Chapter 5Chapter 5An Industrial NationAn Industrial Nation

(1850 – 1890)(1850 – 1890)

CHAPTER 5 SECTION 1 – The American WestCHAPTER 5 SECTION 1 – The American West

Conflicts with Native AmericansConflicts with Native Americans The The Ghost DanceGhost Dance was a religious was a religious

movement among Native Americans movement among Native Americans based on the idea of a paradise based on the idea of a paradise where Indians would live freely where Indians would live freely without white people around and without white people around and the buffalo herd would returnthe buffalo herd would return

The Ghost Dance was an expression The Ghost Dance was an expression of deepest of deepest griefgrief about the loss of about the loss of Native Americans’ way of lifeNative Americans’ way of life

The Plains Indians followed the The Plains Indians followed the migration of the buffalo and migration of the buffalo and did not settle in one placedid not settle in one place

Most settlers were Most settlers were farmersfarmers or or town dwellerstown dwellers believed that believed that since the Indians did not settle down since the Indians did not settle down in one place that their in one place that their lands were available lands were available for the takingfor the taking

In the mid-1800s the US In the mid-1800s the US government’s government’s IndianIndian policy policy underwent a major changeunderwent a major change

Instead of forcibly removing the Instead of forcibly removing the Indians from the East and relocating Indians from the East and relocating them farther west, them farther west, the government the government began sending them began sending them to to reservationsreservations

Tensions between Plains Indians, Tensions between Plains Indians, settlers, and the US Army grew into a settlers, and the US Army grew into a long period of violence long period of violence known as the known as the Indian WarsIndian Wars

Sand Creek MassacreSand Creek Massacre (1864) – Army (1864) – Army troops attacked and killed about 150 troops attacked and killed about 150 Cheyenne Indians in Colorado… Cheyenne Indians in Colorado… Congress condemned the Congress condemned the actions but did not punish actions but did not punish the commander the commander

At the At the Battle of Little Big HornBattle of Little Big Horn, , the US suffered its worst defeat the US suffered its worst defeat by the Sioux Indians in 1876 as by the Sioux Indians in 1876 as General General CusterCuster and his men were and his men were slaughtered by a much larger forceslaughtered by a much larger force– This marked the This marked the last victorylast victory by any by any

Indian forces against the USIndian forces against the US

The The Massacre at Wounded KneeMassacre at Wounded Knee in in 1890 was the 1890 was the last major eventlast major event of of more than 25 years of war with the more than 25 years of war with the American Indians on the Great PlainsAmerican Indians on the Great Plains– In the end, over In the end, over 300300 Sioux men, Sioux men,

women, and children lay dead in women, and children lay dead in the snowthe snow

One goal of Indian reservation One goal of Indian reservation system was the policy of system was the policy of AmericanizationAmericanization – the idea of – the idea of Indians abandoning their Indians abandoning their traditional culture and identity traditional culture and identity and to live like white Americansand to live like white Americans– Government schools for Indian Government schools for Indian

children where students had to children where students had to speak speak EnglishEnglish and could and could not wearnot wear traditional traditional clothingclothing

DAWES ACTDAWES ACT In 1881, legislation that was In 1881, legislation that was

passed by Congress, that passed by Congress, that split upsplit up Indian reservation lands among Indian reservation lands among individual Indians and individual Indians and promised them promised them citizenshipcitizenship

The reservation system and Dawes The reservation system and Dawes Act resulted in the loss of about Act resulted in the loss of about 2/32/3 of the Indians land. Both these plans of the Indians land. Both these plans failed to failed to improveimprove Indian lives Indian lives

MININGMINING After the California gold rush, each After the California gold rush, each

new new goldgold or or silversilver strike inspired a strike inspired a new rush to the Westnew rush to the West

At first, methods such as At first, methods such as panningpanning, , washing gold out of loose sand washing gold out of loose sand or gravel, was common or gravel, was common

When the surface deposits of gold ran When the surface deposits of gold ran out, out, machinerymachinery was needed was needed

By the 1880s, it took By the 1880s, it took expensiveexpensive equipment and mining became a big equipment and mining became a big business, dominated by business, dominated by corporationscorporations

Most Most minersminers then went to then went to work for mining companies work for mining companies instead of hoping to strike it instead of hoping to strike it rich on their ownrich on their own

Comstock LodeComstock Lode It was when miners It was when miners

found a bonanzafound a bonanza, a large , a large deposit of precious ore, deposit of precious ore, in western Nevada in 1859 in western Nevada in 1859

