WESTERN FRONTIERWESTERN FRONTIER1865-19001865-1900

SETTLEMENTSETTLEMENT

• Before 1860, nicknamed the “Great American Desert”– Winter blizzards– Hot summers– Discouraged settlement

• By 1900-covered with settlers– Miners, cattlemen (cowboys), farmers

MINERSMINERS

• 1848-Gold discovered in California• 1859-Gold discovered in Colorado & silver

discovered in Nevada• 1/3rd of all miners were Chinese• Establishment of major western cities

– Sacramento– San Francisco– Denver– Known as “safety values”

• Civilized society in an uncivilized land

CATTLEMEN (COWBOYS)CATTLEMEN (COWBOYS)

• Open grassland of Great Plains-ideal for running cattle

• Learned from Mexican vaqueros• Texas Longhorns• Cattle towns-ship cows on railroad to Chicago

for butchering– Abilene, Kansas-most famous

• Most cowboys-former slaves & Mexicans• Long drives end due to drought, blizzards, &

homesteaders

FARMERSFARMERS(HOMESTEADERS)(HOMESTEADERS)

• Homestead Act (1862)– Gave 160 acres of land to any family who

would farm it for 5 years– 500,000 families signed up

• Barbed Wire (1874)– Invented by Joseph Glidden– Fenced in the land from invaders

• Great Oklahoma land race (1889)

““TURNER’S THESIS”TURNER’S THESIS”

• 1890-US census declared the “frontier” settled• Frederick Jackson Turner

– Writes “The Significance of the Frontier in American History”(1893)

• Known as “Turner’s Thesis”

– Frontier necessary• Promoted independence• Broke down social barriers• Encouraged invention• Condemned to follow pattern of class division & social

conflicts in European countries

AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTIONAGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION

• By late 1800s, farmers minority in America– amount of farm land increased (more acres)– Number of farmers decreased

• Why?– New farm machinery– Specialization– Small farmers can’t compete

• Sell or lose farms

• Lower prices & rising costs hurt all farmers• Decide to fight back against banks & railroads

through the government

NATIONAL GRANGE MOVEMENTNATIONAL GRANGE MOVEMENT

• 1868-Oliver Kelley organizes the Patrons of Husbandry

– Purpose: social & educational activities for farmers

– Talk turns to politics-Became “Grangers”

NATIONAL GRANGE MOVEMENTNATIONAL GRANGE MOVEMENT

• Grange laws-reduced rates of railroads

• Interstate Commerce Act– First federal regulation of private industry– Public utilities-”rates must be reasonable &

just”– Interstate Commerce Commission

• By 1890-one million farmers had joined

FARMERS’ ALLIANCEFARMERS’ ALLIANCE

• 1890-Grange changes name to Alliance• Third political party status• Platform

– Direct election of Senators– Lower tariff rates– Graduated income tax– Regulated banking system– Increase money in circulation– Federal storage for crops– Federal loans for farmers

POPULIST PARTYPOPULIST PARTY

• 1892-Farmers’ Alliance changed name to Populist• Met in Omaha, NE

– Nominate candidates– Form platform

• Platform– Direct election of senators– State laws agreed by voters– Increase money supply– Graduated income tax– Federal ownership of public utilities– Stabilize farm prices– 8 hour day for industrial workers-why?

POPULIST PARTYPOPULIST PARTY

• Successful?– Election of 1892-James Weaver

• Received 1 million popular votes & 22 electoral votes• More than any other 3rd party candidate

– Election of 1896-William Jennings Bryan• Nominated by both Democrats & Populists• Fails to win industrialized north

– Declined after 1896, but…• Two planks of platform eventually passed by Progressive

Party– Direct election of senators & graduated income tax

REMOVAL OF NATIVE REMOVAL OF NATIVE AMERICANSAMERICANS

• Since the 1830s-Reservation Policy

• With American settlement of the Great Plaines-need to move Natives again

• Plans interrupted by Civil War & Natives took advantage by leaving reservations

INDIAN WARSINDIAN WARS1870-18901870-1890

• Civil War veterans sent to “take care” of Indian problem

• Better weapons & desensitized to war• By 1868-90% of Natives on Reservations, the

rest considered “hostile” and were warned to go to reservations

• Conducted “winter campaigns” – Tribes stationary– Horse in hibernation– Culture taught-catch Indians off guard

INDIAN WARSINDIAN WARS1870-18901870-1890

• Most known battle-Little Big Horn– June 25, 1877– 7th Calvary led by George Armstrong Custer– Sioux Indians led by Sitting Bull & Crazy

Horse– Custer’s Big Mistake– Custer killed & Calvary massacred

INDIAN WARSINDIAN WARS1870-18901870-1890

• Longest hold out– Chief Joseph & Nez Perce tribe– “I will fight no more forever.”

• Slaughter of the buffalo & poisoning of the rivers led to ultimate demise of Plaines Indians

• Dawes Act (1887)– New Indian policy-assimilation/destroy Indian Culture– Established Indian Bureau of Schools

INDIAN WARSINDIAN WARS1870-18901870-1890

• Ghost Dance– Indians losing hope– Dream of Nevada Paiute-Wovoka

• “Messiah” Indian-save from reservation & bring back buffalo

• Created Ghost Dance-all Natives perform at same time

• 1890-Federal government outlaws ghost dance

INDIAN WARSINDIAN WARS1870-18901870-1890

• Massacre at Wounded Knee– Group of Sioux Indians on way to reservation– Camp outside of military fort– Performed the Ghost Dance– Troops come to arrest leaders & take weapons– Fighting breaks out-troops win– Blizzard hits-lasts for 3 days– When troops go back to camp-only 6 adults & 3

children left out of 300– Considered the last battle of the Indian Wars