Chapter 17 The West Transformed. American Progress John Gast

Chapter 17 The West Transformed American Progress John Gast

The Great American Desert When he explored the area that was to become Nebraska and Oklahoma in 1820, Major Stephen H. Long called the region "the Great American Desert." He considered the area "almost wholly unfit for cultivation, and of course uninhabitable by a people depending upon agriculture for their subsistence." It was flat, treeless, and arid. Stretched from Mississippi River to Pacific Ocean Half a century later, the "Great American Desert" received a new name, the Great Plains. This region consists of the area east of the Rockies and just west of the 100th meridian: the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, a significant part of Texas, and New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Instead of being viewed as an obstacle to America's westward expansion, the plains were quickly transformed into America's breadbasket and the site of many of the country's richest mines. Americans surged westward after 1860 for many reasons. The discovery of mineral deposits brought thousands of people into the region, causing towns to spring up overnight. By opening up eastern markets to farmers and ranchers, railroad construction also stimulated population growth on the plains.

The Turner Theses Thesis Synopsis Turner Quote The Frontier The frontier thesis is the assertion that the American character, including such traits as democracy and materialism, derived from the frontier experience. "The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement, explain American development." The Safety Valve The safety valve thesis is the assertion that the frontier, as a place of opportunity and escape, defused social discontent in America. "So long as free land exists, the opportunity for a competency exists, and economic power secures political power." Successive Frontiers Turner said that in the development of any frontier area, one phase of economic and social development followed another in distinct stages. This is the concept of successive frontiers. "Stand at Cumberland Gap and watch the procession of civilization, marching single file-- the buffalo following the trail to the salt springs, the Indian, the fur-trader and hunter, the cattleraiser, the pioneer farmer--and the frontier has passed by. Stand at South Pass in the Rockies a century later and see the same procession with wider intervals between."

Mining and Railroading How did the boom in gold and silver change the West? What problems arose on the mining frontier? How did railroads help the West develop?

I Mining and Railroads A. 1859 1. Gold was struck in Washoe Valley in the Sierra Nevada. The strike became known as the Comstock Lode, named after Henry Comstock, a miner. A lode is a rich vein of gold or silver. 2. At the Comstock Lode, heavy blue sand clogged the device used for separating out the gold. The blue sand turned out to be loaded with silver. 3. Miners found valuable ore in Montana and Idaho. Others found such ore in Colorado. B. 1870s C. Late 1890s 1. Gold was struck in the Black Hills of South Dakota. 2. Gold strikes occurred in Alaska.

Railroads, Cattle Trails, and Mining Centers

A Boom in Gold and Silver Gold or Silver Strike Miners arrive and build a tent city Merchants arrive to supply miners Wood-frame structures replace tents Boomtown Gold or silver production falls Miners move on Stores close and merchants leave Town is abandoned Ghost Town

D. Problems on the Mining Frontier 1. Mines and towns polluted clear mountain streams. Miners cut down forests. They also forced Native Americans from the land. 2. Foreign miners were often treated unfairly. Mobs sometimes drove them from their claims. Some were heavily taxed or left to work claims abandoned by others. 3. Few miners became rich. Eventually, most western mining was taken over by large companies. Individual miners were replaced by paid laborers who worked for the large companies rather than for themselves. 4. Lawlessness and disorder often accompanied the rapid growth of a mining town. In response, miners sometimes organized groups of vigilantes, or selfappointed law enforcers. A common punishment was lynching. 5. Sometimes, vigilantes took political control of an area. However, informal methods of governing gradually gave way to more formal arrangements.

