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The West and the Transcontinental Railroad

The West and the Transcontinental Railroad. Where is this? What are they doing? Why are they doing it?. A. The Great Frontier . The “West” constituted the Great Plains to CA. Virtually no whites in this area before 1865. Floods of people to this area after 1865.

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The West and the Transcontinental Railroad

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  1. The West and the Transcontinental Railroad Where is this? What are they doing? Why are they doing it?

  2. A. The Great Frontier • The “West” constituted the Great Plains to CA. • Virtually no whites in this area before 1865. • Floods of people to this area after 1865. • Inhabited by natives that have already been pushed westward. • Sioux & Comanche (Plains) • Apache & Navajo (SW) • Nez Perce & Shoshoni (NW) • Expansion spurred by Homestead Act (1862)

  3. B. Homestead Act (1862) • Settler could acquire as much as 160 acres of land by living on it 5 yrs and making improvements on it. • Land given away by gov’t to encourage settlement of West • Caused problems with native tribes.

  4. C. Native American clashes • By 1860, 10,000s buffalo hunting natives roamed western Plains. • Organized into tribes and broken down further by “bands” of 500. • Western tribes never successfully united politically or militarily. • Many treaties with US gov’t from before 1860, but pressure by white settlers to gain greater access to land made treaty-breaking, corruption and fraud prevalent. • Natives often gave up ancestral lands in exchange for food, supplies and the promise of being LEFT ALONE.

  5. 6. Warfare • 1868-1890 – constant warfare between whites and natives. • US wants land for gold/mining vs. natives avenging broken promises and treaties • Sioux Wars (1876-1877) • warriors led by Sitting Bull • US troops led by George A. Custer • Started in Black Hills, SD and ended in Montana at Battle of Little Big Horn where Custer and his troops wiped out by Crazy Horse and Sioux Warriors. • Nez Perce (Idaho) led by Chief Joseph • forced into Canada in 1877 • Relocated to OK but only after 1/3 died from disease • Apache (AZ and NM) led by Cochise and Geronimo • Forced into Mexico • Relocated to OK and become successful cattle farmers. • Wounded Knee (1890) • Last major clash between US troops and natives • US army sent to stop “Ghost Dance” – 300 killed

  6. 7. Result of the Indian Wars • By 1890, all No. American tribes on reservations • Natives ravaged by white diseases and alcohol. • Railroads • Cut through ancestral lands • Brought endless supplies of US troops and settlers. • Killing of buffalo ended native resistance to white westward movement. • 15 mil buffalo in 1868 – 1000 by 1885. • Food supply destroyed, had to farm to eat. • Helen Hunt Jackson writes “A Century of Dishonor” • chronicling US deceit toward natives. • “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” of its time • Inspired reform efforts to “assimilate” natives.

  7. 8. Dawes Severalty Act (1887) • Attempt to “assimilate” natives into white culture • Gave native families 160 acres to farm. • Accelerated already decaying native culture. • Remained federal policy towards natives until FDR’s New Deal. • Natives become US citizens in 1924. • Currently 2 million Native Americans in US

  8. D. Transcontinental Railroad • Pacific Railway Act (1862) –passed by Republican Congress during Civil War. • Work started in 1863 • Union Pacific built West from Omaha using mostly Irish “paddies”. • Central Pacific Railway built east from Sacramento using mostly Chinese laborers.

  9. c. Completed in 1869 at Promontory Point, UT • UP built 1086 mi. • CP built 689 mi. d. Hundreds lost their lives in explosions and Indian raids

  10. E. Impact of Transcontinental RR • Linked entire continent by rail and telegraph • Paved the way for incredible growth of West • Seen as the most monumental achievement. • Travel time cut from 6 mo. to 1 week. • Created huge domestic market for raw materials and manufactured goods. • Led to great exodus to cities from rural areas in late 19th c. • Large influx of immigrants due to RR advertising in Europe and free land offers. • Standardized time zones created • Makers of millionaires • Natives marginalized and put on reservations. • Established 3 western frontiers – MINING, CATTLE and FARMING

  11. Mining • Copper, lead, tin, quartz and zinc more bountiful and profitable than gold and silver. • Gold discovered at Pike’s Peak in CO (1859) – 100,000 ppl settle there. • Comstock Lode (gold and silver) discovered in NV in 1859 – big population influx

  12. b. Cattle raising • RR (and refrigerated cars) made meat transport to cities faster • Created the “long drive” • Cowboys drove herds thru Plains until they reached a RR terminal. • Cowboys mostly Mexican and black. • Difficult living • Barbed wire invented by homesteaders made driving cattle difficult • Weather, lightning could be fatal for herd and themselves • Overgrazing and water supplies limited.

  13. c. Farming • Motivated by Homestead Act • “free land” giveaways last until 1934. • Not all 160 acre plot created equal • Many couldn’t make a go of it. • Many use RR to come back to urban centers for jobs. • Railroads and corporations controlled much land- farmers upset about this. • Improved irrigation techniques helped • Glidden’s barbed wire helped protect crops from grazing cattle.

  14. F. End of the Frontier • Incredible growth from 1870-1890 • states admitted from 1888-89. • Feeling that “western frontier” no longer existed now that all area had some settlement. 2. Economic Problems for Farmers • Crop lien system – poor farmers borrowed money at high rates and could not get out of debt. • Deflated currency • Natural disasters • High property taxes • Charged high freight rates by RRs. • Not represented and poorly organized • form Populist (or “People’s”) Party

  15. G. Populism and the Populist Party • Third party formed from various farmers groups • Create a platform for 1892 Prez election • Nominate James B. Weaver • Won over 1 million votes and 22 electoral votes - One of few third parties to win electoral votes • Party dies out, but issues carry on into Progressive era and eventually most get addressed/solved

  16. 6. Platform • Free and unlimited coinage of solver (easier to pay off debts) • Graduated income tax (wealthy pay a higher %age of their income, thus more money)* • Gov’t ownership of telephone*, telegraph * and railroad. (to keep rates affordable) • Initiative, referendum and recall (more popular involvement in state politics)* • Limited land grants to settlers only, not to RRs • Direct election of senators* • 8 hr work day*

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