The West

1. The West 1865-1900

2. Native Americans • By the Civil War the tribes of Native Americans had been pushed to the Great Plains • European diseases (cholera, and smallpox), weapons (rifle and cannon), and food shortages (buffalo) had reduced the once great tribes to a fraction of their former numbers • Buffalo herds had been reduced by white hunters who had often killed them for entertainment • In 1851 at Fort Laramie the government signed treaties with some tribes – creating the reservation system

3. Another treaty was signed at Fort Atkinson in 1853 – they established boundaries between the white settlers and the Indians • In the 1860s the government forced more onto reservations with promises of food and provisions • In many cases the Indian agents kept the money and/or made deals for inadequate food • After the Civil War the federal government engaged in a series of wars against the Indians • Many of the soldiers were African-Americans and called “Buffalo Soldiers”

4. At Sand Creek, Colorado, in 1864 Col. Chivington massacred over 400 Indians – including women and children • In 1866 the Sioux responded by attacking soldiers and civilians working on the Bozeman Trail in Wyoming’s Bighorn Mountains – one of the few victories for the Indians • In 1868 the government signed a treaty giving up the Bozeman Trail and guaranteed the land for the Sioux • In 1874 gold was discovered in the Black Hills of South Dakota – part of the Sioux reservation

5. Col. Custer – the Civil War hero, was sent to suppress the Indians • Custer made a mistake when he attacked a large force of Sioux warriors led by Chief Sitting Bull– Custer and his men were massacred • Public opinion immediately demanded revenge • The army hounded the Sioux and hunted them down – Sitting Bull managed to escape to Canada • In the northwest a group of Nez Percé, led by Chief Joseph tried to avoid going on a reservation • In 1877 Chief Joseph was forced to surrender after running for almost 2,000 of miles and trying to get to Canada

6. In southwest the Apaches led by Geronimo refused to surrender and remained a problem for the settlers • Geronimo fled to Mexico and was followed by the army • Eventually the Apache were captured and forced to live on reservations in Florida and Oklahoma • One if the main reasons the Indians had to be removed was to ensure the safety of the railroads – the same reason why the buffalo herds had to be removed • By 1885 the buffalo was in danger of extinction

7. In 1881 Helen Hunt Jackson published A Century of Dishonor which documented the atrocities committed by the government on the Native Americans and caused a great deal of sympathy for the Indians • When the Ghost Dance cult appeared in South Dakota the authorities sent the army in to stop it spreading • In 1890 at the Battle of Wounded Knee almost 200 men, women, and children were killed by the army

8. Reform for the Native Americans • In 1887 the government passed the Dawes Severalty Act, which took away tribal lands and deprived the Indians of ownership • Each Indian family was given 160 acres of land – so long as they behaved like white settlers • The Indians were promised full ownership and citizenship in 25 years if they behaved • (Citizenship was granted to all native Americans in 1924) • Tribal land not given away in the Dawes Act was sold to the railroads and white settlers

9. In 1879 the government funded the Carlisle School in Pennsylvania to teach the children of Native Americans how to behave like white children • The program was expanded in the 1890s to teach sowing and hygiene on the reservations • The Dawes Act took away the traditional role and power of the tribe and replaced it with individualism • The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 tried to restore some of the tribal land

10. Cattle • When the Civil War some people realized the potential of the large herds of cattle roaming around Texas • These cattle were often killed for their hides and rarely for meat. There was no profitable way to move the cattle to the large markets until the railroads • When the railroad opened the west the cattle ranchers only had to move their cattle to the railheads for shipment

11. Large meat companies like the Swifts and Armours needed the cattle in the meat-packing plants of Chicago before shipping the meat to the East Coast markets • Cowboys from Texas herded the cattle to the stocking yards at Dodge City, Abilene, and Cheyenne • These were wild frontier towns with few of the luxuries of the big cities • Cowboy life was hard, dirty, and with little pay • The cowboys worked hard and the played hard – men like “Wild Bill” Hickok were hired to keep law and order

12. The cattle grazed on ‘free’ grass as they moved hundreds of miles north • As competition for land increased so did the amount of barbed-wire and the number of sheepherders • Gradually the cowboys and cattle drives were forced into extinction, except in the minds of Americans and in the Hollywood film industry

