1. Changes on the Western Frontier Ch. 13

2. Section 1: Cultures Clash on the Prarie
Main Idea:
The cattle industry boomed in the late 1800s, as the culture of the Plains Indians declined.

3. Plains Indians
Great Plains

4. Plains Indians Some had villages, some nomadic
By mid-1700s, most tribes left farms to hunt buffalo
Used hide for tepees, clothes, shoes, blankets
Meat dried into jerky or used for pemmican

5. Settlers Push Westward
Saw plains as unsettled
Migrants move west on railroads and wagon trails
1858- gold found in Colorado

6. Govt and Native Americans
1834- govt said Great Plains was Native reservation
1850s- govt defined boundaries
Massacre at Sand Creek
The Bozeman Trail
Ran through Sioux land

7. Govt and Native Americans
June Sioux and Cheyenne attack U.S. troops led by Colonel George A. Custer
Crazy Horse, Gall, Sitting Bull

8. Govt and Native Americans
Americans supported assimilation
1887- Congress passed Dawes Act
Buffalo
million
1890- less than 1000
1900- one herd

9. Battle of Wounded Knee
December 29, 1890
Brought Indian wars to an end

10. Cattle Becomes Big Business
Plains open for settlers
Texas longhorns
Mexican vaqueros
Chaparreras
Charqui
Bronco caballo
Mestenos
rancho

11. Cattle Becomes Big Business
After Civil War, higher demand for beef
Cowboys
25% Black, 12% Mexican

12. Section 2: Settling on the Great Plain
Main Idea:
Settlers on the Great Plains transformed the land despite great hardships.

13. Settlers Move West to Farm
Rapid settlement
Federal land policy
Transcontinental railroad
: 170 million acres of land grants to railroads

14. Transcontinental Railroad
Started in 1860s- Union Pacific & Central Pacific
Civil War vets, Irish and Chinese immigrants, Blacks, Mexicans
Finished in 1884
Railroad sold land, brought many immigrants to U.S.

15. Govt Support 1862- Homestead Act Offered 160 acres for free
: 600,000 families
Exodusters
Only 10% of land settled by families
Oklahoma Sooners

16. Closing the Frontier Explorers Henry Washburn & Nathaniel Langford
1872- govt creates Yellowstone National Park
1879- govt forced railroads to give up land
1890- no more frontier

17. Challenges of the Plains
Droughts, floods, fires, blizzards, locust plagues, raids by outlaws/Native Americans
Soddies and dugouts
Farm machinery

18. Agricultural Education
Morrill Act of 1862 and 1890
Gave federal land to states to help finance agricultural colleges
Hatch Act of 1887
Created agricultural experiment stations

19. Farmers in Debt Expensive machinery Price of crops could change
Shipping grain

20. Section 3: Farmers and the Populist Movement
Main Idea:
Farmers united to address their economic problems, giving rise to the Populist movement.

21. Economic Problems
Retiring greenbacks increased value of money in circulation
Price of crops dropped

22. Railroads Farmers paid high prices to transport grain
Lack of competition
Suppliers charged high interest rates

23. The Farmer’s Alliance
1867- Oliver Hudson Kelley starts Patrons of Husbandry
Organization for farmers
AKA- the Grange
Fought railroads
Led to Farmer’s Alliances
Included sympathizers
Educate farmers on loans, interest, railroads, banks

24. Populism Needed political power 1892- start Populist Party
“People’s Party” ; “movement of the people”

25. Populism Economic Reforms
Increase money supply, graduated income tax, federal loan program
Political Reform
Popular vote for U.S. senators, single term for POTUS and VP, secret ballots
8 hour work day, restrict immigration
Democratic Party eventually adopted many Populist programs

26. Panic of 1893 Farmers in debt, railroads expanded too fast
Feb multiple railroad companies go bankrupt
Govts gold supply low
15,000 businesses and 500 banks gone
3 million lost jobs
1/5 unemployed

27. Silver or Gold Bimetallism Gold standard Presidential election of 1896
Populists backed Dem. Candidate- William Jennings Bryan
William McKinley wins election- Populism declines