Cowboys and Indians

The Settling of the West First large-scale white settlements: mining camps Boomtowns and mining corporations followed

The Settling of the West Next wave: cattle ranchers Large scale cattle operations made possible by trains, refrigerated cars

The Mythical West OK CORRAL DODGE CITY, KS WYATT EARP JESSE JAMES

Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show Rodeo and western circus

Settling of the West 1862 Homestead Act – 160 acres of free land given to farmers Thousands move west; new agricultural techniques allow for more production

The End of the Indian Culture Causes: Technology advances

The End of the Indian Culture Causes: Reservation system, run by corrupt US Dept. of the Interior

The End of the Indian Culture Causes: the near extermination of the buffalo

Major Indian Battles Sand Creek, CO – 1864 US Army massacres Cheyenne, incites Plains Indians to retaliate against settlers Col. John Chivington

Major Indian Battles Ranald Mackenzie vs. the Comanches Palo Duro Canyon 1874

Little Big Horn Caused by gold hunters entering Black Hills of South Dakota, violating Indian treaties. Combined Indian army, led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, left reservation and began attacks

Little Big Horn US Army sent to force Indian return led by George Custer Sitting Bull

Little Big Horn June 25 th, 1876 – Little Big Horn River, MT Custer and entire command wiped out Shocked the country; renewed push to eliminate Indian threat in the West

Last Defeat of the Indian Geronimo and the Apaches, 1882 Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce, 1883

Wounded Knee, 1890 Last Indian Battle The “Ghost Dance” – religious ritual performed by Sioux Indians; would bring back spirits of dead Indians to reclaim the land and defeat the whites

Wounded Knee, December 1890 Sioux leave the reservation when forced to give up ritual US Army massacres over 300 Sioux, force the rest to return

Attempts to Assimilate the Indians Educational efforts

Attempts to Assimilate the Indians 1887 – the Dawes Act: 160 acres given to every head of Indian household, with equipment for farming Failed policy; most land stolen from or sold by Indians by 1895

The Closing of the West Frederick Jackson Turner and “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” (1893): there is no longer a frontier in the West, thus American expansion has filled up the continent The “safety valve theory”: the West offered a second chance to millions, thus relieving social and political pressures in the cities "The existence of an area of free land, its continuous recession, and the advance of American settlement westward explain American development."

The Closing of the West Impact of the “closing” of the West”: land more expensive; more immigrants stay in cities, ex- farmers move to cities expansion moves overseas (i.e. American “imperialism”) 1889 – Oklahoma Land Rush

The Farmers Problems of the farmer: #1 enemy – the railroads and “pools”; higher rates than for other customers Real problem: overproduction, leading to lower prices Also higher prices caused by the tariff and the trusts Jay Gould

The Issue Over Money “Hard” money (specie) vs. “Soft” money (issued by the government) – farmers wanted to increase money supply to cause inflation Higher prices makes it easier to pay debts

The Issue Over Money Inflation causes farm prices to rise; deflation causes a fall; money supply based on amount of gold in economy More money in the economy causes inflation Proposed solution: add silver to the economy to increase money supply First proposed by William “Coin” Harvey

The Farmers Unite Formation of the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry "We propose meeting together, talking together, working together, buying together, selling together, and, in general, acting together for our mutual protection and advancement, as occasion may require." Declaration of Purposes of the National Grange Oliver Kelley Original purpose: social and educational events; soon began political activity, focusing on the money supply and the railroads

The Farmers Unite The Grange emerges as political force in the Midwest The Greenback-Labor Party: first party that represented labor in elections Candidate James B. Weaver

“Granger Laws” The “Granger States” – farmers take over state governments in the Midwest in the 1880s i.e. Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota Targeted railroads for rate controls Thrown out by Supreme Court in Wabash v. Illinois

The Beginning of the People’s (Populist) Party Wabash case destroys the Grange, replaced by the Farmers’ Alliances Foundation of the People’s Party, called by most the Populist Party