After the Civil War, much of the cattle supply in the east had been eaten by soldiers. Texas farmers found their cattle population had grown tremendously. With demand for cattle in the east and supply for cattle in Texas, farmers wanted to find a way to get their cattle to the East where they would make more money. Getting cattle to railroads in Kansas from Texas was the solution to move cattle. In order to get cattle to Texas, farmers had to move the cattle along trails from Texas to railroads in Kansas. The first cattle trail created was called the Chisholm Trail, named after a Cherokee Indian tracker Jesse Chisholm. Another popular cattle trail was called The Great Western Cattle Trail.

Many former slaves were able to find work on the cattle trails Many former slaves were able to find work on the cattle trails. On these trails, all workers slept at the same camp sites, ate the same food, and worked together. Though discrimination still existed, the Black Cowboys of Texas faced less discrimination on the cattle trails. With the expansion of the railroad systems, the era or cattle trails would come to an end. This time period only lasted for about 20 years.

There were several inventors that made important contributions to American Society. The Wright Brothers: They invented the first motorized airplane. This would help Americans by providing a quicker means of transportation from one place to another. George Washington Carver: He invented many products from peanuts and sweet potatoes; including plastics, medicines, and fertilizer. His contributions helped improve American life in various ways. Thomas Edison: He invented the electric light bulb. This improved American life by providing a way to see in the dark. Alexander Graham Bell: He invented the telephone. This means of communication improved American life by providing people a means to communicate with people from longer distances in a quicker manner.

The Spanish-American War was a conflict between Spain and the United States. It lasted from April 1898 to August 1898. William McKinley was president of the United States during this time. Cuba (a Spanish Colony) was fighting for independence from Spain, and the United States pushed Spain to release them. America supported Cuba at this time because they had money invested in Cuba through business and had sympathy for Cuban rebels (Why would they have sympathy for a country fighting for independence?) American’s wrote exaggerated news stories about Spanish treatment of Cubans in order to get support for the war. This tactic is called “yellow journalism.”

The United States became involved in the war when a U. S The United States became involved in the war when a U.S. battleship (The Maine) exploded in Havana (near Cuba) in February 1898. This upset Americans, and president McKinley asked Congress for permission to send troops to Cuba. In April 1898, Congress declared war on Spain. The war came to an end in August 1898. The outcome of the war was that Cuba was granted freedom from Spain, and the United States acquired the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.

Theodore Roosevelt’s approach to foreign policy was called “big stick diplomacy,” which came from the proverb, “speak softly, and carry a big stick.” This means, the United States could and would get involved in conflicts with other nations. With America gaining the new territories during the Spanish-American War, America needed a way to get through Central America without having to go around South America to get to the Atlantic Ocean. The solution was to build a passageway in Central America. Theodore Roosevelt was president during the construction of the Panama Canal. He thought the project would help economic interests (trading) and military interests (the Navy would better be able to defend the land).

The Panama Canal was a waterway that connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Work on the canal began in the 1882 by a French Company. Yellow Fever and Malaria carried by mosquitoes plagued workers of the Panama Canal. About 5,600 workers died while completing this project. The United States took over construction of the Panama Canal in 1904 and guarded workers by draining swamps, covering supplies with tents, and put in new sewers to stop the spread of diseases. Work on the Canal ended in 1914.

At the turn of the century, European immigration to the United States was growing. Immigrants came to the United States for a variety of reasons, but the most popular included: Hope for better opportunities Religious freedom Escape from cruel and unfair governments Adventures

Most of the immigrants were coming from Europe. Before the 1890’s, most immigrants were coming from northern and western Europe, from countries like: Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Norway, and Sweden. From the 1890’s into the 1900’s, many people were coming from southern and eastern Europe, from countries like: Italy, Greece, Poland, Austria, Hungary, Turkey, and Russia (We will talk about why later, but could you make a prediction about why?) Most immigrants were settling in larger cities like New York and Boston. They formed tight-knit communities with immigrants from their home countries.

William McKinley was president during the Spanish-American War. America acquired Guam, Philippines, and Puerto Rico after the Spanish-American War. Theodore Roosevelt believed in Big Stick Diplomacy. Theodore Roosevelt was president during the building of the Panama Canal. The Panama Canal took over 30 years to build because the workers were plagued by malaria and yellow fever. Immigrants came from all over for better lives in America but came mainly from Europe.