Technology Technology and the and the
WestWest
Need for a Need for a Transcontinental Transcontinental
RailroadRailroad To connect East Coast to To connect East Coast to Oregon and CaliforniaOregon and California
Would reduce travel time from Would reduce travel time from months to daysmonths to days
Would lead to growth along Would lead to growth along the rail linethe rail line
But where should it be built?But where should it be built? Southerners wanted a route Southerners wanted a route
out of New Orleans, which out of New Orleans, which required purchase of land from required purchase of land from Mexico (Gadsden Purchase) Mexico (Gadsden Purchase) arranged by Secretary of War arranged by Secretary of War Jefferson DavisJefferson Davis
Northerners wanted a route Northerners wanted a route out of Chicago, but out of Chicago, but Southerners blocked their Southerners blocked their efforts in hopes that they efforts in hopes that they could barter the route for an could barter the route for an expansion of slaveryexpansion of slavery
Pacific Railway Pacific Railway ActAct
18621862 Provided for construction Provided for construction
of a transcontinental of a transcontinental railroad as a joint effort railroad as a joint effort between the Union between the Union Pacific and Central Pacific and Central Pacific RailroadsPacific Railroads
Both companies were Both companies were given land along the given land along the right-of-way to right-of-way to encourage competition encourage competition and rapid constructionand rapid construction
The Union PacificThe Union Pacific Led by Grenville Led by Grenville
Dodge, former Dodge, former union general union general known for his known for his organizational and organizational and managerial skillsmanagerial skills
Started rail line Started rail line heading west out heading west out of Omaha of Omaha Nebraska in 1865Nebraska in 1865
Union Pacific Union Pacific WorkersWorkers
Civil War vetsCivil War vets Irish immigrantsIrish immigrants Bankrupt miners and Bankrupt miners and
farmersfarmers 10,000 men living in 10,000 men living in
camps along the camps along the tracks and in rolling tracks and in rolling dormsdorms
Lots of rough living – Lots of rough living – gambling, drinking, gambling, drinking, fightingfighting
The Central PacificThe Central Pacific Organized in California Organized in California
under 4 investors, under 4 investors, including Leland including Leland Stanford, future governor Stanford, future governor of California and founder of California and founder of Stanford Universityof Stanford University
Hired 10,000 Chinese Hired 10,000 Chinese laborerslaborers
Had drawback of having Had drawback of having to have all equipment for to have all equipment for railroad and for railroad and for construction brought by construction brought by ship ship
Promontory, Utah 1869Promontory, Utah 1869
Time Zones Time Zones IntroducedIntroduced
Time had been measured Time had been measured purely by the sun’s purely by the sun’s position, so what time it position, so what time it was determined locallywas determined locally
1883: American Railway 1883: American Railway Association divided Association divided nation into 4 time zones nation into 4 time zones to ease railroad to ease railroad scheduling and improve scheduling and improve safety by eliminating safety by eliminating wrecks caused by wrecks caused by discrepancies in how discrepancies in how time was measuredtime was measured
Standardization of Standardization of TrainsTrains
Hundreds of railroads Hundreds of railroads consolidated into just 7 consolidated into just 7 major companies, major companies, increasing efficiency, increasing efficiency, lowering shipping and lowering shipping and travel costs, and allowing travel costs, and allowing the development of the development of improved technologies improved technologies which further increased which further increased efficiencyefficiency
Railroads tied America’s Railroads tied America’s regions together after the regions together after the war, helping end war, helping end sectionalismsectionalism
The Land Grant SystemThe Land Grant System Federal government Federal government
gave land to railroad gave land to railroad companies alongside companies alongside their rail lines to their rail lines to encourage developmentencourage development
Railroads sold this land Railroads sold this land to settlers to raise the to settlers to raise the capital needed to build capital needed to build the railroadthe railroad
Over 120 million acres of Over 120 million acres of public lands were given public lands were given to rail companies in mid-to rail companies in mid-1800s1800s
Plow TechnologyPlow Technology Jethro Wood patented Jethro Wood patented
an iron-bladed plow in an iron-bladed plow in 18191819
John Deere patented a John Deere patented a steel-bladed plow in steel-bladed plow in 1837 that could cut 1837 that could cut through tough sod of through tough sod of the Great Plainsthe Great Plains
Steel plows were the Steel plows were the only way for only way for “sodbusters” to farm the “sodbusters” to farm the prairie, but also led to prairie, but also led to the breakdown of prairie the breakdown of prairie soils and loss of topsoil soils and loss of topsoil to wind & water erosionto wind & water erosion
Mechanical Mechanical ReaperReaper
Developed by Cyrus Developed by Cyrus McCormick in 1834McCormick in 1834
Machine pulled by a Machine pulled by a horse could harvest horse could harvest far more grain than far more grain than a man swinging a a man swinging a scythe, led to scythe, led to farmers planting farmers planting more acreage and more acreage and an increase in grain an increase in grain productionproduction
Dry-farmingDry-farming Plant seeds deep in the Plant seeds deep in the
ground where there is ground where there is enough moisture to enough moisture to allow them to allow them to germinategerminate
Doesn’t require surface Doesn’t require surface watering or depend as watering or depend as heavily on regular heavily on regular rainfallrainfall
Mainly used for wheat Mainly used for wheat and corn farming in the and corn farming in the Great PlainsGreat Plains
The Wheat BeltThe Wheat Belt
Range WarsRange Wars As farmers moved onto As farmers moved onto
the plains, they needed to the plains, they needed to define and enclose their define and enclose their fieldsfields
As sheep ranchers moved As sheep ranchers moved in, they needed access to in, they needed access to water and pastureswater and pastures
Both groups were in Both groups were in conflict with the cattle conflict with the cattle ranchers who depended ranchers who depended on the open range to on the open range to graze and move their graze and move their herdsherds
Brief but violent range Brief but violent range wars became commonwars became common
Barbed Wire Ends the Open Barbed Wire Ends the Open Range EraRange Era
Invented by Joseph Invented by Joseph Glidden in 1874Glidden in 1874
Allowed huge areas of Allowed huge areas of land to be fenced off land to be fenced off cheaply and easilycheaply and easily
Allowed farmers and Allowed farmers and sheep ranchers to fence in sheep ranchers to fence in the prairie and shut down the prairie and shut down routes (like the Chisholm routes (like the Chisholm Trail) for driving cattleTrail) for driving cattle
Forced cattle ranchers to Forced cattle ranchers to change their practices, change their practices, organize defined, organize defined, enclosed ranchesenclosed ranches
Farmers Fall on Hard Farmers Fall on Hard TimesTimes
In 1880s, a serious In 1880s, a serious drought struckdrought struck
In 1890s, excessive In 1890s, excessive wheat production wheat production caused prices to dropcaused prices to drop
Farmers mortgaged Farmers mortgaged their land to banks to their land to banks to survive, but often lost survive, but often lost their land when they their land when they couldn’t meet their couldn’t meet their mortgage paymentsmortgage payments
Commercial Commercial FarmingFarming
Practiced mechanized Practiced mechanized farmingfarming
Usually 50,000+ acresUsually 50,000+ acres Called “bonanza farms”Called “bonanza farms” Massive investment Massive investment
was required in land was required in land and equipmentand equipment
Required hired laborers Required hired laborers (most regular farms (most regular farms were family worked)were family worked)