THE GREAT WEST AND THE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION,

1865-1896

Chapter 26

Indians Embattled In The West

The Great West At the time of the Civil War

was a vast unsettled area By 1890 territories carved

out and Indians being squeezed out

1865-1890 final showdown for the independent Indian tribes.

Area inhabited by “plains” Indians

hunted and relied on the vast herds of Buffalo that roamed freely over the prairie.

Pressure on Western Indians

1500—Horse Pre-Civil War

Guns Diseases Cattle

Result: More pressure on and competition between tribes

Treaties

Whites tried to pacify the tribes by signing treaties with the “chiefs”

Beginning of the reservation system in the west.

Treaties doomed to failure

Reservations

In the 1860s Indians confined to even smaller reservations in exchange for promises to be left alone, food and other supplies. Northern plains Indians --the large

Dakota territory (“Great Sioux Reservation”)

South, Indian territory in present-day Ok.

Promises were broken. Sioux uprising in Minnesota. during

the civil war is bloodily crushed

Indian Wars

1868-90 -- Constant warfare between Indians and feds.

Buffalo soldiers of the 10th Cavalry.

Western Indians were a much bigger challenge than Eastern Indians.

Receding Native Population

Atrocities on both sides Sand Creek or Chivington’s Massacre at Sand

Creek, Colo. 1864. Black Kettle, a friendly Cheyenne Indian Chief attacked by Colo Militia

Fetterman massacre. 1866. Fetterman pursued a small band of Sioux and was lured

into an ambush. He found himself facing approximately 2,000 Indians. Within 20 minutes, Fetterman and his command had been wiped out.

Treaty of Medicine Treaty of Medicine Lodge Creek (1867)Lodge Creek (1867)

22ndnd Treaty of Treaty of Ft. Laramie (1868)Ft. Laramie (1868)

guaranteeing to the Lakota ownership of the Black Hills

ReservationReservationPolicyPolicy

ReservationReservationPolicyPolicy

Chief Sitting BullChief Sitting Bull

Gen. GeorgeGen. GeorgeArmstrong Armstrong

CusterCuster

Little Big Horn

Custer leads a “scientific expedition” into the Black Hills of South Dakota Reports discovery of gold on Sioux territory.

Hordes of gold seekers stream into the Sioux territory. The Sioux attack these “invaders” of their land led by Sitting Bull. Custer’s’ 7th Cavalry sent in to bring “peace.” Custer’s troops wiped out at Little Big Horn in present-day Montana when Custer blunders into an ambush sprung by a superior force. All 264 killed.

Apache Apache’s in Arizona and

New Mexico were the most difficult to subdue.

Led by Geronimo. He appeared at fairs,

including the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, and sold souvenirs and photographs of himself

Nez Perce

Nez Perce go to war in Idaho in 1877.

Chief Joseph leads his band on 1700 mile trek over the Continental divide.

Surrenders and sent to reservation in Kansas where 40% die of disease.

Bellowing Herds Of Bison

1865--15 Million buffalo. Integral to the way of

life for Nomadic Western Indians.

They were the staff of life for Indians,

By 1885 fewer than a 1000.

Shot to feed RR gangs, for skins, for sport and as a way to subdue the Indians.

The End Of The Trail

1880s national conscience awakening. Helen Hunt Jackson -- A

Century of Dishonor; Ramona

Humanitarians: Christianize the Indians Turn them into productive

farmers Integrate them as citizens.

Hardliners insisted on forced containment.

Assimilating Indians

Missionary policies ignored the culture of the Indians.

Christian missionaries on the reservations tried to force Indian culture out of the Indians. Didn’t work

Ghost Dance cult Wounded Knee

massacre.

Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 Attempt to transform Indians into good

American farmers. Major shift in Indian policy. Ends

reservation system. Provisions:

Dissolved many tribes as legal entities wiped out tribal joint ownership of land. Individual family heads given 160 acres of

land. Full title and citizenship in 25 years if

behaved themselves. Leftover reservation land sold; money to

be used to educate and civilize the Indians. Missionaries and teachers sent to

reservations to Christianize and teach women to sew and keep house.

Dawes Failure

Dawes act failed. By 1900 Indians had lost half of the land they had held 20 years earlier.

Dawes Act remains as basic framework for dealing with Indians until 1934

Mining

Mining brought many people west and helped settle the west.

Gold in California in 1849, Gold Rush in Colorado in 1858

Pike’s Peak or Bust. Comstock load in Nevada in

1859. Additional smaller strikes in

Montana, Idaho and other Western states.

Many boomtowns spring up

Mining

Small-time mining replaced by corporations

Increased role for women in West

Effect on economy of mining. Helped finance the Civil

War, Facilitated building of the

RR, Reduced the value of silver

Mining Centers: Mining Centers: 19001900

Mining Centers: Mining Centers: 19001900

Cattle Drives

Pros and cons for terminus towns

Wyatt Earp 4 million steers

were driven north. Profits as high as 40%.

Why Cattle drives ended

Free Land For Free Families

Homestead Act of 1862. Any adult could claim 160

acres of public land on certain conditions Details

Dramatic change in land policy. Trickle-down

Intent was to provide a stimulus to the family farm, seen as the back-bone of democracy.

movie

Reality of Western Farming

Problem: 160 acres often inadequate to sustain a farmer in the Trans-Mississippi west because of the scant rainfall. Perhaps 2/3 failed to stay for the full five years.

In 40 years, nearly half a million families took advantage of the Homestead Act,

Many more than that purchased their lands from the RR, land companies or the states.

Rampant Fraud.