E. Railroads Help Develop the West 1. First transcontinental railroad a. A transcontinental railroad is one that stretches across a continent from coast to coast. b. The Union Pacific ran westward from Omaha, Nebraska. The Central Pacific ran eastward from Sacramento, California. The two lines met at Promontory, Utah. c. The federal government aided railroad building by giving subsidies to railroad companies. A subsidy is financial aid or a land grant from the government. d. Thousands of immigrants, especially workers from China and Ireland, built the transcontinental railroad. 2. Railroads promoted growth a. Railroads brought people, supplies, and mail into the West. They carried heavy loads of ore eastward. b. Towns sprang up along the tracks. c. The largest towns and cities developed where major rail lines met or where sea and land transportation met. d. Other cities grew where cattle trails met the railroads.

Railroads, Cattle Trails, and Mining Centers

Workers Celebration Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad Union Pacific's No. 119 and Central Pacific's "Jupiter" engines lined up facing each other on the tracks, separated only by the width of one rail.

Hearkening back to history, we note that as the Promontory Point completion drew near, San Francisco contractor David Hewes had a solid gold spike created to commemorate the event. Its head was engraved with the words "The Last Spike", and its sides with the names of some of the prominent movers of the day. The golden spike was ceremoniously driven home at the completion of the network. The gold signified the unprecedented social and economic wealth that would be catalyzed by this revolutionary new technological platform in subsequent decades, a fitting end to a grand effort. When they came to drive the last spike, Governor Stanford, president of the Central Pacific, took the sledge, and the first time he struck he missed the spike and hit the rail. Then Vice President T. C. Durant of the Union Pacific took up the sledge and he missed the spike the first time.

Indian Peoples of the Great Plains What was life like for the Plains Indians? Why did the Plains Indians follow herds of buffalo? How did the roles of men and women differ in the Plains Indian society?

A. The Plains Indians 1. Many different Native American nations lived on the Great Plains. 2. Some nations had lived on the Plains for hundreds of years. Others were newcomers. 3. Plains Indians had a variety of cultures. Most cultures had well-organized religions and warrior societies. 4. Each nation had its own language. 5. Most Plains Indians were farmers who lived in semi-permanent villages. They sent out hunting parties. 6. Spaniards had brought horses to the Americas in the late 1400s. When the Plains Indians acquired horses during the 1600s, their way of life changed. They used horses while hunting, moving their villages, or raiding other villages. Some Indians left their semi-permanent villages and lived their lives following buffalo.

B.Following Buffalo 1. Some groups of Indians lived their lives following great herds of buffalo. They lived in tepees, or tents made by stretching buffalo skins on tall poles. They carried their tepees from one place to another on a travois, or sled pulled by a dog or horse. 2. There were different ways to hunt buffalo. In one method, hunters drove a herd of buffalo into a corral, or enclosure. There they killed the trapped buffalo. 3. Plains Indians depended on buffalo for food, clothing, and shelter. They dried buffalo meat and called it jerky. Hides were tanned to make sleeping robes and tepee covers, and buffalo fur was woven into coarse cloth that became the outer covering for a tepee.

The Plains Indian Culture followed the buffalo migration-or movement of the buffalo. Because of the constant moving of the tribe, they needed a form of shelter that could be quickly and easily put together and taken down. They called this type of home the tepee. The tepee was made by leaning long poles together and covering them with buffalo hide. The long poles of the tepee were dragged behind the horse and used to carry the belongings of the Indians when they moved their village. This was called a travois.

C. Roles of Women and Men Each tribe had its own way of defining men s and women s roles. Women Oversaw life in the home, gathered food, and prepared meals Made the tepees, raised the tepees, and took them down Cared for children and taught them traditions Made such necessary items as baskets and blankets a woman s skill in crafts determined her rank in society Men Hunted Protected the women, children, and elders Passed on their skills and knowledge to the boys Supervised the spiritual life of the community Provided military leadership a man s ability as a warrior earned respect from other members of his nation

Promises to Native Americans The peace commission In 1867, the government established a peace commission to end the wars on the Plains. The commission urged Native Americans to settle down and farm as whites did. The commission urged Indian children to attend white schools. Reservations In 1867, southern Plains Indians signed a new treaty. They moved to Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. Many northern Plains Indians agreed to live on reservations in present-day South Dakota.

