Westward Expansion

CHAPTER 26

• As Americans move westward—tribes are also pushed west, which pushes other tribes into inter-tribal warfare or they have to go even further west.

• These tribes have to change from nomadic Buffalo Hunters horse culture, to Rez Injuns.

• 1830 Indian Removal Act begins the Reservations system.

• Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) est. 1836. Very corrupt.

Indians React to

• Broken treaties• False treaties• BIA corruption• Destruction of buffalo• Loss of independence• Loss of pride• Loss of culture

Colonel John ChivingtonColonel John Chivington

Kill and scalp all, big and little!

Sandy Creek, CO Massacre

November 29, 1864

• Sand Creek Massacre 1864: over 400 Indian men, women and children who had been promised safety were…

• 1866. The Lakota Sioux try to stop a RR being built on their land by killing 80 soldiers under Cap’t Fetterman in 1866

• 1868 the Lakota Sioux agree to yet another treaty to end the war.

Capt. William J. FettermanCapt. William J. Fetterman

80 soldiers massacredDecember 21, 1866

• 1876 (100th Birthday) Custer starts a rumor of gold on Lakota Sioux land. Sitting Bull gets other Sioux bands (2500 Natives) to put aside their differences and fight back. At Little Big Horn 2500 Natives wipe out Custer’s 7th Cav.

White men could not

understand rituals like

the Sun Dance

Arapahoe “Ghost Dance”, 1890Arapahoe “Ghost Dance”, 1890

•Sun Dance Outlawed 1884•Ghost Dance Outlawed to

Dakota Sioux•Wounded Knee 1890•Citizenship not given until

1924

Geronimo, Apache Chief: Hopeless CauseGeronimo, Apache Chief: Hopeless Cause

The End of Indian Autonomy• Quakers begin to run reservations more fairly, but…

– Firewater– Depression– Disease

• ****Dawes Severalty Act 1887= (“Kill the Indian, save the man)****– Wipes out tribes in favor of “family homesteads”– 160 acres is too little for farming west of 100°

West.– The rest of the Indian land was sold off to fund

things like the Carlisle Indian School.

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Circus

Dawes Severalty Act (1887):

Assimilation Policy

Dawes Severalty Act (1887):

Assimilation Policy

Carlisle Indian School, PA

Girl’s (Indian) School

Indian Reservations TodayIndian Reservations Today

The Nation’s Railroads

• Railroads:–Brought “sodbusters”–Brought miners–Divided the great herds of buffalo–Paid hunters (Buffalo Bill) to supply

meat to the RR workers–As it passed through the RR’s would

give rifles to passengers who would shoot buffalo to pass the boring train ride

Colt .45 RevolverColt .45 Revolver

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

Legendary Gunslingers & Train RobbersLegendary Gunslingers & Train Robbers

Jesse James

Billy the Kid

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

ProspectingProspecting

Mining Centers: 1900

Mining Centers: 1900

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

Regional Population Distributionof Whites by region: 1900

Regional Population Distributionof Whites by region: 1900

Black“Exoduster”

Homesteaders

The Buffalo Soldiers on the Great PlainsThe Buffalo Soldiers on the Great Plains

The Buffalo Soldiers & the Indian Wars

The Buffalo Soldiers & the Indian Wars

Black Cowboys

The “MYTH” of the West

The

Cattle

Trails

The

Cattle

Trails

The Cattle Kingdom vs. Agriculture

• Morrill Act of 1862 – granted land to states; the sale of this land was to fund “land grant

colleges”

• Hatch Act of 1887 – federal funding for agricultural experiment stations

• Homestead Act of 1872 – granted settlers 160 acres at minimal cost – live on the land for 5 years – stimulates settlement of West – MOST small farms west of 100° West fail because of lack of

water.– attracted fraud from corporations

• Comstock Lode – rich Nevada mine with large quantities of silver and gold – “Fifty-Niners” flood the region; it becomes a territory and then a

state (rushed in to give 3 electoral votes to Lincoln)

New AgriculturalTechnology

New AgriculturalTechnology

“Prairie Fan”Water Pump

Steel Plow [“Sod Buster”]

Thresher

Steam Powered Tractor

Barbed WireBarbed Wire

Joseph GliddenJoseph Glidden

Frontier Settlements: 1870-1890

Frontier Settlements: 1870-1890

Homesteads From Public LandsHomesteads From Public Lands

What is the Message of this Picture? What is the Message of this Picture?

