 Americans began moving west ◦ More economic opportunities  Wheat, corn ◦ Farm mechanization made it easier  Steel plow, spring tooth harrow, threshers, windmills  East was growing quickly, needed food  Others went west for religious reasons ◦ Mormon Trail  First led by Joseph Smith (New York)  Led into Utah by Brigham Young

 US gov’t encouraged westward migration  Offered 160 acres of land to settlers ◦ Not enough land due to drought  Could acquire additional land (Timber Culture Act)  Cost $5 registration fee  Encouraged white settlers to move west ◦ Most were old immigrants  Women were allowed to homestead

 US federal gov’t gave western lands to states  States sold land  Money was used to build agriculture and technical colleges ◦ Examples: Virginia Tech and NC State

 Remote, solitary life ◦ Worked LONG hours  Very difficult for women ◦ Same work as men ◦ Gained suffrage here first  Built churches and schools  Little House on the Prairie-family values, love, friendship, and faith.

 Native Americans were displaced  Conflict began  More railroads were built  New States were added to Union ◦ Most gave women suffrage ◦ Last state-Oklahoma  Settlers rushed in to get the last free land in US

 First transcontinental railroad completed in 1869  Built mainly by Irish and Chinese immigrants  Displaced the Native Americans ◦ Could no longer follow the buffalo ◦ Native Americans used every part of buffalo  ‘Native American Wal-Mart’

Who are exodusters? Who are sooners? Who are boomers? Give me 3 pros and cons to the railroad

 What are the difference between the two men below? Be specific  Based off the picture below how does the US plan on dealing with Native Americans?

 What problem is Nast addressing in this cartoon?

 What stands out to you in this picture?  What impact could this group have on America?

 Precious metals discovered out West  Mining towns (San Fran)  Little law enforcement

 New cities caused a need for beef  Individuals out west began to raise cattle  First, started to drive cattle to major cities, then cattle would be loaded onto trains  Later, ranches would be built ◦ Cowboys were hired ◦ Most owned their own horses ◦ Open Range ended because of Barbed Wire  Cows could be fenced in thanks to Joseph Glidden’s invention

 Sioux-northern plains  Five Civilized Tribes (OK-1830)  Different lifestyles ◦ Followed buffalo herds  32m in 1870,  9m. Killed ◦ Some were sedentary

 Indians were placed here by federal gov’t ◦ Offered annual monetary payments in lieu of land ◦ Occasionally, federal gov’t failed to make payments or reduced the size of reservation  Indians resisted, led to war

 African American Troop Regiment  Created during the Civil War  Fights in the Indian Wars  African Americans can now fight for a country that recognizes them as people!

 Carlise Indian School ◦ Help Indians become successful in white society ◦ Assimilation  Helen Hunt Jackson’s A Century of Dishonor ◦ dramatized the federal government's mistreatment of Native Americans in the west Helen Hunt Jackson

 1887  Result of Jackson’s book  Would create Indian farmers ◦ Gave each family 160 acres of land ◦ Dealt with individual Indians, not tribe ◦ Sold remaining land and purchased farm equipment ◦ Became citizens in 25 years  Most Indians lost property within one generation ◦ Received the poor land

 Faced many problems after they moved West ◦ Drought ◦ Insects ◦ Difficult conditions  New technology helped some

 Blamed problems on railroads ◦ Had to transport goods on trains ◦ Railroads charged high rates  Even higher for short haul versus long haul  Penalized the farmer  Wanted government to regulate railroads ◦ Lower freight charges ◦ Government did not respond

 Farmers also faced problems with credit ◦ Stayed in debt ◦ Borrowed money to plant crops every year ◦ Could not always repay bank ◦ If not, bank foreclosed on property  Farmers wanted more money printed and put into circulation ◦ Demanded the silver standard  Print money based on gold and silver standard  Would increase the cost of farm goods

 Farmers organized The Grange  Led by Oliver Kelley  Officially asked government to address farmers needs  Were not successful

 Organized in 1892  Met in Omaha Nebraska ◦ Omaha Platform  8 Hour workday  Silver Standard  Direct Election of Senators ◦ Won elections in state government, sent representatives to Congress

 Populist party merged with Democrats in 1896  Democrats argued the same issues as Populists  Nominated William Jennings Bryan ◦ Campaigned across America ◦ Gave “Cross of Gold” speech  “you cannot crucify man on a cross of gold”  Advocated the silver standard

Bryan (democrat) swallows Populist Party in 1896

 Bryan ran against William McKinley (rep) ◦ Bryan campaigned across US on train  Whistle stop campaign ◦ McKinley ran the “Front Porch” campaign  Voters came to see him on his front porch  McKinley wins both elections ◦ Marks the end of the Populist Party