Treaty of Ft. Laramie (1851) Colorado Gold Rush (1859) Government wanted N.A.s to stop following the buffalo and settle down Government said they would protect their land Settlers started moving in and gold struck at Pikes Peak ended this treaty

Colonel John Chivington Many N.A. resisted giving up their land and attacked supply trains and homes. Kill and scalp all, big and little! Sandy Creek, CO Massacre November 29, 1864

Capt. William J. Fetterman 80 soldiers massacred December 21, 1866

Gold Found in the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory! 1874

D. The End of the Buffalo 1. Huge herds of buffalo lived between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. The herds diminished for several reasons. a. Disease, drought, and destruction of the areas in which they lived caused the herds to shrink. b. During the 1830s and 1840s, buffalo robes became popular. Professional buffalo hunters killed many buffalo for their skins. c. Buffalo hunting became a popular sport where railroads cut through the areas in which the animals lived. d. Indian peoples hunted buffalo much more efficiently.

Army soldiers killed buffalo, and passenger trains even stopped amidst herds so travelers could pull out their rifles and fire away. When they were done, they moved on, leaving the carcasses behind. So many buffalo died that, at times, their rotting flesh could be smelled throughout the region.

E.The End of the Indian Way of Life Settlers and miners continued to move into the West. Their way of life brought an end to the Indians traditional way of life. Custer s Last Stand In 1874, gold was discovered on the Lakota reservation in the Black Hills region. Miners rushed in. Led by Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and other Lakota chiefs, the Indians fought back. In June 1876, to protect the miners, Colonel George Custer led soldiers into the Little Bighorn Valley. Nearly 2,000 Lakota warriors attacked Custer s troops. Custer and all his men were killed. The United States Army eventually defeated the Lakotas and Cheyennes. The Lakotas gave up most of their claims to the Black Hills.

The Battle of Little Big Horn 1876 Gen. George Armstrong Custer Chief Sitting Bull

E. The End of the Indian Way of Life Chief Joseph and the Nez Percés The Nez Percés lived in the Snake River valley where Oregon, Washington, and Idaho meet. In 1855, some Nez Percés signed a treaty giving up some of their lands. Gold strikes brought miners onto Nez Percé land. The government ordered the Nez Percés onto a reservation. Nez Percés who hadn t signed the treaty refused. Led by Chief Joseph, many fled to Canada. Army troops followed the fleeing Nez Percés. Finally, Chief Joseph decided he must surrender. After a journey of more than 1,000 miles, nearly half of his people had died. Apache Wars In the Southwest, the Apaches resisted giving up their lands. One leader, Geronimo, waged war off and on for 10 years. From Mexico, he led raids into Arizona and New Mexico. His surrender marked the end of the Wars for the West.

Chief Joseph Tell General Howard I know his heart. What he told me before, I have it in my heart. I am tired of fighting. Our Chiefs are killed; Looking Glass is dead, Ta Hool Hool Shute 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. Chief Joseph - Thunder Traveling to the Loftier Mountain Heights - 1877 Nez Percé tribal retreat (1877)

Geronimo, Apache Chief: Hopeless Cause

The End of the Indian Way of Life

F. Reformers Fail to Help Native Reformers Spoke Out Americans Susette La Flesche, daughter of an Omaha chief, wrote and lectured about the destruction of the Native American way of life. Helen Hunt Jackson published A Century of Dishonor, telling the story of broken treaties. The Dawes Act In 1887, Congress passed the Dawes Act. It encouraged Native Americans to become farmers. Some tribal lands were divided up and given to individual Native American families. The act was unsuccessful. To Native Americans, land was meant to be an open place for riding and hunting. As a result, Indians often sold their share of land for low prices. The federal government took away the power of Indian leaders and appointed government agents to make decisions instead.

