1. The Closing of the Western Frontier Standard 4
Original Source: Susan Pojer and Philip Deak
Standard 4

2. Lawlessness of the Frontier
Key Tensions
Native Americans
Buffalo Hunters Railroads U. S. Government
Ethnic Minorities
Nativists
Big Business Interests [mining, timber] Local Govt. Officials Farmers Buffalo Hunters
Environmentalists
Lawlessness of the Frontier
“Civilizing” Forces

3. Homestead Act
Congress passed the Homestead act offering 160 acres of land to any citizen willing to move out West
RR and private spectators took advantage of the Act.
Only 10% of the land actually went where it was intended to go.

4. Frontier Settlements: 1870-1890

5. Black “Exoduster” Homesteaders

6. Black Cowboys

7. Railroad Construction
The East and the West were linked!!

8. Native Americans vs. Railroads
While the transcontinental railroad linked the national market, it destroyed the lives of Native Americans.
Buffalo were seen as a hazard to the railroads.
Settlers were encouraged to kill the buffalo which the Plain Indians depended on, thus decimating the Indians’ way of life.
As white settlers moved West following the railroads, Native Americans were pushed from their native lands to reservations.

9. The near extinction of the buffalo.
Destruction of the Buffalo Herds
The near extinction of the buffalo.

10. instead of a block of land, created specific boundaries for tribes
Reservation Policy-
instead of a block of land, created specific boundaries for tribes

11. Native American Reservations
Similar to the Indian Removal act of 1830 and the Trail of tears, native Americans were forced off their traditional lands and moved to reservations.
They were forced onto smaller reservations and taken advantage of by corrupt governments.
Some tried to resist but the US cavalry put down their resistance in the Indian wars.

12. Native American reservations, assimilation and land
Dawes Severalty Act :
Assimilation Policy make the Native Americans more “American”
Native American reservations, assimilation and land

13. Battle of Wounded Knee
On Dec. 28,1890, the US cavalry rounded up 350 starving and freezing Sioux and took them to camp at Wounded Knee, in South Dakota.
Demanded Indians give up all weapons.
Shots were fired and within minutes 300 unarmed Native Americans including children were killed.
This brought the Indian wars and the era of Indian resistance to an end.

14. Indian Reservations Today

15. Railroad Effect A National Network
1859, railroads extend west of Missouri River
1869, first transcontinental railroad completed, spans the nation
New Towns and Markets
Railroads require great supply of materials, parts
Iron, coal, steel, lumber, glass industries grow to meet demand
Railroads link isolated towns, promote trade, interdependence
Nationwide network of suppliers, markets develops
Towns specialize, sell large quantities of their product nationally
New towns grow along railroad lines

16. Railroad Expansion

17. Railroads changed American life in many ways:
Travel took less time.
Mail arrived faster.
Railroads brought new jobs.
Local stores profited from train traffic.
Sales were not limited to local markets.
Unfamiliar items appeared locally.
Railroads moved settlers to new locations.
Railroads tied the nation together.
Transportation charges decreased

18. Problems of the Railroad Era
Too many railroads were built.
Over-expansion frequently ended in bankruptcies.
Failures spread economic disaster to workers, businesses, and farmers.
Railroads resorted to discriminatory practices

19. Problems of the Railroad Era
Railroad Abuses
Farmers angry over perceived railroad corruption
railroads sell government lands to businesses, not settlers
fix prices, keep farmers in debt
charge different customers different rates
Crédit Mobilier
Wish for control, profit leads some railroad magnates to corruption
Union Pacific stockholders form construction company, Crédit Mobilier
overpay for laying track, pocket profits

20. Farmers and the Populist Movement

21. New Agricultural Technology
Steel Plow [“Sod Buster”]
“Prairie Fan” Water Pump
Barbed Wire created by Joseph Glidden
Mechanized reaper

22. Farmers face economic crisis
In the late 19th century, farmers struggled to survive.
Between 1867 and 1887 the price of a bushel of wheat fell from two dollars to 68 cents
railroads conspired to keep transportation costs artificially high
farmers were caught in a cycle of debt

23. Farmers face economic crisis
Farmers produce an abundance of crops even though population has been increasing
supply exceeds demand and prices drop
unable to make payments on loans
Farmers attempt to grow more
railroad raised the price of transporting goods

25. The Grange
Originally a social organization designed to alleviate the isolation of farm life economic and political organization
Grangers sponsor state, local political candidates
Because farmers blamed the RR for their high transportation cost, state legislatures passed laws to protect the farmer
Granger Laws
Tried to regulate the rates charged by railroads
Munn v. Illinois-Supreme Court upholds states’ right to regulate RR

26. Interstate Commerce Act
1886, Supreme Court: states cannot set rates on interstate commerce
This sets a precedent for the regulation of business by the federal government
Public outrage leads to Interstate Commerce Act of 1887
federal government can supervise railroads
establishes Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)
Yet, with a series of Supreme Court cases the effectiveness of the law is limited

27. Farmer’s Alliance
Out the Granger movement, the Farmer’s Alliance was formed
African American farmers were also active in the Alliance movement.
This activity contributed to the movement to formalize segregation in Jim Crow laws.
Elite southerners and Northern capitalists feared the cooperation of African American and white farmers, thus they used race to divide them.
The Farmer’s alliance realized they would need more political power to be effective.

28. Populist Party
In 1892, Alliance members helped found the Populist Party, which drew support from urban laborers as well as farmers.
Populist economic reforms included:
An increase in the supply of money
A rise in crop prices
Lower taxes
A federal loan program
An 8-hour workday
Reduced immigration

29. Populist political reforms
Direct election of senators
Single term presidencies
Secret ballots
graduated income tax
system of federal farm loans
8 hour work day
restrictions on immigrations
Bimetallism

31. Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” Speech
The Democrats hoped that free silver would increase the supply of money and provide more credit to farmers and workers. But despite Bryan’s stirring words, “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold,” McKinley won the 1896 election.