Looking to the West (1860-1900)

Looking to the West (1860-1900)

◊Miners, Ranchers, Farmers, Cowboys

◊Miners, Ranchers, Farmers, Cowboys

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MiningMining

◊ Young, single men◊ Desire to strike it

rich◊ Cherry Creek, CO

• Other CO places in the mountains

◊ Helena, MT◊ Virginia City, NV◊ Black Hills (South

Dakota)

◊ Young, single men◊ Desire to strike it

rich◊ Cherry Creek, CO

• Other CO places in the mountains

◊ Helena, MT◊ Virginia City, NV◊ Black Hills (South

Dakota)

The Mining FrontierThe Mining Frontier◊ Some small prospectors made

fortunes◊ Most money made by large

mining corporations.◊ Mining towns had high

populations of foreigners.◊ Environmental destruction due

to blasting, chemicals, and water pollution.

◊ Some small prospectors made fortunes

◊ Most money made by large mining corporations.

◊ Mining towns had high populations of foreigners.

◊ Environmental destruction due to blasting, chemicals, and water pollution.

Mining’s Economic ImpactsMining’s Economic Impacts

◊ The added gold (and silver)• Boosted U.S.

economy• Increased foreign

investment• Stimulated U.S.

involvement in global economy

◊ The added gold (and silver)• Boosted U.S.

economy• Increased foreign

investment• Stimulated U.S.

involvement in global economy

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RanchingRanching◊ Fences◊ Large

tracts of land

◊ Huge herds of cattle

◊ Rise of the Cattle Barons

◊ Fences◊ Large

tracts of land

◊ Huge herds of cattle

◊ Rise of the Cattle Barons

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The Cattle TrailsThe Cattle Trails

◊ file:///Users/jcorn/Desktop/Animations/Cattle%20Trails.htm

◊ file:///Users/jcorn/Desktop/Animations/Cattle%20Trails.htm

Texas Longhorn CattleTexas Longhorn Cattle

◊ Durable◊ Tough◊ Ornery◊ Good sense of

smell - could locate sources of groundwater

◊ Durable◊ Tough◊ Ornery◊ Good sense of

smell - could locate sources of groundwater

Longhorn CattleLonghorn Cattle

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The American CowboyThe American Cowboy

◊ Romanticized◊ Mythologized◊ Lonely, rugged

existence◊ Necessary for

Cattle business◊ “The Virginian”

◊ Romanticized◊ Mythologized◊ Lonely, rugged

existence◊ Necessary for

Cattle business◊ “The Virginian”

The Cattle DrivesThe Cattle Drives◊ Romanticized,

difficult◊ Spurred growth of

RRs◊ Food “on the hoof”

fed growing demand in Eastern Markets and for Miners

◊ Depended on the Open Range

◊ Romanticized, difficult

◊ Spurred growth of RRs

◊ Food “on the hoof” fed growing demand in Eastern Markets and for Miners

◊ Depended on the Open Range

Farming as BusinessFarming as Business◊ Improved farming

technologies:• Mechanical Reaper

(Early Combine)• Barbed wire• Dry farming• Steel Plow• Windmills• Hybridization• Seed drills

◊ Led to Bonanza farms:• Specialized in a single

cash crop• The rise of

‘agribusiness’.

◊ Improved farming technologies:• Mechanical Reaper

(Early Combine)• Barbed wire• Dry farming• Steel Plow• Windmills• Hybridization• Seed drills

◊ Led to Bonanza farms:• Specialized in a single

cash crop• The rise of

‘agribusiness’.

New Technology Eases Farm LaborNew Technology Eases Farm Labor

Reduced labor force needed for harvest. Allows farmers to maintain larger farms.Mechanized Reaper

Keeps cattle from trampling crops and uses a minimal amount of lumber, which was scarce on the plains.Barbed Wire

Allows cultivation of arid land by using drought-resistant crops and various techniques to minimize evaporation.Dry Farming

Allows farmers to cut through dense, root-choked sod.Steel Plow

Smoothes and levels ground for planting.Harrow

Powers irrigation systems and pumps up ground water.Steel Windmill

Cross-breeding of crop plants, which allows greater yields and uniformity.Hybridization

Keeps cattle from trampling crops and uses a minimal amount of lumber, which was scarce on the plains.

