Unit 5 Expansion and Reform

Westward Expansion Gov’t wanted to make it easier for settlers to migrate west. – How? Build a transcontinental railroad Pass the Homestead Act. The Homestead Act was an attempt to equitably distribute land in West. Anyone could claim 160 acres if they fulfilled the following: – Build a house on the land within 5 years – Dig a well – Plow 10 acres of the land – Fence some of it in – Live on the land The Goal: Get white families to develop the West The Problem: Most land was claimed by those seeking profit.

Conflict in the West Westward expansion produced tension between whites and Indians Solutions to this tension were varied ◦ Treaties ◦ Reservations ◦ War Sioux Indians bothered by the restrictions of life on reservations (South Dakota) U.S. government feared that an armed uprising was looming Solution: Gov’t sent in the Seventh Cavalry, hoping to prevent a full-scale conflict.

The Dawes Act Passed in 1887 Goal: give Native Americans a path to citizenship ◦ Eliminate nomadic lifestyle ◦ Encouraged farming ◦ Sent Native American children to white boarding schools Native American Response: ◦ Period of mourning ◦ “Ghost Dance” Gov’t responded by killing Sioux Chief (Chief Sitting Bull)

Last Wounded Knee Dec. 1890: supporters of Chief Sitting Bull were rounded up at a creek called Wounded Knee, North Dakota. Fighting erupted, causing the US 7th Cavalry to open fire More than 300 Sioux died Significance: The massacre at Wounded Knee marked end of the “Indian Wars” of the 19 th century.

Impact of Railroads The first major industry of the post Civil War industrial boom was the railroad. – 1865: 35,000 miles of track – 1900: 192,000 miles of track Much of the railroad construction was performed by Chinese and Irish immigrants. Transcontinental railroad completed in 1869 The Union-Pacific and the Central-Pacific railroads met at Promontory Point Utah. The lack of good schedules and “standard” times among towns led to the establishment of time-zones worldwide.

“Robber Barons” Two major RR “moguls” were Cornelius Vanderbilt and Leland Stanford (both started Universities) Stanford financed the Central-Pacific Railroad – Governor of CA – Used Chinese “Coolie” laborers as workers Vanderbilt built the Union-Pacific – used Irish ‘Paddies”. Both paid low wages for the dangerous work to build their empires.

“Robber Barons” RR “robber-barons” deceived the US Gov’t in multiple schemes – Example: Credit Mobilier Scandal (under Pres. Grant) Congressmen and other public officials often held stock in RR and did nothing as RR tycoons “pooled” their business and paid “kickbacks” to other industry leaders. Led to the rise of the robber barons- business leaders who abused the system and made millions.

Rise of Monopolies & Trusts Andrew Carnegie – Steel – “vertical integration” to monopolize the steel market. Controlled all aspects of steel from ground to distribution. Gave away $350 million in philanthropy ventures (charities). Sold out to banker JP Morgan, who controlled banks the way Carnegie controlled steel.

Rockefeller & Standard Oil John D. Rockefeller – Oil – Horizontal Integration: buy out the competition Crushed competition using deals with RRs including “kickbacks”. “Reckafella” was a ruthless, penny pincher whose Standard Oil controlled 85 % world’s “black gold” Also gave away millions in philanthropy projects like Carnegie.

Social Darwinism The Gospel of Wealth written by Carnegie, put forth the theory that God chose some to be wealthy and others to be poor. Calls for giving $ back before death. A theory based on Darwin’s Origin of the Species and theory of “natural selection”….. This theory claimed that nature selected some to be more adaptable (and thus more rich and successful) while others to be less successful and in poverty. – Significance: discouraged some Americans from doing hard work (what was the point?)

New Age of Technology Thomas Edison’s lab at Menlo Park, New Jersey is where he developed many of his 1093 patented inventions. They included the phonograph, motion picture camera, and the electric light bulb. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. He ushered in a new era of inventions and new technology.

New Immigrants Late 1800s, Early 1900s: A “new” wave of immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe Ellis Island established as a processing center in NYC. Non-English speaking, mostly Catholic, uneducated, poor, and in many cases unwanted in their own home countries, found refuge and hope in the U.S. These immigrants fueled the nation’s rapidly growing industrial sector.