Chapter 15The South and West Transformed

Pate 490

Section 1The New South

• After the Civil War, Southern economy in ruins• South remained mostly agricultural and poor

• A. New Industry in the South– Before war, South ships most raw goods overseas– With Northern support, factories are built in the

South– Farming also becomes more diversified: Not just

cotton any more. Why is this a good idea

B: Railroads

• Most railroads destroyed in war• Cheap and prison labor used to rebuild• Slowly, railroads link Southern cities with

North and West

C: Economic Recovery

• South still lags behind • Many workers leave for northern cities• Education limited• Most Southern banks closed, no capital for

business

D: Agriculture

• Farmers still planting cash crops- cotton and tobacco- make money but can’t eat

• Still depended on cotton, but prices drop• 1890’s boll weevil’s ruin cotton crop• Cotton production drops 50%

• Farmers Alliance: Farmers band together to fight for cheaper prices of goods and better crop prices and cheaper railroad rates

E: Black Southerners • Immediately after civil war, make political

gains- can vote, run for office• However, Ku Klux Klan arises• Many southern AA’s disenfranchised through

intimidation and legislation• Poll Taxes and literacy test• Southern AA’s do gain access to education• Civil Rights Act of 1875- right to ride trains and

use public facilities

Westward ExpansionSection 2

• Settlers moving west• Settling Great Plains• What should happen with Natives??

• A. Diverse Culture– Most Natives gone from east and west coast– Many different tribes in Great Plains– Put there because “Great American Desert

B: Settlers and Natives Clash

• White settlers begin moving to Midwest• Destroy Indian Culture– Disease– Alcohol– Take Land– Force to Assimilate – Kill Buffalo- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pODHzjpC9k

– Forced onto reservations

C. Sand Creek Massacre

• 1864: Sioux Indians resisting encroachment• John Chivington- missing Civil War Action– Attacks peaceful natives at Sand creek Colorado

• Unarmed Cheyenne and Arapaho– Many killed

• Native raised American flag to show peaceful• Natives chose to go to war instead of

negotiate • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf7GFZcO-Y8

D. Peace fails

• Reasons for increased tension– Civil War over– Gold discovered in Black Hills– Roads and railroads built on native land– Buffalo disappearing– Settlers arriving

E. Tension

• 1. 1866- Red Cloud wipes out Fetterman and U.S. soldiers in ambush

• 2. Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868- if natives stay on reservations, whites will stay out of black hills and Native land– Also supposed to supply natives with goods– However, agency agents corrupt– Don’t get supplies, leave reservations

F. End of Indian Wars

• 1. Red River War- Texas and southwest tribes fight guerilla warfare

• Finally Comanche's and Kiowa's forced to surrender and move to Oklahoma

• Last holdouts surrender in 1875

• Geronimo and the Apache hold out as late as 1880’s

• 2. Battle of Little Bighorn- 1876– 3 U.S. armies sent into Montana and Dakotas to

subdue the Sioux– Custard gets ahead of himself- challenges 2,000

warriors under Crazy horse and Sitting Bull– Him and his 200 men slaughtered– However, Winter would force the Sioux to

surrender– Put on even smaller Rez’s

• 3. Chief Joseph and Nez Perce– Tribe in Idaho– Refuse to leave what was left of sacred land– Chief Joseph tried to flee 1,300 miles to Canada– Caught within sight of the border – Forced to move to Oklahoma

• 4. Wounded knee– 1890’s- Rez life is terrible– Natives long for the old way– Ghost Dance- ritual to bring back dead ancestors,

buffalo, and destroy white man– Many leave rez to perform dance on plains– Captured by U.S. cavalry at wounded knee– Shots fired- over 100 men, women, and children

killed- unarmed

G: Assimilation• Boarding Schools- take children away from

parents- kill the Indian save the man• Reservation- forced to farm• Dawes Act: 1871- no Indian nation or tribe will

be recognized within the U.S.• Dawes Allotment Act: Give every native 160

acres- cant sell for 25 years• Extra land could be sold to whites• Was this successful for natives???

Transforming the WestSection 3

• After Civil War, west is transformed- mining, ranching, farming, railroads

• A. Mining:– Mining first great boom to western population– Gold Rush of 1849 triggered by discovery at

Sutter’s mill California– Later- Nevada, Black Hills, Pikes Peak Colorado– Gold Fever spreads

• a. Mining culture– Settlers flood into areas not prepared for– Boom towns- towns expanded over night• Leadville, Nevada City, Denver, Boise, Helena • Many became ghost towns

– Most cities lawless or run by vigilante justice- get the boys together and hang the wrongdoers

– Small operations use Place mining- mine tops soil and stream beds with sluice boxes

– Later large companies come in for deeper deposits- Quartz mining- use TNT

B: Railroads• Continental Railroad couldn’t start till Civil war – Why?

• Two private companies start in 1863– 1. Union Pacific- start in Omaha- go west• Relied on Irish laborers

– 2. Central Pacific- start in Sacramento- go east• Relied on Chinese laborers

• Project supported by loans and land grants• Met at Promontory Point Utah 1869- 2,000

miles long

Effects:• Railroad accelerated the settling of west• United East and West Coast• Devastating to the Natives • 10 territories become states 1864-1896

C: Cattle Country

• Cowboy country originated with Mexican culture- Vaqueros

• Longhorn cattle raised in Texas• Open Range System- cattle roam open plains– Cattle branded to identify– Time to take to market, rounded up and taken on

long drive to cattle towns• Ex. Dodge City, Wichita, Kansas city

• End of Open Range– Open range thrived for 10 years after civil war– Then Died: Reasons• Barbed Wire• Settlement of great plains• Cattle prices plummet• Cold winters in 1890’s• Railroad comes to Texas

D. Farmers And Homesteaders

• Homestead Act- 1862– Give settlers 160 acres of land• Live on land for 5 years• Plant trees• Dig well• Build road

– Life on Plains very difficult: examples???– Exodusters- African Americans from south heading

west

• Morrill Act: 1862: Land grants to set up Ag schools

• E. Competition and Conflict– West was very diverse• Chinese, Irish, Mexican, Native Americans, Germans,

ext.

– Conflict between different nationalities and different occupations

F: End of Frontier

• Last open land in Oklahoma– Open much Indian land because of Dawes Act– Boomers- waited for official opening April 22,

1889– Sooners- left early

• 1890- Census declared Frontier “closed”