Farming in the West 17 - 4

The Homestead Act 1862 Congress passed the Homestead Act and Abraham Lincoln signed the bill – 160 acres of land for anyone who would live on land for five years. Because of this thousands of homesteaders acquired free land from the government. Only 33% lasted five years. Most of the land ended up in the hands of big companies who took it illegally.

Railroads and farming The Homestead Act did a lot to promote farming in the West, but the railroad did more! Land that the railroads had gained during the building phase when the government gave them subsidies was passed on. 180 million acres was given to people who were from all over in order to encourage farming. They did this to promote the business of their own rail lines for future shipping.

Group Time! You have just moved to the Plains from Pennsylvania and have claimed your 160 acres of FREE land. However, upon arrival to the Plains it hits you that you all of a sudden have a lot of work to complete in a very short time before the first winter hits. Within your group evaluate what needs to be accomplished and generate a list of priorities with number one being the most important and 10 being the least.

Farming the Plains The first farmers staked out the best land with trees and lakes. Using John Deere’s steel plow to break the soil and seed drills to plant with they got the job done. Later farmers were not so lucky. They got poorer treeless prairie. Both group had to contend with thick sod. They were called sodbusters.

Who were these people? Farm families usually which included a father who did the farming, children who did the chores to help out and a mother who kept house, sewed, planted, harvested, preserved foods, made basics like candles, and soap.

Who were these people? Exodusters were African-Americans, many former slaves, looking to make their own lives as farmers or working in towns as hired hands.

Who were these people? Spanish speaking farmers mostly from Mexico. Many had been there before the Mexican-American War and had never moved. Large landowners known as ricos felt they had the right to keep their land when white settlers began moving in.

Land Rush 1880’s Oklahoma was opened to homesteaders 1889 100,000 boomers came to grab up 2,000,000 acres of land At noon everyone charged onto the land but sooners had already sneaked in and claimed the best land.

Farmers helping Farmers Big farmers did well in the West, but small farmers suffered. When there came to be a surplus of grain small farmers had to keep borrowing to keep going and fell deeper into debt. To help farmers formed granges where there would be lectures, sewing bees, and fun events for the whole family. They also fought for fairness with railroad rates. They also formed farm cooperatives in which the pooled their money together to get a better price for seed, and other big purchases. 1892 favored the Populist Party because the pushed for social reform, like an income tax and an eight-hour work day.

Populists in the 1890’s Populists to use gold and silver as the basis for our money system and they wanted more money to be in the people’s hands! Sounds great right? Not so much. This causes inflation! In 1896 Democrat William Jennings Bryan looses to Republican William McKinley, because Bryan is favored by the Populists and everybody but the farmers thought Populists would ruin the economy. The Populist Party soon dies after this election.