Cattle Kingdom

*Cow Towns *Texas cattle driven north to Railroads to go east to market Shipped to railroad lines in: Abilene, Kansas Cheyenne, Wyoming Dodge City, Kansas

THE CHISHOLM TRAIL Chisholm Trail began in Texas Cowboys drove 2 million cattle to the railway centers in Kansas-known as the long drive

Why were cattle moved north & not east or west on the long drive?

*Farmers on the Great Plains Factors encouraging settlement: fertile soil & free/cheap land 2. *Transportation-Railroads a. provided easy & cheap access to the region b. brought machinery/manufactured goods from eastern suppliers c. carried farm products to Eastern markets

*New Farming Technology* 3. *New Farming Technology* Barbed Wire Kept cattle from trampling crops Steel Plow Allowed farmers to cut through dense sod Harrow Smoothes and levels the ground for planting Windmill Powered irrigation systems and pumps water Grain Drill Carved small trenches in the ground and feed seed into the soil

*Post-Civil War Economy Lack of money supply *Farmers suffered from falling crop prices and loans (borrowed money to buy new farm technology) *Government corruption

*Dry Farming* Dry farming -planting crops that do not require much water, kept fields free of weeds, and dug deep furrows so water could reach the plant roots.

*Mechanization in U.S. Agriculture *In 1900, the increase in mechanization on the farm led to an increase in food production! Horse drawn manure spreader followed by a new tractor plowing the manure into the soil.

*The Grange *Organized by Oliver H. Kelley to help farmers Formed COOPERATIVES (business operated for the benefit of a group) in order to buy goods at lower prices Pressured State Legislatures to regulate businesses which farmers depended on *Pressured government to fight corruption *Did not actively participate as a political party

*Lasting Contributions of the Grange Taught farmers to work together to solve their common problems *Hastened federal railroad regulation: Interstate Commerce Act-regulated prices that railroads charged to move freight Paved the way for present day farm cooperatives

MONEY SUPPLY = the amount of money circulating in the economy Inflation: money supply increases, value of the dollar drops Prices rise; helps farmers

*Farmer Alliances Farmers wanted Government to: - regulate monopolies - *regulate railroads *increased money supply (increase farm prices) - Farm credit

Deflation Drop in the prices on goods After the Civil War, national money supply shrank because the federal government took out the circulation of paper money issued during the Civil War

Silver Movement

v. Gold Bugs *Silverites Wanted to reduce the amount of money in circulation because our money supply was limited to the amount of gold held by the government Called for free silver, unlimited coining of silver dollars to increase the money supply *Favored by western farmers

Political party that grew out of farmers alliances, 1891-1908. *Populist Party* Political party that grew out of farmers alliances, 1891-1908. Platform: Increased circulation of money Unlimited minting of silver Progressive income tax Government ownership of communications and transportation systems 8 hr work day

*Populists *Sought a united front of African Americans and white farmers Although there was great excitement among the followers they lost the 1892 presidential election

*Election of 1896* William McKinley (Republican) v. William Jennings Bryan (Democratic And Populist nominee) Cross of Gold Speech was delivered by William Jennings Bryan “You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold!”

1. The “Cross of Gold” speech focused on? a. increasing the supply of diamonds to back the U.S. dollar. b. the use of ‘bimetalism’, silver & gold to back the US dollar. c. using copper as currency 2. What group of people would support the ‘Cross of Gold Speech?’ a. Native Americans b. business owners c. farmers

How does the cartoon portray William Jennings Bryan? What party supports him?

Presidential Election of 1896 Who won the Election of 1896?

Populism’s Legacy U.S. returned to the gold standard after numerous discoveries of gold throughout the world. 2. Populist reforms were absorbed by other political parties, especially the Progressives.