Technology Technology and the and the

WestWest

Need for a Need for a Transcontinental Transcontinental

RailroadRailroad To connect East Coast to To connect East Coast to Oregon and CaliforniaOregon and California

Would reduce travel time from Would reduce travel time from months to daysmonths to days

Would lead to growth along Would lead to growth along the rail linethe rail line

But where should it be built?But where should it be built? Southerners wanted a route Southerners wanted a route

out of New Orleans, which out of New Orleans, which required purchase of land from required purchase of land from Mexico (Gadsden Purchase) Mexico (Gadsden Purchase) arranged by Secretary of War arranged by Secretary of War Jefferson DavisJefferson Davis

Northerners wanted a route Northerners wanted a route out of Chicago, but out of Chicago, but Southerners blocked their Southerners blocked their efforts in hopes that they efforts in hopes that they could barter the route for an could barter the route for an expansion of slaveryexpansion of slavery

Pacific Railway Pacific Railway ActAct

18621862 Provided for construction Provided for construction

of a transcontinental of a transcontinental railroad as a joint effort railroad as a joint effort between the Union between the Union Pacific and Central Pacific and Central Pacific RailroadsPacific Railroads

Both companies were Both companies were given land along the given land along the right-of-way to right-of-way to encourage competition encourage competition and rapid constructionand rapid construction

The Union PacificThe Union Pacific Led by Grenville Led by Grenville

Dodge, former Dodge, former union general union general known for his known for his organizational and organizational and managerial skillsmanagerial skills

Started rail line Started rail line heading west out heading west out of Omaha of Omaha Nebraska in 1865Nebraska in 1865

Union Pacific Union Pacific WorkersWorkers

Civil War vetsCivil War vets Irish immigrantsIrish immigrants Bankrupt miners and Bankrupt miners and

farmersfarmers 10,000 men living in 10,000 men living in

camps along the camps along the tracks and in rolling tracks and in rolling dormsdorms

Lots of rough living – Lots of rough living – gambling, drinking, gambling, drinking, fightingfighting

The Central PacificThe Central Pacific Organized in California Organized in California

under 4 investors, under 4 investors, including Leland including Leland Stanford, future governor Stanford, future governor of California and founder of California and founder of Stanford Universityof Stanford University

Hired 10,000 Chinese Hired 10,000 Chinese laborerslaborers

Had drawback of having Had drawback of having to have all equipment for to have all equipment for railroad and for railroad and for construction brought by construction brought by ship ship

Promontory, Utah 1869Promontory, Utah 1869

Time Zones Time Zones IntroducedIntroduced

Time had been measured Time had been measured purely by the sun’s purely by the sun’s position, so what time it position, so what time it was determined locallywas determined locally

1883: American Railway 1883: American Railway Association divided Association divided nation into 4 time zones nation into 4 time zones to ease railroad to ease railroad scheduling and improve scheduling and improve safety by eliminating safety by eliminating wrecks caused by wrecks caused by discrepancies in how discrepancies in how time was measuredtime was measured

Standardization of Standardization of TrainsTrains

Hundreds of railroads Hundreds of railroads consolidated into just 7 consolidated into just 7 major companies, major companies, increasing efficiency, increasing efficiency, lowering shipping and lowering shipping and travel costs, and allowing travel costs, and allowing the development of the development of improved technologies improved technologies which further increased which further increased efficiencyefficiency

Railroads tied America’s Railroads tied America’s regions together after the regions together after the war, helping end war, helping end sectionalismsectionalism

The Land Grant SystemThe Land Grant System Federal government Federal government

gave land to railroad gave land to railroad companies alongside companies alongside their rail lines to their rail lines to encourage developmentencourage development

Railroads sold this land Railroads sold this land to settlers to raise the to settlers to raise the capital needed to build capital needed to build the railroadthe railroad

Over 120 million acres of Over 120 million acres of public lands were given public lands were given to rail companies in mid-to rail companies in mid-1800s1800s

Plow TechnologyPlow Technology Jethro Wood patented Jethro Wood patented

an iron-bladed plow in an iron-bladed plow in 18191819

John Deere patented a John Deere patented a steel-bladed plow in steel-bladed plow in 1837 that could cut 1837 that could cut through tough sod of through tough sod of the Great Plainsthe Great Plains

Steel plows were the Steel plows were the only way for only way for “sodbusters” to farm the “sodbusters” to farm the prairie, but also led to prairie, but also led to the breakdown of prairie the breakdown of prairie soils and loss of topsoil soils and loss of topsoil to wind & water erosionto wind & water erosion

Mechanical Mechanical ReaperReaper

Developed by Cyrus Developed by Cyrus McCormick in 1834McCormick in 1834

Machine pulled by a Machine pulled by a horse could harvest horse could harvest far more grain than far more grain than a man swinging a a man swinging a scythe, led to scythe, led to farmers planting farmers planting more acreage and more acreage and an increase in grain an increase in grain productionproduction

Dry-farmingDry-farming Plant seeds deep in the Plant seeds deep in the

ground where there is ground where there is enough moisture to enough moisture to allow them to allow them to germinategerminate

Doesn’t require surface Doesn’t require surface watering or depend as watering or depend as heavily on regular heavily on regular rainfallrainfall

Mainly used for wheat Mainly used for wheat and corn farming in the and corn farming in the Great PlainsGreat Plains

The Wheat BeltThe Wheat Belt

Range WarsRange Wars As farmers moved onto As farmers moved onto

the plains, they needed to the plains, they needed to define and enclose their define and enclose their fieldsfields

As sheep ranchers moved As sheep ranchers moved in, they needed access to in, they needed access to water and pastureswater and pastures

Both groups were in Both groups were in conflict with the cattle conflict with the cattle ranchers who depended ranchers who depended on the open range to on the open range to graze and move their graze and move their herdsherds

Brief but violent range Brief but violent range wars became commonwars became common

Barbed Wire Ends the Open Barbed Wire Ends the Open Range EraRange Era

Invented by Joseph Invented by Joseph Glidden in 1874Glidden in 1874

Allowed huge areas of Allowed huge areas of land to be fenced off land to be fenced off cheaply and easilycheaply and easily

Allowed farmers and Allowed farmers and sheep ranchers to fence in sheep ranchers to fence in the prairie and shut down the prairie and shut down routes (like the Chisholm routes (like the Chisholm Trail) for driving cattleTrail) for driving cattle

Forced cattle ranchers to Forced cattle ranchers to change their practices, change their practices, organize defined, organize defined, enclosed ranchesenclosed ranches

Farmers Fall on Hard Farmers Fall on Hard TimesTimes

In 1880s, a serious In 1880s, a serious drought struckdrought struck

In 1890s, excessive In 1890s, excessive wheat production wheat production caused prices to dropcaused prices to drop

Farmers mortgaged Farmers mortgaged their land to banks to their land to banks to survive, but often lost survive, but often lost their land when they their land when they couldn’t meet their couldn’t meet their mortgage paymentsmortgage payments

Commercial Commercial FarmingFarming

Practiced mechanized Practiced mechanized farmingfarming

Usually 50,000+ acresUsually 50,000+ acres Called “bonanza farms”Called “bonanza farms” Massive investment Massive investment

was required in land was required in land and equipmentand equipment

Required hired laborers Required hired laborers (most regular farms (most regular farms were family worked)were family worked)