us expansion
TRANSCRIPT
Unit 2: Post Civil War America
1860’s-1900
The Birth of Modern America1865-1900 Introduction
A. U.S. transformed from a rural nation, to an industrial nation.
B. Growth of CitiesC. Development of big businessD. The rise of technologiesE. Social pressures
Increased immigration Unionization movements The Populist Movement
I – Mining
A. The West held rich deposits of gold, silver and copper (served the needs of growing industries back East).
B. Mineral Strikes brought the first waves of settlers who wanted to strike rich fast. Placer Mining – using simple equipment like picks,
shovels and pans to extract shallow deposits of ore Quartz Mining – digging deep beneath the earths
surface (large mining companies)
I – Mining
C. The Comstock Lode (Henry Comstock) Six Mile Canyon, Western Nevada First discovered (Grosh Brothers) 1857 Comstock (sheepherder) took over in 1859 He sold claims for insignificant funds It didn’t become profitable until its bluish sand was
found to be silver (silver ore) One of the largest mineral strikes ever
I – Mining
This area became Virginia City Outpost to boomtown (30,000 people overnight)
Opera house, shops (European Fashion), several news papers, six story hotel (West’s first elevator)
By 1898 Comstock’s silver veins were exhausted Virginia City became a ghost town.
II – The Cattle Industry
A. Development Many thought cattle could not survive in the west Water was scarce Eastern cattle could not survive off tough prairie grasses Ranchers in Texas/Mexico let their cattle run wild Over time the new breed – the longhorn – emerged. Descended from Spanish cattle, brought two centuries 1865 (5 million roamed Texas)
II – Cattle Industry
Open Range – a vast area of grassland owned by the government
B. Cattle Drives After the Civil War beef prices soared By 1860 the railroad had reached the Great Plains Provided a way to transport the cattle to markets
back East. The cattle could be sold for 10 times the price they
could get in Texas
II – Cattle Industry
Hispanics, African Americans, former Confederate soldiers were hired by ranchers to head north on cattle (2,000 – 5,000) drives
1867-1871 nearly 1.5 million cattle were driven up the Chisholm Trail to Abilene, Kansas
II – Cattle Industry
C. The Cowboy Mexican cow hands developed the tools and
technology for rounding up and driving cattle Cattle drives were rough and dangerous Often spent their entire wage once they got to
town Dime Novel – Adventure book sold for a dime
and helped spread the myths of the “Wild West” in the East
II – Cattle IndustryD. Ranching Becomes Big Business
Cattle - sent to slaughter houses or sold to ranchers in Montana and Wyoming
“Range Wars” - between competing ranchers (many died)
The invention of barbed wire enabled hundreds of square miles to be fenced off cheap and easy
New European breeds replaced the longhorn
Investors (back east/Britain) caused an oversupply of animals
Dropping the prices causing ranchers to go bankrupt
The long cattle drive ended, the cowboy became a ranch hand
III – Farming on the Plains Open your text books to page 292 and skim section 2
1. What geographic factors created challenges for settlers?
2. What factors played a key role in settlers moving west?
3. What hard times fell on the settlers?
Write the questions in your notes Skip 5 lines in between
III – Farming on the Plains Open your text books to page 292 What geographic factors created challenges for settlers?
Scarcity of wood - very little trees (only along rivers and streams) Scarcity of water (wells needed to be drilled 300ft down) Less than 20 inches of annual rain fall Hot summers (100 + degrees F) and extremely cold winters
What factors played a key role in settlers moving west? Railroads (easy travel) Technology - horse drawn binders, steel plows, seed drills, Homestead Act – for a $10 fee an individual could file for a 160
acre tract of public land that could be owned free and clear after 5 years
Wheat Belt – inexpensive land (U.S. largest wheat exporter) Hard Times
1890’s – too much wheat on the world market Drought – many sold out or went bankrupt
“Our Original Sin”
Would you rather be comforted, or told the truth?
“If we look Indian history squarely in the eye, we are going to get red eyes. This is our past, however,
and we must acknowledge it. It is time for textbooks to send white children home, if not with red eyes, at
least with thought provoking questions.”
- Sol Tax, Anthropologist (1907 - 1995)
IV – Native Americans
Background: Inhabited N. America for more than 20,000 years The horse was introduced in 1598 by the Spanish in New Mexico European invasion
brought diseases small pox measles
Guns were traded for by some, but not all tribes Events: The Oregon Trail (1841-1866) The Gold Rush (1849) The Transcontinental Railroad (1869) Farming/Ranching
IV – Native Americans
A. Indian Removal Act of 1830 (Congress/Andrew Jackson)
Reservations were meant to be temporary Put on land that settlers didn’t want
B. Assimilation/Civilize Boarding Schools
IV – Native Americans
Tom Torlino (Navajo) as he appeared upon arrival to the Carlisle Indian School, October 21, 1882.
