By: Karina Barajas, Danyal Sheikh, Sandra Mucino, and Joel Aretha RURAL AMERICA: THE WEST AND THE NEW SOUTH

A BRIEF GEOGRAPHY

 Frontier had played major role in shaping American institutions.  Struggle to tame wilderness changed settlers from Europeans to Americans and created rugged individualism that “promoted democracy.”  Turner’s thesis complemented exceptional nature of American society and character.  Moving to the west was a global phenomenon.  Farmers did not want to farm on the great plains because of the lack of rain and lack of trees proved lands incapability for agriculture. FRONTIER LIFE

 The Great Plain region discouraged farmers, but grass provided foundation for cattle.  Farmers discovered cattle could graze on land that would become hay on its own and the future of the Great Plains became clear.  Cattle grazing came in part from the union strategy to cut Texas from the Confederates.  Railroad construction allowed for cattle to be moved and turned into profit.  Cowboys shared few of the profits made from the cows.  In the Mid 1880s first phase of cattle grazing was ending. Farmers bought lands used for grazing and fenced them in. THE CATTLEMAN’S WEST,

1.Overpopulation of cattle ate everything and lead to depletion in grass. 2.Many cattle died during winter because of no grass.  Famers began to experiment with cattle.  Bred them differently.  Fed them grain during the winter.  Fenced them in.  Because cows ate the grass new grass growing in was weak and eventually died leaving great plains into deserts.

Railroads played key role in transforming views of great plain potential. Land was promised the be good for farming many families moved to great plains and began farming 2.Many people coming were immigrants 3.Making great plains second most important destination for immigration 4.Different from single immigrant men going to cities for jobs because they came with Some settlers gained land under claims of Homestead Act. West land was cheap in comparison to east farmland. Having success with farms was difficult because of weather and water and wood scarcity. FARMERS ON THE GREAT PLAINS, S

New inventions allowed for progress in the west. 1.Barbed wire allowed for feces to be made without the need for wood  family and intended to put roots in new country  2.Twine binders sped up harvesting and allowed for crops to be picked sooner  3.Mail-order windmills pumped water from underground and relieved lack of water  Frontier life was uncertain because of machinery cost, vagaries of crops and market.

 Success was based on how well a family did and how good the weather was.  Drought occurred. 1.Many farmers were unsuccessful with crops because of it and it led them to debts they could not pay. 2.Some left and went back home.  Famers had an effect of the land.

California was good for farming but agricultural success would come from railroads, machinery, and irrigation. California was country of plantation and estates. Canals and dams were built to help irrigation for lands. Railroad managers realized potential that Californian produce had and introduced.  refrigerated railroad carts.  Fruits and other produce could now be shipped around the country and come in good.  Eventually it was able to be shipped all the way to London condition. CORNUCOPIA ON THE PACIFIC

 Mining hastened rapid western growth and development. Mining caused people to move in search for riches.  Mining towns developed quickly where the site was and then died when the natural resource was exploited.  Mining was not the way it was made out to be. It was difficult expensive and dangerous.  Western miners became one of the most radical groups of industrial workers. THE MINING WEST

 Mining involved rapid and through exploitation of earth’s resources.  Idea that public lands belonging to federal government should be rapidly developed fed into exploitation of the natural resources.  1878 congress passed TIMBER AND STONE ACT which… 1.Initially applied to Nevada Oregon Washington and California 2.Allowed the sale of 160 acre parcels of public domain that were unfit for cultivation  Muir saw that people were destroying the natural beauty of America and became a preservation champion. He played part in creating Yosemite National Park (1890) and was valuable chiefly for timber. EXPLOITING NATURAL RESOURCES

 1887 congress passed commerce act which… 1.Required railroad rates to be just and reasonable 2.Act set up first federal regulatory agency 3.Interstate commerce commission (ICC). The ICC investigated railroad rates and when violated would bring the railroads into court  Most of the time the ruling went in favor of railroad (15 out of 16 court cases) THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE ACT OF 1887

 Grangers declined as nation recovered from depression but farmer protest didn’t die.  Depression struck again in late 1880s and early 1890s causing more problems for farmers as their prices dropped and debts increased.  Farmers again tried organization, education, and cooperation to fix things.  Southern farmers’ alliance became one of most important reform organizations of the 1880s.  Alliance also supported legislative efforts to regulate powerful monopolies that gouged farmers. THE SOUTHERN FARMERS’ ALLIANCE IN THE 1880S AND 1890S

 December 1890 national alliance met in Ocala Florida to develop platform.  Members believed congress had done nothing to fix farmer problems and called for direct election of us senators and supported lowering the tariff.  Platform called for government to increase amount of money in circulation which would lead to inflation and held debtors pay off loans. THE OCALA PLATFORM, 1890