Issues • US population doubled between 1860 -1900 so farms tripled • Overproduction decreased prices of crops and farmers could not pay bills. Some lost their farms and homes due to debt. They became tenant farmers working someone else’s farm.

Farmers’ Political Groups • Farmers formed a group to politically protect their interests • National Grange – social and educational organization for farmers was formed; membership grew quickly • Campaigned for candidates who supported farmers’ goals • Interstate Commerce Act provided national regulations over trade between states to ensure fair railroad rates • It was not enforced though

Free Silver Debate • All paper money had to be backed by gold in the US Treasury (research) • Money supply couldn’t keep up with population increase which led to deflation-decrease in money supply and lowers prices • Solution: allow unlimited coining of silver backed by silver • William Jennings Bryan was a candidate that supported the silver coins • Coins didn’t help as much as expected

Populist Party • Farmers’ Alliances was a strong political force and eventually became the Populist Party-wanted the government to own railroads and favored the silver coinage. They also supported an 8 hour workday on immigration limits. • Panic of 1893 -economic decline that scared Americans and many began to support the Populist Party • Republican William Mc. Kinley and Democrat William Jennings Bryan ran for President. Populists supported Bryan since he agreed to silver coinage • Mc. Kinley won and Populist Party & Farmers’ Alliances ended

End of the Frontier • Very little space in the Great Plains was settled by 1870 and most was open range (Song: Home on the Range) • Oklahoma Land Rush-settlers claimed over 11 million acres of Indian land • Some people cheated and claimed land before the rush legally began-they were called sooners (Oklahoma Sooners) • This ended the westward movement in the US

Test Time • Review p. 107 -108