1. Minorities 1850s, West was most diverse of the nation
20% of population, home to 80% of nations’ Asians, Mexicans, & Native American
Chinese Exclusion Act
1882, forbade Chinese workers from entering the country
Segregated schools

2. Minorities Mexican Americans face discrimination
“foreigners in their own land”
The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
End of Mexican-American War
Guaranteed property rights of Mexicans who lived in SW prior to war
…4 out of 5 Mexican Americans in New Mexico lost their land

3. Struggles & Change Across the West
Discrimination
Economic issues
Sabotage
Population growth
Prejudice

4. Struggles Across the West
Conflicts between miners, ranchers, farmers, sheepherders --- violence/sabotage
Grazing cattle ruined crops
Sheep ate cattle's’ grass
Mining runoff polluted water
… water usage remained unregulated

5. Struggles Across the West
Ranchers belittled homesteaders
Sodbusters
Who owns natural resources?
Mexican Americans saw salt beds as public property…
Ethnic tensions
Lots of foreign-born

6. Population Growth
1889, Gov’t opened Oklahoma Territory to homesteaders
…most good land was taken by “sooners

7. Population Growth 1890 national census Revealed growth in the West
No longer a square mile of US that didn’t have a few white residents
…great American frontier closed

8. Corruption Plagues the Nation
Gilded Age
Neither party could keep power
Ulysses S. Grant
Popular war here
…not the best President
Gave high level jobs to buddies
VP Colfax stole funds from railroad
Aura of greed
Spoils System

9. Boss Tweed v Thomas Nast

10. Corruption Continues Rutherford B Hayes 1876 election??
Garfield assassinated
Harrison
Lost popular vote
Won Electoral College
Cleveland
President of integrity & honesty was exception

11. Corruption Continues Rutherford B Hayes 1876 election??
Garfield assassinated
Harrison
Lost popular vote
Won Electoral College
Cleveland
President of integrity & honesty was exception

12. Reforming Spoils System
Civil Service
System where federal jobs are given based on experience & expertise
Regardless of which party won
Pendleton Service Act
1883, created civil service exam
Stuff’s