13. The Farm • The cowboys remains a romanticized figure – even though he barely reigned 20 years • But most of the work in the West was done by the very unromantic figure of the sodbuster – the farmer • The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed settlers to obtain 160 acres of land if they lived on it for 5 years and improved the land for a nominal fee • The intent of the Act was to encourage settlement in the West

14. But the Act was deceptive – 160 acres of good, well-watered land was enough, but on the Great Plains there was little water • Many of the original settlers were forced to leave their land • Also much of the better land was purchased by crooked individuals who just wanted to use the natural resources like lumber • Many of the railroad companies actually recruited Europeans with promise of good, cheap land

15. In 1890 it was announced that there was no frontier in America – all the once unsettled areas had been settled • In 1893 Frederick Jackson Turner wrote “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” • With the loss of the frontier came the loss of the “safety valve” – traditionally when the economic situation in the East had deteriorated there was always opportunities on the Western frontier

16. Populism • As the centuries changed so did the role of the farmer • Farmers focused on one crop and areas of the country developed specialized production – such as wheat, cotton, or cattle • The farmer was forced to become a businessman and to work with technology and the railroads • The number of farmers slowly decreased but their production increased dramatically • But depending on one crop meant depending upon a potentially volatile market

17. With the spread of the railroads there was now much more competition amongst the farmers and also from foreign countries • Farmers were forced to take out overdrafts and loans and consequently they fell victim to the bankers • High interest rates and a shortage of dollars made the economics of farming unpleasant. The heat, grasshoppers, and droughts, also made farming a gamble • Shippers and sellers inflated their prices cutting down the profits for the farmers – the farmers needed to organize

18. Granger Movement • In 1866 the Dept. of Agriculture sent Oliver H. Kelley on a tour of postbellum southern farms • Kelley decided to do something to help the isolated farmers • In 1867 he founded the Patrons of Husbandry (The Grange) • By 1874 membership was almost at 1.5 million • Initially to help with the isolation of the farmers the movement soon changed to become cooperatives for buying and selling crops • The Grangers then became involved in politics

19. Their main concern was the regulation of railroad rates and warehouse rates • Five states passed Granger Laws which challenged the power of the railroad and warehouse owners • In Munn v. Illinois (1877) the Supreme Court ruled that states had the right to regulate property in the interest of public good • Eventually the Granger movement lost its momentum and was replaced in 1875 by the Independent National party (Greenback party) – which emphasized the use of paper money • But in the 1880 the party declined and disappeared after 1884

20. Farmer’s Alliance • The first alliance was formed in 1873 • Like the Grange it was aimed at improving the social and recreational conditions of the farmers • They too, soon became involved in politics • The movement was especially popular in the South and Midwest as farmers sought help to fight increasing debt and declining prices • In 1886 the Colored Alliance was formed to represent black farmers • Also in 1886, Texas suffered a severe drought. President Cleveland vetoed a bill that would have helped the farmers

21. In response the farmers challenged the Democrats in the polls • In 1887 a blizzard swept through the West and devastated many farms. Without government aid many farmers became supportive of the idea of a third-party • Although many parties appeared the most successful was the Populist party

22. Populist Party • Involved in the elections between 1892-1908 the won control of many state legislatures and Kansas even elected a Populist candidate to the Senate • In 1892 the Populist party met in Omaha to decide on a national platform and nominated James Weaver as their candidate • The platform was finance, transportation, land, and limiting immigration • They gained over 1 million votes and several congressional seats

23. Now it seemed like there might be a legitimate Third Party, but they would have to expand their appeal and reach more voters • In 1896 many people were fearful of the economic situation and the unsound monetary policies • The Republicans nominated William McKinley of Ohio • The Democrats finally settled on William Jennings Bryan from Nebraska • Although young (36 ), Bryan was a great communicator and had a confidence in his abilities

24. William Jennings Bryan • At the Democratic convention in Chicago, Bryan delivered his famous Cross of Gold speech • The Democrats demanded unlimited coinage of silver at a rate of roughly 50 cents an ounce • Those in favor of gold, the “Gold Bugs” left the party • Many Democrats believed the Populists had taken over the party • Bryan crossed the country making speeches in favor of his platform • Those in favor of silver saw Bryan as a hero

25. Eastern bankers, anxious to protect their investments called Bryan’s policy foolish. • The Republican National Committee led by Mark Hanna piled up enormous amounts of money from big-business and played upon the fear of another Democratic panic • On election day the scare tactics of the Republicans won the day