U S History Unit 1 GILDED AGE 1877
- Slides: 42
U. S. History Unit 1 – GILDED AGE (1877 – 1898) The Western Frontier & A New Industrial Age
The Western Frontier
CULTURES CLASH ON THE PRAIRIE • The culture of the Plains Indians was not well known to Easterners, picturing the west as a vast desert occupied by savage tribes. • The Osaga and the Iowa had hunted and planted in the Great plains for over 100 years. • Farther West, tribes such as the Sioux and Cheyenne gathered wild food and hunted buffalo.
THE HORSE AND BISON/BUFFALO BISON v. BUFFALO • The introduction of horses by the Spanish (1598) and later guns, meant natives were able to travel farther and hunt more efficiently. • While the horse provided speed and mobility, it was the bison that provided for basic needs. • Bison provided hides, and skin for clothes, shoes, and blankets. Bison meat was dried into jerky mixed with fruit and fat to make pemmican.
FAMILY LIFE ON THE PLAINS • Small extended families were the norm. • Men were hunters, while women helped butcher the game and prepared the hides. • Tribes were very spiritual and lead by a counsel, and land was communal. SIOUX TRIBE
SETTLERS PUSH WESTWARD A COVERED WAGON HEADS WEST • The white settlers who pushed westward had a different culture and idea about land ownership. • Concluding that the plains were “unsettled, “ and Native Americans forfeited their rights to the land since they did not settle the land improve it. Therefore, thousands of white settlers advanced to claim land. • Gold being discovered in Colorado only intensified the rush for land.
THE GOVERNMENT RESTRICTS NATIVES • As more and more settlers headed west, the U. S. Government increasingly protected white settlers their interests. • Railroad Companies also influenced government decisions. • Most tribes ignored U. S. Government laws and treaties and continued to hunt on traditional lands resulting in clashes with settlers and miners. RAILROADS GREATLY IMPACTED NATIVE LIFE
NATIVES AND SETTLERS CLASH • 1834 – Government set aside all of the Great Plains as “Indian lands” • 1850 s- Government shifts policy, giving natives much smaller lands • 1864 - Massacre at Sand Creek; US Army attack killing 150 native women and children
OTHER CONFLICTS AND BATTLES • Conflicts continued including; Fetterman Massacre and Red River War • Custer’s Last Stand occurred in early 1876 when Colonel Custer reached Little Big Horn. Led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, the natives outflanked and crushed Custer’s troops • Wounded Knee - Dec 28, 1890 the 7 th Calvary rounded up 350 Sioux & attempted to disarm them. A shot was fired & 300 Sioux were killed by U. S. Soldiers ONE OF THE FEW NATIVE VICTORIES WAS LITTLE BIG HORN
THE DAWES ACT END OF THE TRAIL • The Dawes Act of 1887 attempted to assimilate natives. • The Act called for the break up of reservations and the introduction of natives into American life. • By 1932, 2/3 rds of the land committed to Natives had been taken.
1819 – American Indian Land 1894 – American Indian Land
DESTRUCTION OF THE BUFFALO • The most significant blow to tribal life on the plains was the destruction of the bison. • Tourist and fur traders shot bison for sport. • 1800: 65 million bison roamed the plains. • 1890: less than 1000 remained. MOUND OF BISON SKULLS & HIDES
CATTLE BECOMES BIG BUSINESS • As the bison disappeared horses and cattle flourished. • Ranching became increasingly profitable. • Texas rangers learned how to handle the Texas Longhorns from Mexican rangers. • Cowboys became in demand once the railroads reached the Great Plains.
TRAILS CONNECTED TO RAILROADS
SETTLING ON THE GREAT PLAINS • Federal land policy and the completion of the transcontinental railroad led to the rapid settlement of American west. • 1862 – Congress passed Homestead Act which allowed 160 free acres to any “head of household. ” • African Americans, known as Exodusters, took advantage of government offer and moved from the South to Kansas.
OKLAHOMA SOONERS • In 1889, a major governmental land giveaway, in what is now Oklahoma, attracted thousands • In less than a day, 2 million acres were claimed by settlers • Some took possession before the government had officially declared it open – thus Oklahoma became known as the “Sooner State”
INCREASED TECHNOLOGY HELPS FARMERS JOHN DEERE’S STEEL PLOW HAD TO BE PULLED BY A HORSE OR MULE • 1837 – John Deere invented a steel plow that could slice through heavy soil. • 1847 – Cyrus Mc. Cormick mass-produced a reaping machine. • Other inventions included a grain drill to plant seed, barbed wire, and corn binder.
