Ch. 5 Sections 2 & 3Ch. 5 Sections 2 & 3

Settling the Great PlainsSettling the Great Plains

Railroads Railroads

►Central Pacific RR Central Pacific RR moved east moved east from Sacramentofrom Sacramento

►Union Pacific Union Pacific moved west from moved west from OmahaOmaha

►Labor: Civil War Labor: Civil War vets, Irish, and vets, Irish, and Chinese Chinese immigrantsimmigrants

Homestead ActHomestead Act

►Encouraged Encouraged settlers to move settlers to move westwest

►160 acres FREE!160 acres FREE! For any citizen For any citizen

or intended or intended citizen who was citizen who was head of head of householdhousehold

Yellowstone National ParkYellowstone National Park

►Nathaniel Langford Nathaniel Langford and Henry and Henry Washburn asked Washburn asked Congress to help Congress to help protect some of the protect some of the wilderness from wilderness from settlementsettlement

►1872 1872 Government Government created Yellowstonecreated Yellowstone

Tough TimesTough Times

►Life on the Life on the plains was roughplains was rough DroughtsDroughts FloodsFloods FiresFires BlizzardsBlizzards Locust plaguesLocust plagues Outlaw raidsOutlaw raids Indian raidsIndian raids

Agricultural EducationAgricultural Education

►Morrill Act Morrill Act gave gave federal land to states to federal land to states to help finance help finance agricultural collegesagricultural colleges Developed grains for arid Developed grains for arid

soilsoil Methods of dry farmingMethods of dry farming

► Allowed the dry plains Allowed the dry plains to become the to become the “breadbasket of the “breadbasket of the nation”nation”

Problems for FarmersProblems for Farmers

►Grain prices fellGrain prices fell►Debt from borrowing Debt from borrowing

money for better money for better equipment mountedequipment mounted Could not be paid offCould not be paid off

►Railroads raised Railroads raised shipping and storage shipping and storage pricesprices

DepressionDepression

►1894 1894 Depression strikes Depression strikes 1/51/5thth of the workforce unemployed of the workforce unemployed

►Farmers unite and form the Populist Farmers unite and form the Populist MovementMovement Message to the rest of the nation that the Message to the rest of the nation that the

downtrodden could organize and have a downtrodden could organize and have a political impactpolitical impact

1896 Election1896 Election►Divided nationDivided nation

What metal should should be the basis of What metal should should be the basis of the nation’s monetary system?the nation’s monetary system?

Gold BugsGold Bugs SilveritesSilverites

Who?Who? Bankers and Bankers and businessmenbusinessmen

Farmers and laborersFarmers and laborers

What they What they wantedwanted

Gold standard (less Gold standard (less money in circulationmoney in circulation

Bimetallism (more money in Bimetallism (more money in circulation)circulation)

Why?Why? Loans would be repaid in Loans would be repaid in stable moneystable money

Products would be sold at Products would be sold at higher priceshigher prices

EffectsEffects DeflationDeflation

(prices fall, money value (prices fall, money value increases)increases)

Inflation (prices rise, value of Inflation (prices rise, value of money decreases)money decreases)

1896 Election1896 Election

►William McKinley William McKinley (Republican)(Republican) Gold standardGold standard

VersusVersus

►William Jennings William Jennings Bryan (Democrat)Bryan (Democrat) Bimetallism Bimetallism

(gold/silver)(gold/silver)

►McKinley wins!McKinley wins!

This cartoon depicts William Jennings Bryan holding a gold cross and a crown of thorns.

What does the crown of thorns represent? Who is Bryan claiming to be the savior for?

What does the gold cross represent?

Why do you think this cartoon specifically was so powerful?

ActivityActivity

► Create an advertisement using the Create an advertisement using the information on page 217 (15 pts information on page 217 (15 pts neatness neatness and creativity will also be graded!)and creativity will also be graded!) You may choose to advertise for barbed wire, the You may choose to advertise for barbed wire, the

reaper, the steel plow, or the steel windmill.reaper, the steel plow, or the steel windmill.► Include: Include:

Name of your companyName of your company When the product was inventedWhen the product was invented Its purpose and benefitsIts purpose and benefits Who invented it (reaper and steel plow)Who invented it (reaper and steel plow) PicturePicture