Over 20 years, the Comstock Lode Over 20 years, the Comstock Lode

produced over produced over $500 million$500 million worth of gold and silverworth of gold and silver

RANCHINGRANCHING CattleCattle ranching became the ranching became the

new business of the Great Plainsnew business of the Great Plains The Spanish brought cattle from The Spanish brought cattle from

SpainSpain in the 1500s in the 1500s The Spanish, and later Mexicans, The Spanish, and later Mexicans,

became skilled at raising cattle in a became skilled at raising cattle in a harshharsh environment environment

Spanish and English cattle Spanish and English cattle were interbred and it were interbred and it developed a new breed – developed a new breed – the the Texas longhornTexas longhorn which did not which did not need much water and could live on need much water and could live on grass alonegrass alone

After the Civil War, as city After the Civil War, as city populations expanded so populations expanded so did the demand for did the demand for beefbeef

Ranchers hired Ranchers hired cowboyscowboys to drive a to drive a herd of cattle to a railroad herd of cattle to a railroad town, where they could be town, where they could be shipped to meat-packing shipped to meat-packing centerscenters

Cowboys borrowed techniques from Cowboys borrowed techniques from the the vaquerosvaqueros – Mexican cowboys in – Mexican cowboys in the West who tended cattle and the West who tended cattle and horseshorses

Cowboys faced many Cowboys faced many dangersdangers during during the normal 3 month cattle drives– the normal 3 month cattle drives– cattle thieves, bad weather, and cattle thieves, bad weather, and unpredictable livestockunpredictable livestock

The The Chisholm TrailChisholm Trail was an important was an important cattle drive trail which began in cattle drive trail which began in San Antonio and ended in KansasSan Antonio and ended in Kansas

Barbed wireBarbed wire was a new invention was a new invention that helped manage the herds and that helped manage the herds and enclosing their grazing landsenclosing their grazing lands

This led to conflicts between This led to conflicts between landless cattle ownerslandless cattle owners and the and the ranchers and farmers who fenced in ranchers and farmers who fenced in their landtheir land

FARMERS ON THE GREAT PLAINSFARMERS ON THE GREAT PLAINS Congress passed Congress passed threethree acts to acts to

encourage settlement encourage settlement in the Great Plains in the Great Plains

The The Homestead ActHomestead Act granted land to granted land to small farmers if they agreed to stay small farmers if they agreed to stay on the land for five years on the land for five years (almost 2 million people (almost 2 million people would try)would try)

Under the Under the Pacific Railway ActPacific Railway Act, the , the government gave millions of acres to government gave millions of acres to railroad companies to encourage railroad companies to encourage them to build railroads and telegraph them to build railroads and telegraph lineslines– The railroads used some of the The railroads used some of the

land and sold the rest to land and sold the rest to settlerssettlers

The The Morrill ActMorrill Act gave the states gave the states land to build colleges to teach land to build colleges to teach “agriculture and the mechanic arts”“agriculture and the mechanic arts”– This was the first federal This was the first federal

government assistance for government assistance for higher educationhigher education

NEW SETTLERS TO THE NEW SETTLERS TO THE GREAT PLAINSGREAT PLAINS

WhiteWhite settlers were mostly middle settlers were mostly middle class farmers or businessmen who class farmers or businessmen who could afford supplies and could afford supplies and transportationtransportation

African AmericansAfrican Americans began a began a massive migration to escape the massive migration to escape the Black Codes and violence by the KKKBlack Codes and violence by the KKK– They became known as They became known as exodustersexodusters

Economic opportunities Economic opportunities attracted thousands of attracted thousands of northern Europeansnorthern Europeans– Land-poorLand-poor Scandinavians Scandinavians

and Germansand Germans– MennonitesMennonites – Protestant – Protestant

group from Russiagroup from Russia

There were laws that often barred There were laws that often barred ChineseChinese settlers from owning land in settlers from owning land in the 1880s, so they became farm the 1880s, so they became farm workers and not owners or worked on workers and not owners or worked on the railroadthe railroad

LIFE ON THE GREAT PLAINSLIFE ON THE GREAT PLAINS Life on the Great Plains was very Life on the Great Plains was very

harshharsh, so farmers formed , so farmers formed communitiescommunities to assist one another in to assist one another in times of need.times of need.– They built They built churches and schoolschurches and schools– They raised money by putting on They raised money by putting on

plays or dinnersplays or dinners

In 1890, the Census Bureau gave a In 1890, the Census Bureau gave a report that declared the report that declared the frontier closedfrontier closed as there was as there was no more area to be settledno more area to be settled