TensionsTensionsTensionsTensions

Native Americans

Buffalo HuntersRailroadsU. S. Government

Cattlemen Sheep Herders

Ranchers Farmers

TensionsTensionsTensionsTensions

EthnicMinorities

Nativists

EnvironmentalistsBig Business Interests [mining, timber]Local Govt. OfficialsFarmersBuffalo Hunters

Lawlessness of the Frontier

“Civilizing” Forces

[The “Romance” of the West]

Start of Railroad Construction

1862: Pacific Railway Act: authorized the construction of a transcontinental railroad

Railroad ConstructionRailroad ConstructionRailroad ConstructionRailroad Construction

Transcontinental Railroads

• 1866-1869 Central Pacific Railroad Company

moving east from Sacramento, CAUnion Pacific Railroad moving west

from Omaha, Nebraska

How to build railroads?

• Very expensive• Federally funded • A) tax payer funded government

bonds• B) by sale of land given by

government to railroad companies

Ripe for massive corruption and fraud

• Publically funded railroad companies• A) bilked the government by not paying

back loans• B) lied to their investors about rates of

return• C) speculated on land (drove up price and

pocketed the difference)• D) bribed politicians with free stock and

favors for votes and a continuation of land subsidies

Fraud continued:• Union Pacific: formed a mining company

and mined coal for $2.00 per ton and sold it to the company for $6.00 per ton (pocketing the difference)

• Railroad companies paid per mile of track $16,000 for flat, $32,000 for hilly, and $48,000 for mountainous: tendency to go through more difficult terrain

• Used cheap materials that needed frequent repair

Private (Free Market) System better than

government • 1. Britain built entire railroad system privately (It could be done)

• 2. most of the U.S. publically funded companies went bankrupt

• 3. Only profitable railroad companies were privately held: Great Northern Railroad owned by James Hill

• 4. Congress enacted more legislation that hindered efficiency and prevented executives from making sound business decisions

Continued

• Federally subsidized railroads were mired in regulation and handicapped by inherent inefficiencies of government financed public works projects (Lorenzo, How Capitalism saved America, 2004.

““The Big Four” Railroad Magnates (Central The Big Four” Railroad Magnates (Central Pacific)Pacific)

““The Big Four” Railroad Magnates (Central The Big Four” Railroad Magnates (Central Pacific)Pacific)

Charles Charles CrockerCrockerCharles Charles CrockerCrocker

Mark HopkinsMark HopkinsMark HopkinsMark Hopkins Leland Leland Stanford Stanford

Leland Leland Stanford Stanford

Collis Collis HuntingtonHuntington

Collis Collis HuntingtonHuntington

Promontory Point, UTPromontory Point, UT(May 10, 1869) Travel time cut from 3 months to one week: (May 10, 1869) Travel time cut from 3 months to one week:

Ordered by the government to connect rail lines because Ordered by the government to connect rail lines because companies selfishly were trying to continue government subsides companies selfishly were trying to continue government subsides

by building parallel tracks that would not connect.by building parallel tracks that would not connect.

Promontory Point, UTPromontory Point, UT(May 10, 1869) Travel time cut from 3 months to one week: (May 10, 1869) Travel time cut from 3 months to one week:

Ordered by the government to connect rail lines because Ordered by the government to connect rail lines because companies selfishly were trying to continue government subsides companies selfishly were trying to continue government subsides

by building parallel tracks that would not connect.by building parallel tracks that would not connect.

The Bronc BusterThe Bronc BusterFrederick RemingtonFrederick Remington

Black CowboysBlack Cowboys

Colt .45 RevolverColt .45 RevolverColt .45 RevolverColt .45 Revolver

God didn’t make men equal.God didn’t make men equal.Colonel Colt did!Colonel Colt did!

Legendary Gunslingers & Train Legendary Gunslingers & Train RobbersRobbers

Legendary Gunslingers & Train Legendary Gunslingers & Train RobbersRobbers

Jesse JamesJesse James

Billy the KidBilly the Kid

Dodge City Peace Dodge City Peace Commission, 1890Commission, 1890Dodge City Peace Dodge City Peace Commission, 1890Commission, 1890

ProspectingProspectingProspectingProspecting

Mining

• Colorado gold rush in 1859• “Pikes Peak or Bust”• Leadville, Co. (silver, lead, zinc and

copper)• Comstock Lode in Nevada (gold and

silver)• Anaconda Mine, Montana (copper)

Pikes Peak or Bust

Mining Centers: Mining Centers: 19001900

Mining Centers: Mining Centers: 19001900

Anaconda Copper Mining Co. Anaconda Copper Mining Co. (MT)(MT)

Anaconda Copper Mining Co. Anaconda Copper Mining Co. (MT)(MT)

Mining (“Boom”) Towns--Mining (“Boom”) Towns--Now Ghost TownsNow Ghost Towns

Mining (“Boom”) Towns--Mining (“Boom”) Towns--Now Ghost TownsNow Ghost Towns

Calico, CACalico, CACalico, CACalico, CA

TheThe

CattleCattle

TrailsTrails

TheThe

CattleCattle

TrailsTrails

Cattle Drives

• Cattle driven to “railroad” terminals for train rides to the east

• Kansas City, MO• Dodge City, Kansas

• Meat packing industry developed in Cincinnati, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis, MN

Land Use: 1880sLand Use: 1880sLand Use: 1880sLand Use: 1880s

New New AgriculturalAgriculturalTechnologyTechnology

New New AgriculturalAgriculturalTechnologyTechnology

““Prairie Fan”Prairie Fan”Water PumpWater Pump

Steel Plow [“Sod Steel Plow [“Sod Buster”]Buster”]

Barbed Wire: Enclosed property Barbed Wire: Enclosed property much easier than split post rail much easier than split post rail

fencesfences

Barbed Wire: Enclosed property Barbed Wire: Enclosed property much easier than split post rail much easier than split post rail

fencesfences

Joseph Joseph GliddenGliddenJoseph Joseph GliddenGlidden

The Range Wars: The Range Wars: Cattlemen vs. Cattlemen vs.

FarmersFarmers

The Range Wars: The Range Wars: Cattlemen vs. Cattlemen vs.

FarmersFarmersSheepHerders

CattleRanchers