1. Chapter 26 The Great West and the Agricultural Revolution, 1865–1896

2. I. The Clash of Cultures on the Plains Migration and conflict – Indians forced west, displaced other Indians Soldiers and settlers on the plains – Spread disease, killed bison, conflicts with natives The federal government – Pacification via treaties (voluntary & forced) – Started the reservation system in the West

4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8I8_hs7kWs

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7. II. Receding Native Population The Indian wars in the West were often savage – General Custer’s Battle of the Little Bighorn (1876) – Flight of the Nez Perce Indians (1877) – Battle of Wounded Knee (1890) The “taming” of the Indians was engineered by – “Bullets, Bacteria and Bottles”

9. Custer Last Stand @ Little Big Horn

11. Map 26-1 p578

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14. III. Bellowing Herds of Bison The staff of life for Native Americans – Provided food, clothes, shelter, tools, energy Effect of the railroads – The massacre of the herds began in deadly earnest – Numbers declined 20,000,000(1865) - 1,000 (1885)

15. IV. The End of the Trail National conscience began to stir uneasily Dawes Severalty Act (1887) – Reflecting the forced-civilization reformers’ view – Former reservation land taken from ‘tribes’ The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 – The “Indian New Deal” – Partially reversed the individualistic approach – Tried to restore the tribal basis of Indian life

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22. V. Mining: From Dishpan to Ore Breaker 1849 – California Gold Rush 1858- Colorado, Nevada, Montana, Idaho Booms – Comstock Lode – Boomtowns, then “ghost towns” Results of the mining industry – “Booms” & “Rushes” attracted people and wealth – Eventually industrialized (mechanized big business) – Facilitated the building of railroads – Intensified the conflict between whites and Indians

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24. VI. Beef Bonanzas and the Long Drive RRs allowed western cattle to be shipped east – “Beef barons” (Swifts and Armours) industrialized The “Long Drive” by Cowboys (His, Anglo, black) – Grazed en route on the free government grass Cattle boom ends – Conflict w/ farmers & ranchers (Range Wars) – Winter of 1886-1887 – Overexpansion and overgrazing took their tolls

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26. Map 26-3 p586

27. VII. The Farmers’ Frontier Homestead Act (1862) – First time land ‘given’ to people, not businesses – Not completely successful (small lots, fraud) RRs helped develop the agricultural West – The profitable marketing of crops & beef – Sold ‘free’ land, transported immigrants Innovations & inventions – “Dry farming” took root on the plains – Tough strains of Russian wheat – Barbed wire - Joseph F. Glidden (1874 – Dams & irrigation projects (Built by Feds)

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29. VIII. The Far West Comes of Age Fantastic surge in migration - 1870s to 1890s – Eight new western states joined the union Oklahoma Land Rush – April 22, 1889, again in 1891, 1892, and 1893 Land from different Indian reservations – Congress made it a territory (1889) – In 1907 it became the “Sooner State”

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32. Map 26-4 p589

33. IX. The Fading Frontier In 1890, the ‘closing’ of the frontier – Frederick Jackson Turner’s thesis The frontier was a mindset and a “safety valve” – Trans-Mississippi West formed a distinct era & area Native Americans, Hispanic, Anglo cultures merged Topography & environment was more severe Federal government played it’s largest role Mystical proportions in the American mind – Immortalized by writers, painters, movie, TV Unrealistic, dramatized, celebrated

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37. X. The Farm Becomes a Factory Farming changed into single “cash” crops Mechanization of agriculture – Large-scale farmers were specialists & businessmen – The start of “agribusiness” Agriculture was big business in California – Phenomenally productive Central Valley Farmers were producers and consumers – Desired eastern goods and lifestyle Sears and Roebuck mail order catalog (1888)

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39. XI. Deflation Dooms the Debtor Farmers borrow money before making money – As long as prices stayed high all went well Low prices and/or deflation created problems – Part of the problem static money supply Hard to get credit – Overproduction caused lower prices

40. XII. Unhappy Farmers Mother nature conspired against agriculture – Insects (grasshoppers, boll weevil) – The good earth was going sour Overuse, flooding, drought Operating costs – All taxes were land-based – Dependent on “trusts” (harvest, RR, barbed wire) Farmers made up ½ of the population in 1890 – Disorganized and independent

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42. XIII. The Farmers Take Their Stand Agrarian unrest – The Grange Social and educational at first (self-improvement) Later established cooperatively owned stores – Embittered Grangers went into politics Chiefly in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Minnesota SCOTUS Wabash (1886) limited Grangers’ influence – Limited state power concerning interstate commerce Many joined Greenback Labor party (1870s - 80s) – Elected 21 members of Congress, then faded

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45. XIV. Prelude to Populism The Farmer’s Alliance (Texas in late 1870s) – Expression of rural discontent Didn’t include the landless, share-croppers, blacks Populists: the People’s party – Frustrated farmers attacked the “money trust” Called for nationalizing the railroads, telephone, telegraph Instituted a graduated income tax Wanted free and unlimited coinage of silver

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47. XV. Coxey’s Army and the Pullman Strike Coxey’s marchers wanted unemployment relief – Wanted public works program – Were arrested as they entered Washington Labor protests got violent – Pullman strike of 1894 President Cleveland called in federal troops Both farmers and industrial workers embittered

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50. XVI. Golden McKinley and Silver Bryan The election of 1896 – Leading Republican candidate was William McKinley Supported gold standard (“gold bugs”) Protective tariff (pro-business) – Democratic camp nominated William Jennings Bryan Didn’t nominated President Cleveland Democrats split over silver – The Populists (“Silverites”) Endorsed William Jennings Bryan for president Supported Free silver (Bimetalism)

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53. XVII. Class Conflict: Plowholders Versus Bondholders 1896 Election returns – McKinley triumphed decisively – McKinley won 271 to 176 in the Electoral College – McKinley won popular vote 7,102,246 to 6,492,559 – Importance of 1896 election – Political split (haves vs have not, east vs the rest) – Started a 16 year G.O.P.’s hold on the White Houses – Diminishing voter participation in elections

54. Map 26-6 p603

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56. XVIII. Republican Stand-pattism Enthroned Business & “trusts” were given a free rein Dingley Tariff Bill increased tariff to ~46.5% The Gold Standard Act 1900 – More gold found = more money – Recession ended, moderate inflation was good

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