Westward Expansion

Factors of American growth and expansion in the late 19th century  Westward Movement of population  Immigrants flock to America  Growth of cities  Admission of new states

Westward Movement of population  Following the Civil War, the westward movement of settlers intensified into the vast region between the Mississippi River and the Pacific Ocean

The Way West

Transcontinental Railroad

Gold Rushes  California Gold Rush, 1849 – 100,000 men lured to California – By 1858, all the good mines were taken and they had to look for gold elsewhere

 Colorado Rush of 1859 – Many of the Californian miners went to Colorado to “strike it rich” – They failed and many returned east, but those who stayed help to build up the population

 Nevada Rush, 1858 – Comstock Lode was found and $300 million in gold was produced in the next twenty years

 Black Hills Gold Rush, 1874 – 15,000 miners invaded the Dakota territory

Western migration and Gold

Effects of the Gold Rush  Towns and communities grew in the mining areas  With people moving to isolated area, better transportation was needed.  Stagecoach lines; pony express (mail from Missouri to California in 10 days)

Pony Express  Between St. Joseph, MO and Sacramento Ca.  Apr 3, 1860 to October 1861  100 stations, 25 miles apart; 80 riders, horses  Each rider covered 75 miles/day

Age of the Cowboy  Once the Indians were removed, the land opened up for cattle and cowboys  Beef cattle became very profitable  Needed to get them from Texas to the northern markets

Cattle Drives  Began in 1866 from Texas to Missouri  Later, railroad extended to Abilene, KS  Cattle herded along the Chisholm Trail –4 million head between 1867 and 1879

Immigrants flock to America  Prior to 1871, most immigrants to America came from northern and western Europe  Germany; Great Britain; Ireland  Norway and Sweden

 Between 1871 and 1921 most came from southern and eastern Europe  Italy, Greece, Poland, Russia, and Hungary and Yugoslavia  Also, from Asia (China and Japan)

Contributions of Immigrants  Chinese and Irish workers helped build the Transcontinental Railroad.  Others worked in textile and steel mills in the Northeast  Clothing industry in New York City

Transcontinental Railroad

 Slavs, Italians, and Poles worked in the coal mines of the East  Worked for low pay and dangerous working conditions to help build America’s industrial strength

Immigrants flock to America  Between 1860 and 1900 almost 14 million immigrants reached the US.  Ellis Island was the East Coast processing point for new immigrants

The “Melting Pot”  They began the process of assimilation into what was termed the American “Melting Pot”

 Settled in ethnic neighborhoods in the growing cities  Worked hard to learn English  Adopted American customs  Became American citizens  Public schools were essential in establishing the melting pot

Opposition to Immigration  Fear and resentment that immigrants would take jobs for lower pay than Americans  Resentment was based on religious and cultural differences

Legislation to Limit Immigration  Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882  Immigration Restriction Act of 1921  Cut off most immigration to America for the next several decades

Growth of cities  As the nation’s industrial growth continued many cities grew rapidly:  Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and New York City

 With the growth of cities came factories, and harsh living conditions in crowded tenements and slums.  Also caused housing shortages and the need for new public services: sewage and water systems and public transportation

Immigration Push/Pull Factor

Push (Reasons to leave)  Religious/Political Persecution  Agricultural poverty  Relaxation of emigration laws

Pull (Reasons to Come)  Promise of Freedom and hope  Family/Friends Network  Need for and Recruitment of labor

Immigrant Contributions  They broadened cultural life of America through – New music – New languages – Diverse religious beliefs – Variety of foods and customs

Famous Immigrants  Irving Berlin: Composer, wrote “God Bless America”  George and Ira Gershwin: composers  Enrico Fermi: Scientist  Albert Einstein: Scientist

Industrial Revolution

 Between the Civil War and World War I, the US was transformed from a mostly agricultural nation to most urban and industrial nation.

 Technological revolution changed the way people worked, played, traveled and communicated  A new power source and production methods stimulated the expansion of industry

Transforming America  Technological change spurred the growth of industry primarily in northern cities

Inventions/Inventors  Light Bulb – Thomas Edison  Telephone – Alexander Graham Bell  Airplane – Wright Brothers  Assembly Line – Henry Ford  Bessemer Process – Converted iron ore into steel with less labor

Industrial Leaders  Andrew Carnegie – Steel industry  J. P. Morgan – Railroad and US Steel  John D. Rockefeller – Standard Oil Company  Cornelius Vanderbilt - Railroad

Reasons for Economic Transformation  Government policies of laissez-faire capitalism and special considerations such as land grants to railroad builders)  Increasing labor supply (immigration and migration from farms  America’s possession of a wealth of natural resources and navigable rivers