Transcript Settling the Great Plains
Unit 1 Bridge to the 20
th
Century 1877 – 1917
Chapter 5 Changes on the Western Frontier 1877 - 1900
Great Plains
Grasslands extending through the west-central portion of U.S.
Great Plains
And just when you can’t take one more scene of grass and dirt …
… thank goodness for the cows!
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“Go West Young Man” Changes on Western Frontier
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Late 1890s – American west is last frontier
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Ranchers, cowboys, miners, homesteaders forever change lives of Plains Indians
“I cried aloud … and heard them gnaw off one of my thick braids. Then I lost my spirit. Since the day I was taken from my mother I had suffered extreme indignities … and now my long hair was shingled like a coward’s! In my anguish I moaned for my mother, but no one came … Now I was only one of many little animals driven by a herder.” Zitkala-Sa, pg. 202
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1834
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All Great Plains = One enormous Indian Reservation
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Many tribes
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Nomadic lifestyle – move around
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Hunt buffalo and gather food
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1850s
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U.S. Gov’t puts boundaries on tribes
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Tribes ignore Gov’t restrictions
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clash with other tribes, settlers, miners
Whites’ view of Indians Savages Uncivilized Uneducated If you don’t improve the land (build on it), then you forfeit your right to it No religion No education No government Reality * Hunted * Planted Crops * Gathered food * Lived in villages * Traded goods with other tribes * Followed tribal laws * Fought when needed * “Counting Coup” * Ruled by counsel, land for everyone * Family life – men, women, children all had roles * Religion – spirits, medicine man * Children were educated * Lived with extended family
• • • • • • Expansion & Restrictions Bring Conflicts Silver & Gold Sand Creek Massacre Bozeman Trail Red River War Gold Rush in Black Hills Custer’s Last Stand
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Treaty of Fort Laramie
As Gov’t allowed more people to move westward, railroads grew, towns sprung up Forced more treaties -- gain land, stop fighting Treaty of Fort Laramie - 1868
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Sioux to live on reservation - Missouri River
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Sitting Bull (Hunkpapa Sioux) never signed it
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Ogala and Brule Sioux did sign, but expected to continue using their traditional hunting grounds
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Only temporarily halted warfare.
Gold Rush & Custer
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George A. Custer - U.S. Colonel “Gold from the grass roots down” in Black Hills
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Black Hills sacred to Sioux Broke Ft. Laramie Treaty George Custer
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Custer’s 7 th Calvary crushed, killed by Sitting Bull , Crazy Horse & other Indian
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warriors Known as “Custer’s Last Stand”
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Dawes Act Passed in 1887 Goals
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Make more land available to whites
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Assimilate Indians & break up reservations
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Gave some land to individual Indians - private
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160 acres each family head / 80 acres each single adult Indians don’t believe in owning land
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Money from sale of remaining land to be given to Indians - $$ millions Result: 2/3 rd of land for Indians taken by whites - no money for Indians
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Destruction of Buffalo
Railroads increase settlers, tourists, hunters 1800
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65 million buffalo 1870-1890
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Fewer than 1,000 Native Americans relied on buffalo
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Food
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Shelter
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Fuel
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Utensils, etc.
Battle of Wounded Knee
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Sitting Bull forced onto reservation Appeared in “Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show” Sioux Chief Sitting Bull Killed after Ghost Dances viewed as “uprising” 300 unarmed Sioux killed at Wounded Knee Creek by troops Battle marks the end of wars between Gov’t and Indians
Cattle Becomes Big Business
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Horses & cattle thrive on Plains Cattle ranchers open Plains to big business Ranching spreads from Texas to Kansas
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Demand for Beef in East
After Civil War – demand skyrockets
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Cities growing rapidly Chicago Union Stockyards open – 1865 Railroads ship cattle east to Chicago – to East
Cattle Trails – Chisholm Trail
• Major cattle route from San Antonio, through Oklahoma, to Abilene, Kansas.
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Long drive
– usually took about 3 months – were dangerous • Men who worked drives became known as “cowboys”
End of the Open Range - Frontier
• • • Cattle herds multiplied – overgrazed Bad weather – dry summers, harsh winters Barbed wire & railroads main reasons range closed – Ranchers fenced off their lands preventing drives
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Railroad Land Grants
Gov’t gave huge land tracts to rails for laying tracks • Created Bonanza Farms – Massive single-crop farm – Rails & private investors owned • Didn’t survive
Settling the Great Plains Homestead Act
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Intention: Encourage families to settle West
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Passed by Congress in 1862
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Offered 160 acres free to any citizen or intended citizen -- head of the household
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600,000 families became “homesteaders”
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Several thousand were exodusters – African Americans who moved from South to West
Settling the Great Plains Morrill Act
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Passed in 1862 and 1890
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Gave federal land to the states to finance agricultural colleges
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Helped eastern plains become “breadbasket” of America
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Michigan State University MSU formally opened & dedicated on May 13, 1857, at what is now East Lansing, the site of the present MSU
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First agricultural college in the nation
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Prototype for 72 land-grant institutions later established under the Morrill Act of 1862.
Settling the Great Plains How successfully did Gov’t settle Plains?
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Homestead Act Result:
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Only 10% of land actually settled by those for whom it was intended
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Why?
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People took land for own profit
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Increased miles of railroad tracks
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Railroads abused power – especially over farmers
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Started cattle industry
Settling the Great Plains How did Railroads take advantage of farmers?
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Charged plains farmers higher fees than eastern farmers
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Charged more for shorter hauls; forced farmers into deeper debt
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Farmers already faced economic problems
Settling the Great Plains Farmers faced:
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Inflation, high prices for farm equipment
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In debt to buy new machinery, inventions
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Falling crop prices
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Tight money supply
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Drought
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Larger farms suffered more – single crops
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Railroad shipping fees
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Good farm land becoming scarce
Populism Movement Grange calls for:
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Setting up farmers’ cooperatives
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Teaching members to organize
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Regulating railroads
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Spent most time fighting railroads
Populism Movement Populist Party
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Populism = movement of the people
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Party founded 1892
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Increase money supply – raise prices
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Graduated income tax A federal loan program
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Changes in election laws
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8-hour workday
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Immigration reform
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So popular – became Democratic Party Platform
Economics & Election -
Panic of 1893 Deep depression – millions out of work
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Republicans and Democrats divided
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Central issue:
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Silver or Gold?
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“Silverites” favored bimetallism
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Silver or gold backs paper money
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Would put money $$ in economy
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“Gold Bugs” favored Gold only
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See chart on page 222
Economics & Election Presidential Election of 1896
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Republicans: William McKinley
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Democrats: William Jennings Bryan
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Populists endorse Bryan, but nominate a VP
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McKinley
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Wins with 7 million votes
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East and industrial Midwest
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Bryan
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6.5 million votes
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South and farmers in Midwest
– William McKinley
Populism collapses
• William Jennings Bryan
Legacy – downtrodden can organize and impact politics