The Last West and the New South, 1865-1900

Mr. MiguelAcademy of Our Lady Of Guam

The West: Settlement of the The West: Settlement of the Last FrontierLast Frontier

• Post Civil War movement to the Post Civil War movement to the West – the “Great American Desert”West – the “Great American Desert”

• By 1900 By 1900 – Virtually no more frontier Virtually no more frontier – All buffalo herds had been wiped outAll buffalo herds had been wiped out– 10 new western states carved out10 new western states carved out– Native Americans even more displacedNative Americans even more displaced

The Mining FrontierThe Mining Frontier

• California Gold Rush only beginningCalifornia Gold Rush only beginning• Gold in Colorado, Nevada, South Dakota, Idaho, Gold in Colorado, Nevada, South Dakota, Idaho,

Montana, ArizonaMontana, Arizona• 1/3 miners = Chinese immigrants 1/3 miners = Chinese immigrants

– Nativisits resented competition Nativisits resented competition – Chinese Exclusion Act of 1862Chinese Exclusion Act of 1862

• Impact of miningImpact of mining– Vast increase in the supply of silverVast increase in the supply of silver– Environmental scarsEnvironmental scars– Native AmericansNative Americans

The Cattle Frontier The Cattle Frontier

• Wild herds of 5 million cattle roaming TexasWild herds of 5 million cattle roaming Texas– Easy business to get intoEasy business to get into

• The railroad industry as a The railroad industry as a catalyst catalyst • The Long Drive The Long Drive • Abrupt end to the drives Abrupt end to the drives

– Arrival of Arrival of homesteadershomesteaders and use of and use of barbed barbed wirewire

– OvergrazingOvergrazing– Blizzard of 1885-1886Blizzard of 1885-1886– Wealthy ranch owners take commandWealthy ranch owners take command

The Farming Frontier The Farming Frontier

• Homestead Act of 1862 Homestead Act of 1862 – Offered 160 acres of public landOffered 160 acres of public land– For any family that settled on it for 5 yearsFor any family that settled on it for 5 years– Encouraged families to move westEncouraged families to move west

• Problems Problems – Extreme weatherExtreme weather– PlaguesPlagues– Lonesome lifeLonesome life– DroughtDrought– Lack of wood for fencing Lack of wood for fencing barbed wirebarbed wire

• Joseph Glidden, 1874Joseph Glidden, 1874

Turners Frontier ThesisTurners Frontier Thesis

• 1890 – U.S. Census Bureau declares the “end of 1890 – U.S. Census Bureau declares the “end of the frontier”the frontier”

• Everything had been settledEverything had been settled• ““The Significance of the Frontier in American The Significance of the Frontier in American

History” (1893)History” (1893)– 1. promoted a habit of independence and 1. promoted a habit of independence and

individualismindividualism– Broke down class distinctionsBroke down class distinctions– Encouraged inventiveness and practicalityEncouraged inventiveness and practicality– Wastefulness of natural resourcesWastefulness of natural resources

So…what’s next? So…what’s next?

The Removal of Native The Removal of Native AmericansAmericans

• Tribes on the Great PlainsTribes on the Great Plains– Sioux, Blackfoot, Cheynne, Crow, ComancheSioux, Blackfoot, Cheynne, Crow, Comanche

• 1851 - Reservations 1851 - Reservations • Indian Wars, 1864-1880sIndian Wars, 1864-1880s• Assimilation: Dawes Severalty Act (1887)Assimilation: Dawes Severalty Act (1887)

– Goal: break up tribal organizations and Goal: break up tribal organizations and transforming them to civilized and law abiding transforming them to civilized and law abiding citizenscitizens

– US citizenship if one stayed on land for 25 yearsUS citizenship if one stayed on land for 25 years– failurefailure

• Aftermath: U.S. Policy in the 20Aftermath: U.S. Policy in the 20thth Century Century

The New South: Economic The New South: Economic ProgressProgress

• Economic improvementEconomic improvement• Birmingham, Alabama: SteelBirmingham, Alabama: Steel• Memphis, Tennessee: LumberMemphis, Tennessee: Lumber• Richmond, Virginia: TobaccoRichmond, Virginia: Tobacco• RailroadsRailroads• Tremendous postwar growht form Tremendous postwar growht form

1865-1900 in terms of population, 1865-1900 in terms of population, industry, and railroadsindustry, and railroads