Helen Hunt Jackson A Century of Dishonor (1881)

Susette La Flesche Omaha Indian lecture tour on Native American issues in the 1870s

Dawes Severalty Act (1887): Assimilation Policy Carlisle Indian School, PA

Jim Thorpe One of these schools, Carlisle Indian Industrial in Pennsylvania, had a great football team led by one of the best athletes of the early 20th century, Sac & Fox Jim Thorpe. Thorpe, whose parents were both half Caucasian, went on to win a gold medal in the 1912 Olympic decathlon but lost his medals when officials discovered he d been paid to play pro baseball. He spent six years in the major leagues, and ten playing pro football.

Arapahoe Ghost Dance, 1890 The Ghost Dance (Caddo: Nanissáanah, [1] also called the Ghost Dance of 1890) was a new religious movement which was incorporated into numerous Native American belief systems. According to the prophet Jack Wilson (Wovoka)'s teachings, proper practice of the dance would reunite the living with the spirits of the dead and bring peace, prosperity, and unity to native peoples throughout the region. [

The battle between U.S. military troops and Lakota Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota on December 29, 1890 Resulted in the deaths of perhaps 300 Sioux men, women, and children. The massacre at Wounded Knee was the last major battle of the Indian Wars of the late 19th century. Chief Big Foot s Lifeless Body Wounded Knee, SD, 1890

Burial of the Dead After the Massacre of Wounded Knee, 1891, Library of Congress

Indian Reservations Today

Crazy Horse Monument: Black Hills, SD Lakota Chief

Korczak Ziolkowski, Sculptor Crazy Horse Monument His vision of the finished memorial.

Mt. Rushmore: Black Hills, SD

The Traditional View of the West

William Buffalo Bill Cody s Wild West Show

Buffalo Bill Cody & Sitting Bull

Legendary Female Western Characters Calamity Jane Annie Oakley

The Fall of the Cowboy Frederick Remington

Myth vs. Reality Myth Cowboys were romantic, self-sufficient, and virtuous All were white Ideal, garden of Eden Could make a fortune in the west Western towns were lawless Reality Cowboys were young, poorly paid, and did hard labor 20% were black or Mexican Harmonious race relations on the trail Harsh conditions Most made little, if any money There were police forces and order in the West

The Western Myth Some (Roosevelt) saw social Darwinism in the west. Perceived as the last chance to build a truly good society Novels and accounts glossed over hard labor and ethnic strife. Reality, western settlement depended more upon companies and railroads than individuals.

Frontier Myths The Wild West: Some elements of the frontier myths were true. Yet, many wild towns of the West calmed down fairly quickly or disappeared. Taming the Frontier The End of the Frontier Turner s Frontier Thesis Myths in Literature, Shows, and Song By the 1880s, the frontier had many churches and a variety of social groups. Major theatrical productions toured growing western cities. The East had come West. By 1890, the United States Census Bureau announced the official end of the frontier. The population in the West had become dense, and the days of free western land had come to an end. In 1893, historian Frederick Jackson Turner claimed that the frontier had played a key role in forming the American character. The Turner Thesis, as his view came to be called, stated that frontier life created Americans who were socially mobile, ready for adventure, bent on individual self-improvement, and committed to democracy. The Wild West remains fixed in popular culture and continues to influence how Americans think about themselves. Many stereotypes exaggerated or oversimplified descriptions of reality, and frontier myths persist today despite our deeper understanding of the history of the American West.

Destruction of the Buffalo Herds The near extinction of the buffalo.

Yellowstone National Park First national park established in 1872.

National Parks

Conservation Movement John Muir With President Theodore Roosevelt

Sierra Club Founded in 1892

The Cattle Kingdom What was the Cattle Kingdom? What was life like for a cowhand? Why were cow towns important during the cattle boom?

