Chapter 13 Sec 2

Settling the Great Plaines

Comparing Primary Resources• The ground says, it is the great spirit that placed me here. The great spirit tells me to take care of

the Indians, to feed them alright. The great spirit appointed the roots to feed the Indians on. The water says the same thing. The great spirit directs me, feed the Indians well. The ground, water and grass say, the great spirit has given us our names. We have these names and hold these names. The ground says, the great spirit has placed me here to produce all that grows on me, trees and fruit. The same way the ground says, it was from me man was made. The great spirit, in placing men on the earth, desired them to take good care of the ground and to do each other no harm...

• Young Chief 1855 Treaty Council

• To open the greatest number of mines and extract the greatest quantity of ore, to scatter cattle over a thousand hills, to turn the flower spangled prairies.. Into wheatfields…to force from nature the most she can be made to yield…is preacher by Western newspapers as a kind of religion

• Britain’s Lord James Bryce

Reason for Native American Conflict

• Native Americans had a different belief in ownership of land

• Outnumbered, many Native Americans signed treaties to government

• Many were sent to reservations, or pieces of land granted to them by the government

Dawes Act

• Was created by government to abolish Native American traditions by requiring Indians to farm individual plots of land and become Americanized

The Importance of the Buffalo

Moving

• What would you do if you were moving to another part of the country?

• What difficulties would you face leaving your old home and settling in a new area?

• Why might you move?

Cause and Effects in Settling the West

Cause• Land grants given to the

railroads

Effects• Railroad companies sold frontier

land to farmers at low prices• Railroad companies recruited

Europeans to buy and farm frontier land

• Cattle towns were created (Joseph McCoy/Abilene) to transport much wanted beef out East

• Biggest reason for expansion out West

• Transcontinental Railroad met at Promontory Point, Utah

Cause and Effects in Settling the West

Cause• The Homestead Act and

related laws passed in the 1870’s

Effects• The Homestead Act offered

160 acres of land free to anyone who would cultivate it for five years

• Similar Acts offered land cheaply or for free in states such as Kansas and Oklahoma

• Fraud was prevalent

Cause and Effects in Settling the West

Cause• Inventions and

improvements in farm technology

Effects• Increased farm productivity

by decreasing the amount of effort and time required to produce farm goods

Cause and Effects in Settling the West

Cause• The Morrill Land Grant Acts

and Hatch Act

Effects• Federal lands (millions of

acres) were granted to support farmers by financing agricultural education and research in farm technology and methodology

Hardships faced by Frontier Farmers

Life was advertised by railroads as easy

Homesteaders had to struggle for bare

necessities

Had to deal with loneliness

Had to deal with extremes

•Drought•Temperature•Hostile Native Americans

Chapter 13 Sec 3

Farmers and the Populist Movement

In the late 1800’s, farmers faced increasing costs and decreasing crop prices

Why had farming become unprofitable during this period?

• Falling crop prices• Mortgaged farms (debt)• Scarcity of land • Power of railroad

companies• Grain brokers

Why did farmers support bimetallism or “free silver”?

• To bring about inflation and produce “cheap money” so that crop prices would rise and debt would be repaid with cheaper money

In 1892, farmers and farm organizations, such as Grange, found support in Populism and the People’s Party

What economic reforms did the People’s Party call for?

• Increase money supply (Silver)

• Federal loan program (for farmers)

• Interstate Commerce Act-regulate railroad rates

What political reforms did the party call for?

• Elect U.S. senators by popular vote

• 8 hour work day• Graduated/progressive

income tax

In 1896 the Populists supported presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan

Who did the Populist Party see as opposing forces in 1896?

• Businessmen and bankers vs. farmers and laborers

• Republicans vs. Democrats • Gold bugs vs. Silverites

In what ways did the results of the 1896 election confirm this view?

• McKinley (Conservative Republican) – won with votes from urban

Northeast– Believed in Gold Standard/high

tariff/anti-immigration• Bryan (Liberal Democrat)

– Lost while carrying farmers from Midwest and South

– Increased money supply/lower tariffs/higher farm prices