The Old West Post Civil War Expansion Why

“The Old West” • Post Civil War Expansion… Why? ? ? –Homestead Act 1862 –“American Dream” – Rushes • Land • Gold/silver etc. –Crowded NE b/c of industry/immigration –Dr. ’s told people about benefits of fresh, dry open air of the Plains…. (oops!)

Natives on the Frontier • 1860 - 360, 000 Natives lived west of Miss. River – Plains Indians – Nomads – Those forced to Oklahoma reservations • Settler encroachment forces second big decision regarding Natives…. . • New reservations made in the Dakota’s – Great Sioux Reservation • Indians would be left alone and given food, clothing, supplies if they peacefully gave up their lands and moved to reservations…. – Wards of the state (welfare), , , infantilism

Indian Wars • 30 years of clashes in the West • Massacres/raids committed on both sides • “Buffalo Soldiers” – Natives thought the attackers looked like buffaloes…. Black soldiers • “Black Jack” Pershing • “Little Big Horn” – Custer’s last stand • Kid general’s army wiped out by natives – Sitting Bull/Crazy Horse – Embarrassment led to US expanding efforts to wipe out natives!!! • “Ghost Dance” – After the banning of the Sun Dance – Jack Wilson (Wovoka)“The Prophet” vs. President Harrison again? ? ? – “Ghost Shirts” • “Battle of Wounded Knee” (1890) – Massacre of native men, women, children (up to 300) – Geronimo- last of the Apaches • His defeat basically resigns the natives to life on the reservations, hoping to preserve culture there

Reasons for US victory • • • RR’s Technology Disease Population “firewater” Extermination of buffalo (Plains Indians main resource)

Dawes Severalty Act- 1887 • Last Indian Act? ? ? – Removal act 1830!! • Divided up native territories in the West – Most land given to RR companies and white settlers!! – Tribal lands divided into 160 acre plots based on “family” size – Lands were in charge of the “head of the family” to redistribute… • Chiefs? ? ? Hint on the real purpose of the Act! • If the Natives behaved like good white settlers, after 25 years they get to keep their lands • Tribes abolished!!!

Purpose of Dawes Act • To assimilate, or “civilize” the natives – “Kill the Indians, and save the man” • Assimilate into “white culture” • 1924 - natives granted US citizenship… how nice!!! • Carlisle Indian School (Pa. ) – Westernize the natives – Carlisle vs. Army football game 1912 • Pop Warner, Jim Thorpe vs. Omar Bradley, Dwight Eisenhower • 1934 - “Indian New Deal” – Restore tribal basis

Plight of the Buffalo • • Herds roamed free on the prairie 50 -60 million before the Civil War By 1900, virtually extinct!!! Importance for Natives – Food/clothing/shelter/fertilizer/heat (buffalo chips) • Train shooting!!!! – For sport – And necessity!!! “Cow plow”

Cowboys • “Long Drives” – Cattle herding from SW to K. C. or Chi. – Cowboys bringing cattle to slaughter – RR made this possible!!! (needed to transport cattle before they died!!) • Swift and Armour

Farmer Frontier • Over ½ million families took advantage of Homestead Act • 2 ½ million bought land from RR companies (RR land= better land!!) • Positive side effect of killing the buffalo!!!! – Less messed up land b/c of stomping buffalo – Softer ground=better soil – Addition of steel plow makes for “Breadbasket of the World” • Prairie life= constant battle with drought

Growth of RR’s • 1865= 35, 000 miles of track (mostly east of Miss. River) • 1900= 200, 000 miles, more than all of Europe • US govt supported the RR’s…. Why? – – Populate the region RR’s ship faster! Civil war troop transport Tie country together!!! Postal service Govt gets discount rates!! • 200 million acres of land given to RR owners by state and federal govts. ! – Checkerboard design- 6 to 40 miles on each side of tracks!!

Power of the RR’s • RR route determined “boom towns” vs. “ghost towns”- bribes from mayors!!! • RR could use their lands as collateral to buy other businesses • RR owners brought in Asian and Irish immigrants to work on RR’s – 4/5 th of Pacific RR’s (Cal. ) built by Chinese, CP same with Irish • Fed/housed/ supplied them!! • Transcontinental RR 1869 – “Golden Spike” Promontory Utah • Farmers vs. the RR’s – Save for tomorrow!!!

“Companies to Cornelius” • • Union Pacific/ Central Pacific Many early companies overstretched their $$ and went bankrupt Cornelius Vanderbilt consolidated RR’s Makes the RR basically a monopoly – Commodore Vanderbilt – Grand Central Station NYC • Vanderbilt innovations – “rebates”, temporary price reductions – Technology • “Steel wheels” • 4 track system • Air brakes • Time zones!!!!! • Standard track width (gauge) • Track signals