III The Cattle Kingdom A. Wild cattle known as longhorns roamed freely across the plains of Texas. B. After the Civil War, the demand for beef increased. 1. People in the growing cities of the East 2. Miners, railroad crews, farmers, and the growing communities of the West all added to the demand for meat. C. Texas ranchers began rounding up herds of longhorns. 1. Then, they drove the animals hundreds of miles north to the railroad lines on trips called cattle drives. 2. Cattle drives took place over routes called cattle trails.

Terms and People open range unfenced land cattle drive the herding and moving of cattle over long distances vaquero Spanish word for cowhand, or cowboy cow town settlement at the end of a cattle trail cattle kingdom region dominated by the cattle industry and its ranches, trails, and cow towns

The Life of a Cowhand American cowhands learned about riding, roping, and branding from Spanish and Mexican vaqueros skilled riders who herded cattle on ranches in Mexico, California, and the Southwest. The gear used by American cowhands was modeled after the gear used by vaqueros a leather lariat, a hat like a Spanish sombrero, and leather chaps. Work on a cattle drive was hot, dirty, tiring, and often boring. The day was long up to 18 hours. Cowhands faced many dangers, including prairie dog holes, rattlesnakes, fierce storms, raging grass fires, and attacks from cattle thieves. One of a cowhand s worst fears was a stampede. Cowhands usually earned low wages.

Kansas Cattle Drive

Spanish and Mexican Vaqueros

E. Cow Towns 1. Cattle drives ended in cow towns such as Abilene, Wichita, Caldwell, and Dodge City, 2.Cow towns had a. great pens in which to keep cattle. b. dance halls, saloons, hotels, and restaurants. c. settlers who wanted to build a real community. d. doctors, barbers, artisans, bankers, and merchants. e. a general store and churches.

Railroads, Cattle Trails, and Mining Centers

F. Boom and Bust of the Cattle Kingdom 1. The cattle Boom lasted from the 1860s to the 1880s 2. The region dominated by the cattle industry and its ranches, trails, and cow towns came to be called The Cattle Kingdom 3. Ranchers could buy a calf for 5 dollars and sell it for 60 dollars 4. Bust 1866-67 scorching summers, frigid winters killed millions of cattle, and a depression hit the country 5. Sheep herders and farmers competed for the land and fenced the land with barbed wire 6. No free grazing meant farmers had to buy expensive feed 7. More RR were built and there was no longer a need for long drives

G. The Myth of the West 1. Cow Town life spread the idea that the West was a place of violence, adventure and opportunity 2. Buffalo Bill Cody and his Wild West Show a. Western gunfights, sharpshooting, and horseback riding entertained Eastern crowds and even traveled to Europe b. Even Custer s Last Stand was re-enacted with the real Sitting Bull a. Annie Oakley was a legendary sharpshooter that amazed crowds

Farming Why did farmers and other settlers move west? What was the Oklahoma land rush? Why was life hard for Plains farmers? Why did farmers help form the Populist Party?

Farmers Move West In 1862, Congress passed the Homestead Act. The law promised 160 acres of free land to anyone who paid a small fee and farmed the land for five years. Immigrants and easterners Exodusters Los Mexicanos These people rushed to accept the offer of free land. They planted wheat and corn. By 1900, half a million Americans had set up farms under the Homestead Act. African Americans joined the rush for homestead land. In 1879, a group of African Americans moved to Kansas. They called themselves Exodusters. Between 40,000 and 70,000 African Americans had moved to Kansas by 1881. The Southwest already had a large Spanish-speaking population, many the descendants of people who were there before the Mexican War. Spanish-speaking southwesterners called themselves Mexicanos. White Americans were known as Anglos. As Anglos gained the best jobs and land, some Mexicanos formed organizations such as the Hispanic-American Alliance (1894) to protect their rights.

