Unit 6B

Railroads and Farmers

Power of the Choo-Choo TrainFrom 1865 to 1920, what was the most

powerful & most important industry for the United States?

The US government gave huge land grants and deals to encourage the expansion of the railroads.

The railroad would inter-connect the nation and change the way people lived their lives in many ways – shopping, time, etc.

Railroad Expansion in West

1st Transcontinental Railroad1869 – east and west

lines joined at Promontory Point, Utah with the “golden spike”

Much of the construction done by Chinese and Irish immigrants

By 1900, four other transcontinental lines built

Federal Railroad Land GrantsU.S. Gov’t gave loans

and lands to railroad companies to build lines out west.

Helped settlement in the west, but also fraud.One of the causes of

the Credit Mobilier Scandal (bribes) and the Panic of 1873

Lands were surveyed before. Gen. Henry Washburn

after surveying west, went to Congress to encourage them to set some land aside.

Thus the first National Park - Yellowstone

Immigrant Recruitment1st immigrants were recruited to build the

railroads (Irish and Chinese in particular)After the railroads received the lands and

built the railroads, they need people to settle and be customers.

Many were recruited from Scandinavian countries, Germany and other areas of Europe in which industrialization had made a land shortage.

Railroad EffectsOn Nov. 18th, 1883,

Time Zones were started due to railroads wanting standard time.Professor C.F. Dowd’s

planShows the power of

the railroad in other areas of life.

Pullman Sleeper CarsOne new way to

travel was with sleeper cars.

One of the biggest strikes in the time period happened in the Pullman company town.

Rural Free DeliveryPrior to RFD, individuals living in more remote

homesteads had to pick up mail themselves at sometimes distant post offices or pay private carriers for delivery. But Rural Free Delivery (RFD) was a service which began in the United States in the late 19th century, to deliver mail directly to rural farm families.

This will open up more national magazines and newspapers as well as mail-order catalogs.

So what’s happening in the South?Jim Crow – Segregation

1896 – Plessey v. Ferguson – “separate, but equal ruling”Nadir of race relations in the South

Sharecropping, Crop Lien system, and Tenant Farming still common

Cotton prices down. So what to grow?George Washington Carver – as a teacher at the

Tuskegee Institute he worked to find products that were in abundance (like ________).

“New South” Farmers

Most of the economy of the South was based on natural raw products

Henry Grady (editor of the Atlanta Constitution) argued for diversity and self-sufficient southern economyBut the economy of the South would not truly change

until the New Deal and World War II impactsMost land (and gov’t) still controlled by rich

(Bourbon Rule)

Opening up new landsRailroads sold lands cheap, but still many

could not afford itHomestead Act – 160 acres (section) for

“free”1)house, 2)farm 10 acres, 3)live on it 5 yearsTimber Culture Act – similar, 40 acres of trees (was not

too successful)A great example of giving a person at the chance of “the

American Dream”

Life on the PrairieSodhouses / DugoutsIsolationLife for Women tough

Western women first for suffrage (Wyoming)

Advancements in Agriculture= more productivity per each person farmingJohn Deere – Steel PlowCyrus McCormick – Mechanical Reaper

Also seeders, threshers, and steam engines

Railroads would bring new equipment to farmers with Rural Free Delivery (RFD).Sears & Roebuck, Montgomery Ward using

catalogs

Environmental EffectsFrom 1880 to 1920 the population of Tornado Alley

increased six-fold.The late 1800s saw a period of usually wet years.

Advancements helped more land to be farmed.1920s and 1930s saw a dry cycle…thus an

environmental disaster with the Dust Bowl.

Other Agriculture Information

Morrill Land Grant CollegesTeach basics of agricultureIn Florida -UF and F A&M U

Bonanza Farms – large farms owned by corporations. Established in late 1800s, but dropping grain prices drove many out of business.

Cooperatives – farmers pool resources in a community

How is this much like a Union which were gaining strength at the same time?

Farmers major problem #1RailroadsShipping / Freight charges

Since most towns only had 1 rail line into town, railroads controlled grain prices to ship to larger cities (St. Paul)

Munn v. Illinois (1877) – Supreme Court said states could regulate businesses

How does this effect you todayInterstate Commerce Act will also aid in

regulation

Farmers Problem #2

BanksHigh Interest Rates

As prices dropped, they would have to grow two or three times as much to pay off loans.

Farmers liked Inflation. Why?Greenback Party of 1870s supported by

farmersWould later support bimetallism and Populist

(People’s) Party

Farmer OrganizationNational Grange Movement

Patrons of Husbandry , Oliver Kelley organized in 1868

Started as social organization, but developed into a political one.

Granger Laws/Cases – against railroads, more gov’t controlWabash v. Illinois (1886) – states could not regulate

interstate commerceLed to Interstate Commerce Act (1886) – U.S. gov’t could

regulate it.Helped start cooperativesLed to Farmer’s Alliance and with Ocala Platform

(1890) led to many future progressive changes.Income Tax, Direct Election of Senators, lower tariffs, federal

banking system (Fed)

People’s Party – “Populism”

Grange led to Farmer’s Alliance which led to the

Populist (People’s) PartyCoalition of farmers in the West & South and

loose with northern factory workers. (anyone see an issue that will split coalition?)

Biggest Election they were involved in was the 1896 election.

Women involved too (Mary Lease a leader in the People’s Party)

Biggest impact will be on Progressive movement in the next decade.

When you hear Grange you think…Farmers!What were their biggest problems?So Granger laws helped who?What laws and cases helped them?

A major Election to Know1896 Election

Republicans – William McKinleyMarcus Hanna was advisor (like a modern day

campaign coordinator)Front Porch Campaign (used media and money)

Populist/Peoples – William Jennings BryanDemocrats – joined Populists with Bryan

(known as Fusion)Main issue: Bimetallism (dollar backed by

gold and silver)Bryan gives famous Cross of Gold SpeechBut McKinley (and goldbugs) win

Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz was written originally as an allegory

about the bimetallism issue. Can you figure out what and who the different parts/character represent?“Follow the yellow brick road”(in book, not movie) “silver shoes can take you

anywhere”Wicked witch of the EastWicked witch of the WestOzDorothyScarecrowTin ManCowardly LionFlying Monkeys

Reflection Questions1. How did the railroads control things

beyond transportation?2. How did the Federal Railroad Land

Grants change the landscape of America?3. What were the main two challenges that

farmers had in the late 1800s?4. What did the Grange, Farmer’s Alliance,

and People’s Party try to do to help the challenges of farmers?

5. How did Rural Free Delivery change the economy of the United States?

Linkshttp://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ydrq2-j92cU – Cross of Gold speech

http://www.indiana.edu/~libsalc/cartoons/1896.html - Political Cartoons, 1896 election

http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h854.html - grangers

http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5354/ - Cross of Gold info

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nw650q7Z78 – UF Land Grant Commercial (:30)