A Pioneer’s Sod House, SDA Pioneer’s Sod House, SDA Pioneer’s Sod House, SDA Pioneer’s Sod House, SD

Busting in Kansas Farmers pushed too far west. 100th Meridian. 1870s Farmers do well. Why? 1880s and early 1890s many of these

farmers busted. Why? Western Kansas lost half its population

between 1888 and 1892. What new innovations help western farmers.

dry-land farming; heartier wheat; new crops; irrigation

Average Annual Precipitation

The Far West Comes Of Age

1870 and 1890 a boom time for the far west.

Colorado, Dakotas, Montana, Washington, Idaho and Wyoming all become states during this period..

Oklahoma Land Rush Last gasp of the large-scale opening of new

lands for settlement April, 1889 Oklahoma thrown open to

settlement. Sooners Boomers By end of year, 60,000 inhabitants. Oklahoma a

state in 1909.

The Folding Frontier

The frontier is considered to have closed in 1890. No longer a discernable frontier line.

No longer “good” free land readily

available. Lots of unsettled land, but largely

undesirable. No longer line beyond which

wilderness and no civilization. Role of Frontier in shaping

America

Frontier Settlements: 1870-Frontier Settlements: 1870-18901890

Frontier Settlements: 1870-Frontier Settlements: 1870-18901890

The Farm Becomes A Factory

Farming more of a business post-Civil War. More farmers raise cash crops. Problems

with this? Farmers have to buy more stuff. Increased mechanization boosted

production, but also boosted the cash farmers need. Needed heavy machinery in order to plant and

harvest their bigger crops on larger farms. Many bought the new harvester-reaper

Unhappy Farmers

Much more dependence on banks, RR and manufacturing

Farmers had to be much better businessmen Farmers were and felt much more vulnerable

and powerless. Farmers grew resentful of eastern banking

and RR, which they blamed for their problems. Farming became a much larger-scale

operation. Small farmers were pushed out by increased

mechanization

Deflation Dooms the Debtor

1880s and 1890s: deflation and depressed commodity prices

Farmers in debt to buy land and harvesters behind the 8-ball. Debts harder to pay off.

Causes of deflation Not enough dollars in circulation money supply did not keep pace with increased

economic activity. After the Civil War, Grant contracts the money

supply to get rid of greenbacks and to shore up US credit.

Falling Grain Prices

Effect of mechanization on grain supply.

Farmers went bankrupt in great numbers

Especially in the south, farmers became tenants rather than owners.

By 1880 ¼ of all American farms operated by tenants.

Unhappy Farmers Farmers faced additional

problems: Grasshoppers Boll weevil Droughts Land was over-taxed by

state and federal government

Protective tariff Trusts exacted inflated

prices. RR freight rates were

sometimes ruinous. Farmers still half the

population in 1890 but hopelessly disorganized

The Farmers Take Their Stand The Grange (1867).

Oliver Kelley the founder Spread quickly; by 1875 had

800,000 members Advocated regulation of RR

rates, grain storage fees. Cooperatives . Got into politics. Got states to pass laws

regulating RR and grain elevators, but Supreme Court struck down these laws

Prelude to Populism

Farmers’ Alliance founded in Teas in late 1870s.

By 1890 more than a million members. Problems

targeted to land-owners, thus ignoring all the tenant farmers

excluded blacks, half all southern farmers Goals:

nationalize RR, abolish national banks, institute a graduated income tax government-owned warehouses where they could store

their crops until market prices rose while taking out loans against the assumed future value of their crops.

Profits of Populism

Mary Lease. Early populist “Raise More Hell and less Corn.”

Electoral success of Farmers’ Alliance.

Jim Crow laws passed as a result.

Movement matures into the Populist Party.

McKinley

William McKinley of Ohio.

McKinley pro-business – laissez faire.

Mark Hanna’s money and political influence get McKinley the nomination on the first ballot

Bryan’s Cross of Gold

In 1896 Democrats were in turmoil. Cleveland very unpopular

Silverite faction in firm control.

William Jennings Bryan Cross-of-Gold Speech

Floor the convention and gets him the nomination

““Cross of Gold” Cross of Gold” SpeechSpeech

““Cross of Gold” Cross of Gold” SpeechSpeech

You shall not You shall not press down press down upon the brow upon the brow of labor this of labor this crown of crown of thorns; you thorns; you shall not shall not crucify crucify mankind upon mankind upon aa cross of goldcross of gold!!

Democratic Platform Platform calls for unlimited minting of silver at the

ratio of 16 ounces for each ounce of gold. Why?.

Many conservative democrats bolt the party and support McKinley.

Populists endorse Bryan and sacrifice their identity.

Silver v. Gold

Republicans assumed tariff would be the primary issue, but Bryan made it silver.

He traveled tirelessly giving 600 speeches. His campaign like a religious crusade.

Silver became the rallying cry. Debtors and Farmers v. eastern big-money

interests. Gold standard a scapegoat. Return of Jacksonian Democrats?

Hanna Leads Gold Bugs Conservatives and business

interests saw the free-coinage of silver as the road to economic ruin.

Allowed Hanna to raise tons of money from big businesses

Republicans had a 16-1 money advantage.

Hanna wages campaign of fear against Bryan.

Slogan “McKinley and a full dinner pail.”

McKinley campaigns from his porch

Employers scare employees

McKinley wins decisively by 500,000 votes and 271-176 in Electoral College. Turnout is very high

Election of 1896 Bryan loses Election was a major

victory for middle-class values, big business and conservative monetary policies.

Most significant election since Lincoln and until FDR in 1932.

Renewed Republican dominance of Presidency