1. The Realities of Rural America Chapter 17

2. Bell Work: Myth or reality? What is being depicted in the picture? Does this represent the reality of rural America in the late 1800s?

3. What is going on in this picture?

4. “American Progress,” 1872  Artist: John Gast  Popular scene of people moving west that captured the view of Americans at the time.  Portrayed settlers moving west, guided and protected by a goddess-like figure and aided by technology (railways, telegraphs), driving Indians and bison into obscurity.

5. What does a farm look like in the late 1800s?

6. Farm Productivity…

7. Mom & Pop farms get the boot…

8. Innovations…

9. Birth of the Modern Farm Twice as many farms Twice as many farms Specialized crops Specialized crops New innovations New innovations Large scale in size Large scale in size Result of Changes: Independent “yeomen” farmers disappear

10. Falling prices….

11. Downside Dependence on outside forces & demands Dependence on outside forces & demands Bankers Bankers Middlemen Middlemen Railroad Railroad Foreign Competition Foreign Competition Over cultivation Over cultivation

12. Part I: Farming in the Different Regions Western Plains CaliforniaCattleMining

13. (1) Life on the Western Plains Land of opportunity OR No man’s Land

15. Changes that took place… Innovations Innovations Promotions Promotions Homestead Act Homestead Act

16. So you want to be a farmer?? Tenants Tenants Immigrant Immigrant

17. Life on the Western Plains Uncertainty Uncertainty Machines Machines Environment/ Weather Environment/ Weather Money Money Women Women Resources (e.g., water) Resources (e.g., water)

18. Let the good times roll… Diaries, journals, books Diaries, journals, books O Pioneers (1913) O Pioneers (1913) “It seemed beautiful to her, rich and strong and glorious.” “It seemed beautiful to her, rich and strong and glorious.”

19. “In God we trusted, In Kansas we busted”… “In God we trusted, In Kansas we busted”… By the late 1800s & early 1890s… Crisis on the horizon By the late 1800s & early 1890s… Crisis on the horizon Falling agriculture prices Falling agriculture prices No rainfall No rainfall Increased debt Increased debt

20. Long term Environmental Issues Top Soil Top Soil Water table level Water table level

21. (2) Cattle Frontier….Why not  The birth of the cattle industry… by accident  Military Strategy  Texas

22. Cattle drivers

23. Birth of the ranch  Late 1870 & early 1880s  Where? Eastern Colorado Wyoming Montana Montana W. Kansas NebraskaDakotas

24. UNITED STATES MAP

25. Why profitable?  Public Land  Railroad  Cowboys

26. Mid 1880s… Here comes the farmers…  Public land  Fences  Grass  Weather

27. Adopting new techniques...  Fence  New feed  New breeds Result: Ranching became a modern business

28. Ranching Environmental Issues…  Grass  Disappearance of species  Desert land

29. (3)People came for the gold but stayed for the farming….

30. Unlike any other region… “Not a county of farms but a country of plantations and estates”

31. Large scale farming….  Mexican heritage  Average size of farms: 482 acres v. 153 acres  By 1900, 2/3 of Calif. Farms had how many acres? 100+ 1000+ 10,000+  Impact on small farmers

32. Got Water?  Most valuable natural resource  Need to obtain access… developed: Dams HeadgatesCanals Irrigation ditches

33. Most valuable crops….  Grain  Fruits & vegetables

34. (4) Mining Frontier  Where? Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, & Minnesota  What? Silver, iron, copper, coal, lead, zinc  Popular conception: “49er”  Reality: Relied on machinery, railroad, engineers & large work force

35. Overall Natural Implications  What was changing?  Soil Erosion  Endangered Species  Drought  Role of the government?  Growing public concern: John Muir