Technology and the West

Need for a Transcontinental Railroad To connect East Coast to Oregon and California Would reduce travel time from months to days Would lead to growth along the rail line But where should it be built? Southerners wanted a route out of New Orleans, which required purchase of land from Mexico (Gadsden Purchase) arranged by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis Northerners wanted a route out of Chicago, but Southerners blocked their efforts in hopes that they could barter the route for an expansion of slavery

Pacific Railway Act 1862 Provided for construction of a transcontinental railroad as a joint effort between the Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads Both companies were given land along the right-of-way to encourage competition and rapid construction

The Union Pacific Led by Grenville Dodge, former union general known for his organizational and managerial skills Started rail line heading west out of Omaha Nebraska in 1865

Union Pacific Workers Civil War vets Irish immigrants Bankrupt miners and farmers 10,000 men living in camps along the tracks and in rolling dorms Lots of rough living – gambling, drinking, fighting

The Central Pacific Organized in California under 4 investors, including Leland Stanford, future governor of California and founder of Stanford University Hired 10,000 Chinese laborers Had drawback of having to have all equipment for railroad and for construction brought by ship

Promontory, Utah 1869

Time Zones Introduced Time had been measured purely by the sun’s position, so what time it was determined locally 1883: American Railway Association divided nation into 4 time zones to ease railroad scheduling and improve safety by eliminating wrecks caused by discrepancies in how time was measured

Standardization of Trains Hundreds of railroads consolidated into just 7 major companies, increasing efficiency, lowering shipping and travel costs, and allowing the development of improved technologies which further increased efficiency Railroads tied America’s regions together after the war, helping end sectionalism

The Land Grant System Federal government gave land to railroad companies alongside their rail lines to encourage development Railroads sold this land to settlers to raise the capital needed to build the railroad Over 120 million acres of public lands were given to rail companies in mid-1800s

Plow Technology Jethro Wood patented an iron-bladed plow in 1819 John Deere patented a steel-bladed plow in 1837 that could cut through tough sod of the Great Plains Steel plows were the only way for “sodbusters” to farm the prairie, but also led to the breakdown of prairie soils and loss of topsoil to wind & water erosion

Mechanical Reaper Developed by Cyrus McCormick in 1834 Machine pulled by a horse could harvest far more grain than a man swinging a scythe, led to farmers planting more acreage and an increase in grain production

Dry-farming Plant seeds deep in the ground where there is enough moisture to allow them to germinate Doesn’t require surface watering or depend as heavily on regular rainfall Mainly used for wheat and corn farming in the Great Plains

The Wheat Belt

Range Wars As farmers moved onto the plains, they needed to define and enclose their fields As sheep ranchers moved in, they needed access to water and pastures Both groups were in conflict with the cattle ranchers who depended on the open range to graze and move their herds Brief but violent range wars became common

Barbed Wire Ends the Open Range Era Invented by Joseph Glidden in 1874 Allowed huge areas of land to be fenced off cheaply and easily Allowed farmers and sheep ranchers to fence in the prairie and shut down routes (like the Chisholm Trail) for driving cattle Forced cattle ranchers to change their practices, organize defined, enclosed ranches

Farmers Fall on Hard Times In 1880s, a serious drought struck In 1890s, excessive wheat production caused prices to drop Farmers mortgaged their land to banks to survive, but often lost their land when they couldn’t meet their mortgage payments

Commercial Farming Practiced mechanized farming Usually 50,000+ acres Called “bonanza farms” Massive investment was required in land and equipment Required hired laborers (most regular farms were family worked)