The Realty--A Pioneer’s Sod House, SD

The Realty--A Pioneer’s Sod House, SD

Railroad Practices:• general practices included:

– High interest rates for loans– Charged farmers to store grain

until enough was ready to ship– Raised prices any time they wanted.– Charging More for Short Hauls than Long

Hauls– Forced farmers off land for cheap prices under

“eminent domain”.

• heightened farmers’ economic disadvantage

ATTEMPTS TO ORGANIZE

1. 1868 Patron’s of Husbandry (The Grange-Oliver Kelly)

2. 1878 Greenback Labor Party

3. 1880 Farmer’s Alliance

4. 1890 Populist Party

Price Indexes for Consumer & Farm Products: 1865-1913

Price Indexes for Consumer & Farm Products: 1865-1913

Farmers AGAIN

• Agribusiness displaces Family Farm• Farmers borrow from bankers to buy new

machines, more land, and become Cash Crop farmers

• This makes them tied to the MARKET and its constant ups and downs

• 1892 corn drops from $2.50 per bushel to 50¢ per bushel

Giftfor the

Grangers:

The Farmer

Pays for All!

Giftfor the

Grangers:

The Farmer

Pays for All!

The Farmers Alliances

The Farmers Alliances

Begun in the late 1880s (Texas first – the Southern Alliance; then in the Midwest—the Northern Alliance).

Built upon the ashes of the Grange.

More political and less social than the Grange.

Ran candidates for office.

Controlled 8 state legislatures & had 47 representatives in Congress during the 1890s.

The Populist (Peoples’) Party

The Populist (Peoples’) Party

1890 Election:

Tried to unite with poor urban industrial workers.

1892 Populist presidential candidate wins 10% of the popular vote.

Populist Leaders:• Tom Watson• “Pitchfork” Ben Tillman• “Sockless Jerry” Simpson• “Coin” Harvey• Mary Elizabeth Lease

Omaha Platform of 1892Omaha Platform of 18921. System of “sub-treasuries.”

2. Abolition of the National Bank.

3. Direct election of Senators.

4. Govt. ownership of RRs, telephone & telegraph companies.

5. Government-operated postal savings banks.

6. Restriction of undesirable immigration.

7. 8-hour work day for government employees.

8. Abolition of the Pinkerton detective agency.

9. Australian secret ballot.

10. Re-monitization of silver.

11. A single term for President & Vice President.

1892 Election1892 Election

Panic of 1893!!!!!• No on wants to hear about whining farmers

and angry industrial workers• “You are LUCKY to even have land or a

job”, is the new message to them.

Economics of a PANIC• Deflation (less money per person) occurs• This means that the $ is worth MORE• This means that farmer who:

– Borrow $ must pay it back at higher costs– Because of overproduction the value of crops

decreases– Are going to lose “real value” (what one can buy

with $).

• ∴ small farmers must organize and GROW FEWER CROPS, or go bankrupt

Bi-Metallism IssueBi-Metallism Issue

Gold / Silver Bug Campaign Pins

Gold / Silver Bug Campaign Pins

Gold Bugs vs. Silverites

If only Gold is used to back $• Deflation• Less $ for the common

people• Increases the value

(purchasing power) of the paper money

• Make money when loans are repaid

If Silver is also used to back $• Inflation• More $ for the common

people• Decreases the value

(purchasing power) of the paper money

• Lose money when loans are repaid

TOUGH CHOICES FOR POPULISTS in 1896! Do you…

• Run a Populist, probably lose, but in the process build a real party

• Vote for William Jennings Bryan (Pro-silver, but not much else on your platform).

• He is also on the Democratic ticket to lure Populist votes back

• Democrats promise to put a Populist on as Vice Pres.

• Populists accept this bribe and nominate Bryan

• Democrats break their word.• Populists are ….

William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925)

William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925)

The “Great Commoner”

Bryant’s“Cross of Gold” Speech

Bryant’s“Cross of Gold” Speech

You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold!

Mark Hanna: The “Front-Porch” Campaign

Mark Hanna: The “Front-Porch” Campaign

William McKinley (1843-1901)

William McKinley (1843-1901)

1896 Election Results• Republicans win with Hannah and McKinley 271-176

1896 Election Results• Republicans win with Hannah and McKinley 271-176

Why Did Bryan Lose?Why Did Bryan Lose?

His focus on silver undermined efforts to build bridges to urban voters.

He did not form alliances with other groups.

McKinley’s campaign was well- organized and highly funded.

The Wizard

of Oz by L. Frank Baum

The Wizard

of Oz by L. Frank Baum

1964: Henry Littlefield’s Thesis?

1964: Henry Littlefield’s Thesis?