The New South: Continued The New South: Continued PovertyPoverty

• BUT…still primarily agriculturalBUT…still primarily agricultural• Controlled by the North economicallyControlled by the North economically• 2 chief factors not related to northern 2 chief factors not related to northern

capitalistscapitalists– South’s late start at industrializationSouth’s late start at industrialization– Poorly educated workforce Poorly educated workforce

The New South: AgricultureThe New South: Agriculture

• Between 1870 and 1900 – acres planted Between 1870 and 1900 – acres planted in cotton more than doubledin cotton more than doubled

• BUT…increase in cotton supply means BUT…increase in cotton supply means decease in cotton prices decease in cotton prices

• By 1900, ½ of white farmers + ¾ of black By 1900, ½ of white farmers + ¾ of black famers become tenants/sharecroppers famers become tenants/sharecroppers

• Tied to debtTied to debt• Formation of the Farmers Southern Formation of the Farmers Southern

AllianceAlliance

The New South: SegregationThe New South: Segregation

• End of reconstruction = end of End of reconstruction = end of protection for freedmanprotection for freedman

• Discrimination and the Supreme Court Discrimination and the Supreme Court – Civil Rights Cases of 1883Civil Rights Cases of 1883

• Congress could not legislate against the Congress could not legislate against the racial discrimination practiced by private racial discrimination practiced by private citizenscitizens

– Plessy v. FergusonPlessy v. Ferguson• ““separate but equal accommodations”separate but equal accommodations”

The New South: Loss of Civil The New South: Loss of Civil RightsRights

• Political and Legal devises Political and Legal devises – Literacy Tests Literacy Tests – Poll TaxesPoll Taxes– Political party nominations for whites Political party nominations for whites

onlyonly– Grandfather clause Grandfather clause

• Economic discriminationEconomic discrimination

Responding to Segregation: Responding to Segregation: Booker T. WashingtonBooker T. Washington

Responding to Segregation: Responding to Segregation: W.E. Du BoisW.E. Du Bois

Farm Problems: North, South, Farm Problems: North, South, and West and West

Changes in Agriculture Changes in Agriculture

• Increasingly commercialized nad specializedIncreasingly commercialized nad specialized• Falling Prices Falling Prices

– Increased production + global competitionIncreased production + global competition– Static money supply Static money supply – Debt and foreclosureDebt and foreclosure

• Rising Costs Rising Costs – Farmers victimizedFarmers victimized– Corporations and monopolistic trusts Corporations and monopolistic trusts – Unfair taxesUnfair taxes

Price Indexes for Price Indexes for Consumer & Farm Consumer & Farm Products: 1865-Products: 1865-

19131913

Fighting Back Fighting Back

• National Grange Movement National Grange Movement – 1868, Oliver H. Kelley1868, Oliver H. Kelley– Primarily as social + educational organization for Primarily as social + educational organization for

farmers farmers – By 1870, take political action By 1870, take political action – By 1873, Granges in almost every stateBy 1873, Granges in almost every state– Established Established cooperativescooperatives– Granger LawsGranger Laws

• dd

Interstate Commerce Act (1886)Interstate Commerce Act (1886)

• Required railroads rates to be Required railroads rates to be reasonable and justreasonable and just

• Set up Set up Interstate Commerce Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC)Commission (ICC)– Power to investigate and prosecute Power to investigate and prosecute

pools, rebates, and other discriminatory pools, rebates, and other discriminatory practices practices

Farmer’s Alliance Farmer’s Alliance

• Begun in the late 1880sBegun in the late 1880s• Built upon the ashes of the Grange Built upon the ashes of the Grange • More political and less social than the More political and less social than the

GrangeGrange• Ran candidates for officeRan candidates for office• Controlled 8 state legislatures and Controlled 8 state legislatures and

had representatives in Congress had representatives in Congress during the 1890sduring the 1890s

United United We We

Stand, Stand, DivideDivided We d We FallFallIn 1889 In 1889 both both the the Northern Northern andandSouthern Southern AlliancesAlliancesmerged into merged into one—the one—the Farmers’ Farmers’ AllianceAlliance..

Ocala PlatformOcala Platform

• 1890, farmers meet and form The National 1890, farmers meet and form The National Alliance Alliance – Meant to address the problems of rural Meant to address the problems of rural

AmericaAmerica• DemandedDemanded

– Direct election of U.S. SenatorsDirect election of U.S. Senators– Lower Tariff RatesLower Tariff Rates– A Graduated income taxA Graduated income tax– A new banking system regulated by the federal A new banking system regulated by the federal

government government • Foundations of the Foundations of the Populist MOvementPopulist MOvement