Improved Communication

Array of multiple drills used to carve small trenches in the ground and feed seed into the soil.Grain Drill

Farms controlled by large businesses, managed by professionals, raised massive quantities of a single cash crop.Bonanza Farm

Farming Technologies and InnovationsFarming Technologies and Innovations

Bonanza FarmsBonanza Farms

◊ 10,000 acre farms◊ Wheat boom of the 1880s◊ Population in Dakotas tripled◊ Overproduction, high investment

costs, droughts, and reliance on one-crop agriculture brought an end to the boom

◊ 1890 prices fell, some lost everything

◊ 10,000 acre farms◊ Wheat boom of the 1880s◊ Population in Dakotas tripled◊ Overproduction, high investment

costs, droughts, and reliance on one-crop agriculture brought an end to the boom

◊ 1890 prices fell, some lost everything

The Wild WestThe Wild West

◊ Gunfights◊ Outlaws (Billy

the Kid)◊ Marshals and

Sheriffs (Wyatt Earp)

◊ Mythical◊ Dodge City,

KS◊ Tombstone,

AZ

◊ Gunfights◊ Outlaws (Billy

the Kid)◊ Marshals and

Sheriffs (Wyatt Earp)

◊ Mythical◊ Dodge City,

KS◊ Tombstone,

AZ

Myth vs. RealityMyth vs. Reality◊ Myth

◊ Cowboys were romantic, self-sufficient, and virtuous

◊ All were white◊ Ideal, garden of Eden◊ Could make a

fortune in the west◊ Western towns were

lawless

◊ Myth◊ Cowboys were

romantic, self-sufficient, and virtuous

◊ All were white◊ Ideal, garden of Eden◊ Could make a

fortune in the west◊ Western towns were

lawless

◊ Reality◊ Cowboys were young,

poorly paid, and did hard labor

◊ 20% were black or Mexican◊ Harmonious race relations

on the trail◊ Harsh conditions◊ Most made little, if any

money◊ There were police forces

and order in the West

◊ Reality◊ Cowboys were young,

poorly paid, and did hard labor

◊ 20% were black or Mexican◊ Harmonious race relations

on the trail◊ Harsh conditions◊ Most made little, if any

money◊ There were police forces

and order in the West

The Western MythThe Western Myth◊ Some (Roosevelt) saw

social Darwinism in the west.

◊ Perceived as the last chance to build a truly good society

◊ Novels and accounts glossed over hard labor and ethnic strife.

◊ Reality, western settlement depended more upon companies and railroads than individuals.

◊ Some (Roosevelt) saw social Darwinism in the west.

◊ Perceived as the last chance to build a truly good society

◊ Novels and accounts glossed over hard labor and ethnic strife.

◊ Reality, western settlement depended more upon companies and railroads than individuals.

The Wild West: Some elements of the frontier myths were true. Yet, many wild towns of the West calmed down fairly quickly or disappeared.

By the 1880s, the frontier had many churches and a variety of social groups. Major theatrical productions toured growing western cities. The East had come West.

Taming the Frontier

By 1890, the United States Census Bureau announced the official end of the frontier. The population in the West had become dense, and the days of free western land had come to an end.

The End of the Frontier

In 1893, historian Frederick Jackson Turner claimed that the frontier had played a key role in forming the American character. The Turner Thesis, as his view came to be called, stated that frontier life created Americans who were socially mobile, ready for adventure, bent on individual self-improvement, and committed to democracy.

Turner’s Frontier Thesis

The Wild West remains fixed in popular culture and continues to influence how Americans think about themselves. Many stereotypes–exaggerated or oversimplified descriptions of reality, and frontier myths persist today despite our deeper understanding of the history of the American West.

Myths in Literature, Shows, and Song

Frontier MythsFrontier Myths

The Frontier MythThe Frontier Myth

◊ Still lives in the American imagination

◊ Depicted in movies

◊ TV shows (Frontier House, Little House on the Prairie, Gunsmoke, etc.)

◊ Still lives in the American imagination

◊ Depicted in movies

◊ TV shows (Frontier House, Little House on the Prairie, Gunsmoke, etc.)

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