FARMERS & POPULIST MOVEMENT • In the late 1800 s, many farmers were struggling • Crop prices were falling, debt increased • Mortgages were being foreclosed by banks
POPULIST PARTY IS BORN • Leaders of the farmers organization realized they needed to build a base of political power • Populism – the movement of the people – was born in 1892 with the founding of the Populist, or People’s Party. • When Republican candidate William Mc. Kinley was elected president, the People’s Party collapsed burying the hopes of farmers. THIS POLITICAL CARTOON SHOWS A POPULIST CLUBBING A RAILROAD CAR
POPULIST REFORMS • Proposed economic reforms included; increase of money supply, a rise in crop prices, lower taxes, a federal loan program. • Proposed political reforms included; direct election of senators, single terms for presidents • Populists also called for an 8 -hour workday and reduced immigration
A New Industrial Age
THE EXPANSION OF INDUSTRY • After the Civil War (1865) the U. S. was still largely agriculture • By 1920, the U. S. was the leading industrial power in the world • This enormous growth was due to three factors; ØNatural Resources ØGovernmental support for business ØUrbanization
BLACK GOLD • In 1859, Edwin Drake used a steam engine to drill for oil • This breakthrough started an oil boom in the Midwest and later Texas • At first the process was limited to transforming the oil into kerosene and throwing out the gasoline -a by-product of the process • Later, the gasoline was used for cars EDWIN DRAKE PICTURED WITH BARRELS OF OIL
BESSEMER STEEL PROCESS • Oil was not the only valuable natural resource • Coal and iron were plentiful within the U. S. • When you removed the carbon from iron, the result was a lighter, more flexible and rust resistant compound – Steel • The Bessemer process did just that by injecting air into the molten iron to remove the carbon. (Henry Bessemer & William Kelly) BESSEMER CONVERTOR
NEW USES FOR STEEL • The railroads, with thousands of miles of track, were the biggest customers for steel • Other uses emerged: barbed wire, farm equipment, bridge construction (Brooklyn Bridge- 1883), and the first skyscrapers BROOKLYN BRIDGE SPANS 1595 FEET IN NYC
INVENTIONS SPUR INDUSTRY
ELECTRICITY • 1876 - Thomas Alva Edison established the world’s first research lab in New Jersey • There Edison perfected the incandescent light bulb in 1880 • Later he invented an entire system for producing and distributing electricity • By 1890, electricity powered numerous machines EDISON
THE TYPEWRITER • Christopher Sholes invented the typewriter in 1867 • His invention forever affected office work and paperwork • It also opened many new jobs for women • 1870: Women made up less than 5% of workforce 1910: They made up 40%
THE TELEPHONE • Another important invention of the late 19 th century was the telephone • Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Watson unveiled their invention in 1876 BELL AND HIS PHONE
THE AGE OF THE RAILROADS • The growth and consolidation of the railroad industry influenced many facets of American life • However, the unchecked power of the railroad companies led to widespread abuses and then reforms
A NATIONAL NETWORK • By 1869, tracks had been laid across the continent (Golden Spike- Utah) • Immigrants from China and Ireland out-ofwork Civil War vets provided most of the difficult labor • Thousands lost their lives and tens of thousands were injured laying track IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA LAID TRACK
RAILROAD AND TIME • Before 1883, each community still operated on its own time • For example: Noon in Boston was 12 minutes later than noon in New York City • Indiana had dozens of different times • No standard time reference
PROFESSOR DOWD CREATES TIME ZONES • In 1869, to remedy this problem, Professor C. F. Dowd proposed dividing the earth into 24 time zones • The U. S. would be divided into 4 zones: the eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific • 1883 – Railroads synchronized their watches across U. S. • 1884 – International Conference adopts zones PROFESSOR DOWD EXPLAINS HIS TIME ZONES
THE WORLD IS DIVIDED INTO 24 TIME ZONES
THE GRANGE AND THE RAILROADS GRANGERS PUT A STOP TO RAILROAD CORRUPTION • Farmers were especially affected by corruption in the railroad industry • Grangers (a farmers organization) protested government land grants, price fixing, and charging different rates to different customers • Granger Laws were then passed protecting farmers • States were given regulation control of railroads by the Courts, but Supreme Court overruled regulation
INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT • In 1887, the Federal government re-established their control over railroad activities • Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act, requiring rates to be “fair & reasonable, and Act established a 5 -member Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) • The ICC struggled to gain power until 1906 1887 – CONGRESS PASSED THE ICA
BIG BUSINESS AND LABOR • Andrew Carnegie was one of the first industrial moguls who entered the steel industry in 1873 • By 1899, the Carnegie Steel Company manufactured more steel than all the factories in Great Britain combined • Carnegie initiated many new business practices such as: ØSearching for ways to make better products more cheaply ØAccounting systems to track expenses ØAttracting quality people by offering them stock & benefits
BUSINESS GROWTH & CONSOLIDATION • • For many years Government allow Laissez-faire to continue Business Mergers could result in a monopoly (Trust) A monopoly is complete control over an industry An example of consolidation: • In 1870, Rockefeller Standard Oil Company owned 2% of the country’s crude oil • By 1880 – it controlled 90% of U. S. crude oil • For healthy business competition, Congress passed the Sherman Anti-Trust Act which made illegal to form a trust/monopoly that interfered with free trade or hindered competition • Prosecuting companies under Act was not easy – a business would simply reorganize into single companies to avoid prosecution
WORKERS HAD POOR CONDITIONS • Workers routinely worked 6 or 7 days a week, had no vacations, no sick leave, and no compensation for injuries • Injuries were common – In 1882, an average of 675 workers were killed PER WEEK on the job • Most families could not survive unless everyone held a job: Ø 20% of boys & 10% of girls under the age 15 had full time jobs
LABOR UNIONS EMERGE • As conditions for laborers worsened, workers realized they needed to organize • The first large-scale national organization of workers was the National Labor Union in 1866 • The Colored National Labor Union followed
WOMEN ORGANIZE • Although women were barred from most unions, they did organize behind powerful leaders such as Mary Harris Jones • She organized the United Mine Workers of America • Mine workers gave her the nickname, “Mother Jones” • Pauline Newman organized the International Ladies Garment Workers Union at the age of 16
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