The Oklahoma Land Rush As free land elsewhere began to disappear, the federal government forced some Indian nations in Oklahoma to sell their land so it could be homesteaded. The government announced that farmers could claim free homesteads in Oklahoma, but they could not stake their claims until exactly noon on April 22, 1889. On the appointed day, as many as 100,000 people lined up at the Oklahoma border. At noon, a gunshot rang out. People charged into Oklahoma. However, some people had sneaked in sooner and staked out the best land. 1890 marked the closing of the Western Frontier. there can hardly be said to be a frontier line. National Census 1890

Closing the Frontier By the late 1880s, fenced-in fields had replaced open plains. Railroads became a network connecting North, South, East, and West The last remaining open land was Oklahoma Indian Territory. The Oklahoma land rush of 1889 symbolized the closing of the frontier. On April 22, 1889, thousands of white settlers rushed to claim two million acres of land that once belonged to Native Americans. Farms, towns, and cities replaced the frontier.

Wood Was Scarce Sodbusting Plains climate Women on the Plains An unexpected problem Lives of Plains Farmers People were forced to build houses of sod soil held together by grass roots. These sod houses leaked when it rained. The soil was covered with a layer of thick sod that could crack wood or iron plows. In 1877, a new steel plow allowed sodbusters, or Plains farmers, to cut through the sod. When too little rain fell, crops died. In summer, grass fires traveled swiftly across the plains, and swarms of grasshoppers ate everything in their path. In winter, deep snows buried farm animals and trapped families inside their homes. Women made clothing, soap, candles, and other goods by hand. They preserved food. Most schoolteachers were women. Because pioneer families usually lived miles apart, they looked forward to church services and social events. Before long, farmers began to sell huge amounts of wheat and corn. The more they sold, the more prices plunged. When wheat prices fell, farmers could not repay their debts.

Farmers Begin to Work Together The Grange In 1867, farmers formed the National Grange. Grangers worked to boost farm profits and reduce the rates they paid railroads for shipping their grain. Grangers set up cooperatives, where groups of farmers pooled their money to buy seeds and tools wholesale. Wholesale means buying or selling something in large quantities at lower prices. Grange leaders urged farmers to vote only for candidates who supported their aims. Farmers Alliance The Farmers Alliance organized in the 1870s. They also set up cooperatives and warehouses. The Farmers Alliance spread from Texas through the South and into the Plains states. Alliance leaders tried to join with factory workers and miners who were angry about how they were treated.

The Populists In 1892, farmers and labor unions joined together to form the Populist party. Populist goals Populists demanded that the government help raise farm prices and regulate railroad rates. They called for an income tax, an eight-hour workday, and limits on immigration. They demanded free silver, which meant that they wanted all the silver that was mined to be turned into money. They said free silver would increase the money supply, which would make it easier for farmers to repay debts. Eastern bankers and factory owners argued that increasing the money supply would cause inflation, or increased prices.

Populist Party Platform 1. Union of labor 2. Value of labor over capital 3. Government ownership of railroads, expansion of civil service; governemtn ownership of telegraph, telephone, post office 4. Free coinage of gold & silver (16:1 ratio) 5. Increase money in circulation 6. Graduated income tax 7. Limited government; establishment of postal savings banks 8. Non-speculation of land; confiscation of land owned by railroads, corporations, aliens in favor of settlers 9. Secret ballot 10. Pensions for ex-union soldiers & sailors 11. Restrictions on immigration 12. 8-hour work day 13. Eliminate Pinkerton army of mercenaries 14. Allow referendums at national level 15. Limit president & vice-president to one term; direct election of senators 16. No subsidies for corporations

Populist and the Election of 1896 The Populists Populists influence grew. In 1892, the Populist candidate for President won a million votes. In 1894, the Populists elected six senators and seven representatives. In 1896, the Populists nominated William Jennings Bryan for President. He believed that the nation needed to increase the supply of money. Democrats and Populists supported Bryan. Bankers and business people supported the Republican candidate, William McKinley. The end of the Populists party Bryan narrowly lost the election. The Populist party broke up soon after. One reason was that the Democrats adopted several Populists causes. Also, good times returned, and people worried less about railroad rates and free silver.

Symbols