Western Frontier

Ranching and Farming Cattle Ranching –Always existed but on the local level no way to get the cows to Eastern cities. What would change? –Railroads Could bring cattle from Texas to Eastern cities. –As long as the cattle were driven from Texas to Kansas they could be shipped to Chicago and from there other cities.

Ranching and Farming Railroads –Cattle industry boomed – very inexpensive to maintain – sold cows for up to 10x their original value. Only real cost was Cowhands – people who drove the cattle –The Long Drive Referred to the cattle drive to cow towns along the railways.

Ranching and Farming Railroads –Over time cattle drives followed specific paths. Chisolm Trail –Stretched from San Antonio Texas to Abilene, Kansas –From 1867 – 1884 over 4 million cattle would be driven on this trail. Cowhands –Vaqueros – First cowhands from Mexico Taught the Spanish, Mexican, and Americans how to ranch in the Southwest –About 1/3 of cowhands were either Mexican or African American

Ranching and Farming The Wild West ? –Cow towns had no local governments at first. No law enforcement –Fights –Con-Men Crime became a way of life –Jesse James –Billy the Kid –Citizens took law into their own hands Vigilante Groups –People who take the law into their own hands. Often hung suspected criminals from the nearest tree w/o trial.

Ranching and Farming –Citizens took law into their own hands Eventually as towns became more civilized they elected sheriffs or asked for a marshal. End of the Drive –The drive ended as railroads pushed deeper and deeper into the West. End of the Cattle Boom –Price of cattle dropped –Barbed wire was used to fence in land –Winter of was harsh killing thousands of cattle.

Ranching and Farming Farming –Homestead Act Offered 160 acres of land for free to anyone who agreed to live on and improve the land for 5 years. –Exodusters African Americans who escaped the Reconstruction era in the south. –Many Europeans

Ranching and Farming Farming –Challenges No trees to build homes –Sod – Top layer of soil matted with grass roots Sodbusters – Nickname given to these new western farmers. No Fuel –Burned corn cobs or manure Unpredictable Weather

Ranching and Farming Farming –Improvements John Deere invented the steel plow Windmills were developed to pump well water to the surface Barbed wire was used to fence in property Reapers made harvesting easier Threshers helped separate grain or seed from straw

Ranching and Farming Farming –Farms face price drops Why do you think this occurs? –Farms also face a rise in operation costs –Needed a solution Grange (Patrons of Husbandry) –Goal: meet the social needs of farm families who lived great distances from one another. Cooperatives – Organizations owned and run by their owners –Bought grain elevators and sold crops directly to merchants

Ranching and Farming Farming –Began demanding government action Regulate shipping and storage rates –Government backed farmers Have the right to regulate the railroads because they are businesses that served the public interest.

Ranching and Farming Farming –Political Action – Formed their own political party Populist (People’s) Party –Platform – Freely print silver money to create inflation which would drive up prices – Free Silver Policy. –Opponents – Gold Standard Each dollar is backed with a certain amount of gold Less money is produced keeping its value and reducing chance of inflation

Ranching and Farming Farming –Political Action Election of 1892 –Won by Grover Cleveland –Populist party received over a million votes. Election of 1896 –William McKinley – Republican –William Jennings Bryan – Democrat/Populist –McKinley won by 500,000 votes based on his eastern industrialist support. –Populist begin to decline in popularity

Ranching and Farming Farming –Closing the Frontier Oklahoma Territory was all that was left 1890 – Census Bureau declared that the country no longer had a continuous frontier line.

Mining 1859 – Gold and silver strikes attracted people to Colorado and Nevada –Pike Peak, Colorado –Western Nevada Comstock Lode –Lode – A deposit of a valuable mineral buried in layers of rock –Produced $300 million is 21 years

Mining Boomtowns –Towns that have a sudden burst in economic or population growth Virginia City, Nevada –Population jumped by over 17,000 people in 10 years. Very few prospectors ever got rich Began to move underground –Stripped hillsides of vegetation and left rivers polluted.

Mining Became dangerous and eventually died out. –Many boomtowns were left as ghost towns –As a result of the mining boom Nevada, Colorado, and South Dakota gained statehood

Struggles with Native Americans Plains Indians –Relied heavily on the buffalo. Used it for food, shelter, clothing, blankets, fuel, weapons, utensils. –As a result the tribes were nomadic to keep up with the buffalo.

Struggles with Native Americans Clashes With Whites –The government pushed Indians west promising the West would be theirs as long as grass grew and water ran. Treaties were usually broken –Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851) Bought back Native American land and set boundaries for tribal lands –Most agreed

Struggles with Native Americans Clashes with Whites –Treaty of Fort Laramie Reactions –Cheyenne and Sioux resisted Government sent troops under Col. John Chivington Opened fire on a Cheyenne village killing 150+ Sand Creek Massacre (Colorado) –Indians fire back ambushing many militias

Struggles with Native Americans Clashes with Whites –Battle of Little Big Horn (Montana) Sioux were united by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse and began to leave the reservation –Seventh Calvary was sent out – Col. George Custer 211 men were wiped out by the Indians in 2 hours Last major Native American victory. –Chief Joseph (Nez Perce) Tried to lead his tribe to Canada –Was caught 40 miles from the border and surrendered to U.S Troops

Struggles with Native Americans Clashes with Whites –Geronimo (Apaches) Led raids on settlers’ homes. Captured many times but always escaped surrendered and was thrown in prison

End of Plains Life In ten years hunters killed 1,000,000+ buffalo –Food –Sport –Leather Ghost Dance –Done to bring about a prophesied age in which the whites would be removed and Native Americans would once again be free.

End of Plains Life –Many of these ghost dancers prepared for war and gathered in South Dakota Tracked down by the army at wounded knee. Shots were fired and around 300 Indians were killed. –Wounded Knee Massacre. Ended armed Indian resistance in the West