Tom Torlino (Navajo) three years later
IV – Native Americans
A. Current Status 563 Federally recognized tribal governments Right to form governments; enforce laws, to tax About 300 Indian Reservation in the U.S. 12 are bigger than Rhode Island 9 bigger than
Delaware
The Reservation Process
“High-handed officials, such as governor Isaac Stevens of Washington Territory, made no attempt at legitimate negotiations, choosing instead to intimidate or deceive Indian peoples into signing away their land.” (Out of Many - Volume II)
Native American Reservations
Red Cloud – Oglala Sioux
1822-1909 His military success forced the
U.S. to make treaties Red Clouds War (1866-1868)
over territory in Wyoming and Montana
1889 U.S. officials persuade the Sioux to relinquish 11 million acres of land to non-Indian settlers
His last days were spent at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
The Battle of Little Big Horn
The Battle of Little Big Horn
Sitting Bull 1830’s - 1890 Sioux Medicine Man Leader of Lakota warriors
who were part of the victorious battle against the U.S. 7th Cavalry (June 25th 1876)
Led his tribe into Canada until 1881 when he was granted amnesty by the U.S. government
The Battle of Little Big Horn
General George Armstrong Custer, leader of the U.S. 7th Cavalry
Was sent to subdue Natives near the gold rich Black Hills
Underestimated the Lakota/ Northern Cheyenne forces
His detachment was killed to the last man
The details of this battle are still highly debated
Battle/Massacre at Wounded Knee?
Read Pages 301 and 302 in your text book titled “Tragedy at Wounded Knee”
Read contents from Wikipedia “Wounded Knee Massacre”
1. After reading write a paragraph summarizing the events at wounded knee in at least 6 sentences
2. Based on what you have read do you believe it to be a battle or a massacre? Describe your argument in at least 6 sentences
The Nez Perce Retreat
Led by Chief Joseph and Chief Looking Glass
Wallowa valley wanted by settlers
Government was forcing them onto a reservation
Tribe decides to go to Canada
Forced to surrender at Bear’s Paw Mountain
Chief Joseph’s Surrender SpeechOctober 8th 1877
Tell General Howard I know his Heart. What He told me before I have in my heart. I am tired of fighting, Looking Glass is dead. too-Hul-hul-sote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say yes or no. He who led on the young men is dead. It is cold and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food; no one knows where they are--perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs. I am tired; my heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.
Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show
Circus like attraction that toured the country
Included: Annie Oakley “Little Miss Sure
Shot.” Shot the ashes off Kaiser Wilhelm II’s cigar
Buffalo Bill gave a melodramatic reenactment of Custer’s Last Stand
Sitting Bull often cussed at the crowd in his native language to their applause
At the turn of the century in 1900 many historians claim that Buffalo Bill was the most recognizable celebrity on earth
The Buffalo/Bison
A. Native Americans Prior to the horse, buffalo were herded into large chutes,
and then stampeded over cliffs Provided meat, leather, sinew for bows, grease, dried dung
for fires, hooves for glue When the horse arrived a good horseman could easily
lance or shoot enough bison for his entire family
The Buffalo/Bison
B. Hunting Railroad companies
wanted to destroy entire herds
Large herds on tracks could damage locomotive
Without the bison the tribes would leave, starve and die off
B. Economics Bison skins were valuable for industrial machine
belts, clothing (robes), and rugs Huge export trade to Europe Organized teams of one or two professional
hunters, skinners, gun cleaners, re-loaders, cooks, wranglers, blacksmiths, large number of horse wagons, bullet removers
Pro hunters could kill up to 100 in a single stand, thousands in a career
Good hide was $3.00 in Dodge City, and a very good one (the heavy winter coat) $50.00 in a time when a laborer would be lucky to make dollar a day
The Buffalo/Bison
D. The fate of the Buffalo Buffalo Bill Cody spoke in favor of protecting the bison President Grant Pocket Vetoed a bill to protect them By 1884 the American Bison was close to extinction 1890 as few as 750 existed The Bronx Zoo maintained a remnant herd, some of which
were transported to Yellowstone in the early 20th century The current population is estimated at 350,000, but this
includes animals that carry cattle genes Actual approximation is from 5,000 – 15,000 purebred
bison in the world
V – Railroads
1862 – Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act Union Pacific and Central Pacific (California - employed
10,000 Chinese laborers) created the transcontinental railroad
Land Grants – The government gave the companies land that they would turn and sell to settlers, real estate companies and other businesses.
1865 – 35,000 miles of track, all east of the Mississippi 1900 – the nation had over 200,000 miles of track 1883 – The American Railway Association divided the
country into four time zones. Ratified 1918.
III - Westward Expansion
This 1891 cartoon expresses the views of those opposed to immigration into the USA.
The frock-coated politician is telling Uncle Sam that "If immigration was properly restricted you would no longer be troubled with anarchy, socialism, the Mafia, and such kindred evils!'" Captions on immigrants in the picture label them :Polish vagabond, Italian brigand, English convict, Russian anarchist, Irish pauper.