Growth of Railroads

New Railroads Provide a cheap, fast, & reliable transportation 1861 there were about 470 miles of rail lines in Texas Texas was behind the rest of the country State Land Grants helped build new railroads

Chapter 22 Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company Next Texas History Travel time for 35-mile trip: Cost to ship 100 pounds per 100 miles: Conclusion day and a half around $1 Railroad transportation is faster and cheaper. by horse: by rail: wagon freight: railroad: two hours < 50 cents

Analyze Visuals Based on the flowchart, how did railroads contribute to economic growth and an increase in population in Texas?

Add Chart to Notes – Cause and Effect of the Railroad Boom Cause Demand for cheap reliable transportation The funding of railroad construction by cities & counties the state land-grant policy for railroad funding The expansion of Texas Agriculture & Industry The promise of new business opportunities Effect The continued settlement of West Texas Frontier The growth of cities along the rail lines Industrialized Texas Allowed raw materials in Texas to be sent to northern markets Texas had a fast, inexpensive, & reliable transportation

By the late 1800’s, railroad, and other big industries that operated in Texas became large and powerful. Monopolies were created, meaning that one company would have complete control over an industry, eliminating competition and driving up prices. Texans began to want these big businesses regulated, but many of the business owners argued that the government didn’t have the right to interfere. Big Business

There was one Texan in power that believed in reform – James Stephen Hogg. He was the attorney general of Texas in 1886 and he brought lawsuits against companies with unfair business practices. He helped to get laws passed to regulate monopolies, which ended price-fixing. Still, problems continued for farmers and many rural communities demanded more regulation. James Hogg

Hogg was elected governor of Texas in 1890 by a landslide. As Texas Attorney General, & Governor, he worked at reforming big business fighting to protect citizens from unjust business practices He quickly began signing laws that regulated big business, which became known as “Hogg Laws.” Supported the creation of the Texas Railroad Commission that protected citizens from unfair practices by railroads He also pushed for reform for better public schools and more effective prisons. Hogg as Governor

Cotton

With the growth of the railroad industry, many farmers began to move into west Texas during the late 1800’s. Many crops grew well in the drier climate, like wheat and sorghum. Much of West Texas could not support farming without irrigation – supplying water to land by artificial means To deal with the dry weather, many farmers used windmills to pump water from aquifers for crop irrigation. Dry Farming: technique such as terracing to keep moisture in the soil They also used the new John Deere tractor to break through the hard top soil to get to the rich soil below. Texas Becomes an Agriculture Industry

Railroads Change Farming Railroads changed the way Texans farmed Farmers who grew more than his family needed could ship the surplus to market Railroads opened up new areas to commercial agriculture Commercial agriculture – is the growing of crops for sale in order to make a profit Farmers could also use the railroads to bring in seeds, plows and other supplies

King Cotton Cotton was called King Cotton, because it was the biggest cash crop

Railroads Allowed farmers to move goods faster and cheaper. Between 1876 and 1885 the railroads rapidly expanded in Texas. Shipping a bale of cotton 400 miles by ox cart took 14 days and cost $15 Shipping a bale of cotton 400 miles by railroad took 1 day and cost $4

Cotton ruled the farming industry in the late 1800’s. The railroads increased this. Due to high demand in the east no crop made more money. East Texas was the location of most of the Cotton Industry

Cotton Towns The cotton industry contributed to the growth of Houston, Galveston, and Waco. These cities were tied to the success of the cotton. A bad crop was bad for everybody.

Factors that led to cotton growth in Texas Native Americans in reservations, opening up land for settlers Barbed Wire – protected cotton fields from cattle Expansion of railways in Texas – helped cotton farmers ship to markets

Cotton and Corn Texas was the nation’s leading cotton producing state Technology changed how farmers harvested cotton Eli Whitney’s cotton gin – machine that removes the seeds from cotton Farmers found new uses for cottonseeds removed – cottonseed oil Corn – became 2 nd most important crop in Texas and major food source/feed crop

Because there was no more slavery, big plantation owners need workers to work their land.

Create Chart in Notes – Tenant Farmers vs. Sharecroppers Tenant Farmers Rented plots of land from landlords Paid landlord with 1/3 of the crop & kept or sold the rest Owned work animals & tools Legally owned the crops Were usually in debt to landlords Sharecroppers Worked as laborers & received wages Received a portion of the crop or cash as wages Did not own tools or animals Did not legally own the crops Sometimes required to purchase personal & business supplies from supply stores

Changes in Texas Farming It was hard to succeed at tenant farming: Landowners gave tenant farmers only small plots of land Droughts and floods made crop prices unpredictable Tenant farmers paid interest on the money they borrowed on credit Interest – price paid for the use of money borrowed Many tenant farmers & sharecroppers ended in debt

Changes in Texas Farming This made it difficult to get free of the cycle of debt and the tenant farming system For tenant farmers to succeed, the price of cotton had to be high and amount of cotton to be produced had to be great When demand was high and supply was low, prices went up When demand was low and the supply was high, prices went down

Immigration to Texas

New Immigrants in Texas Population Growth due to Railroad Urbanization and Agriculture Increase Immigrants Come to Texas Most Immigrants Farm

IMMIGRATION: The process of entering one country from another to live permanently

PUSH / PULL FACTORS PUSH (why leave?) 1.Escaped Failed Revolutions 2.Famines 3.Religious Persecution 4.Land Limitations 5.Strict Social Class Structure PULL (why come?) 1.Freedom – Democracy 2.No Land Limitations 3.Freedom of Religion 4.Economic Opportunity 5.Mobility of Social Structure

Immigrants Analyze Data From which part of the world did most of Texas’s immigrants come?

Add to Notes - Mexicans Texas Immigrants Germans Czech Irish Chinese Why: Bordered Mexico, lots of land for ranching Why: cheap land, mild climate Where: New Braunfels, San Antonio, & Central TX Where: Settled across largest area of land Why: helped build railroads Where: El Paso, Houston, & other urban areas Where: South & Central Texas Why: Cheap land & poverty Where: Towns near the Rio Grande Why: Potato famine & poverty

The Germans

The Mexicans