Modular 2: Westward Expansion
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Modular 2: Westward Expansion
Transcript of Modular 2: Westward Expansion
Modular 2:
Westward Expansion
Westward ExpansionAmerican History-Reconstruction to the Present: Module 2 Westward ExpansionHistory Channel: www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion
Videos:● Crash Course Westward Expansion: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q16OZkgSXfM&disable_polymer=true● Bison: More Than Just Food (Smithsonian): www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXvdMfyg2mQ● Trail of Tears (Smithsonian): www.youtube.com/watch?v=SosZ2ZRJymU● Bozeman Trail (Wyoming PBS): www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7YhMJutbQc● Sand Creek Massacre:
○ Sand Creek Massacre (summary): www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0UF71_-HZY○ Sand Creek Massacre : www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf7GFZcO-Y8
● Treaty of Fort Laramie and Custer○ Failure of Treaty of Fort Laramie: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ifq3RDUpT84○ Battle of Little Bighorn (History Channel): www.youtube.com/watch?v=UM4eQBpfGIg○ Where Custer was Defeated (Smithsonian): www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn5SXMKS1xU
● Ghost Dance & Wounded Knee: ○ Ghost Dance & Wounded Knee (Discovery): https://drive.google.com/file/d/15Vptl520V3IalqnDzQcW9m0A5nsPzNwB/view?usp=sharing
○ Ghost Dance (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee): www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUoe8ibjeLk○ Wounded Knee (Into the West): www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDncfWkKlA8
● Gold Rush-American Story of Us (History Channel): www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDkqvqqjMAA● Hydraulic Gold Mining: www.youtube.com/watch?v=888vHIarWCE● Gold Rush Creates Jeans: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JmrZ56cRUlpnx_ZnRZ9aLjazN5_V6cd7/view?usp=sharing● California Gold Rush: www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK7CPhhmRww
Videos:● Chisholm Trail (Texas Historical Commision):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhtx_Y92a1c&list=PLONbbv2pt4cpxIIANEFogXDA4PNahlRzP○ Legacy of the Chisholm Trail: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEEH8mSFB5g
● Cowboys of the Open Range (PBS): www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr1jiZ40Mpc● Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show (Smithsonian): www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWMIeowdf3Y
○ Show Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjIH5AUglos● Myths of Hollywood West: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qJI6j0H1mkCIboMGKxMs5U3N-wt7s9Bj/view?usp=sharing
○ Myth of Jesse James: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OD7owa-QPgYgcz1WRuoBxxr75O_881-L/view?usp=sharing
○ Myth of Billy the Kid: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VfwUe_rNXeWoYfR1xqVpcdgtTdo7TCbp/view?usp=sharing● Transcontinental Railroad (Discover): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M7Q-UgCez_OczK2L81NYpbgZKkV85gQJ/view?usp=sharing
○ Chinese Laborers Built the Western Railroad: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zI3xiLn4JOQEwo48BypE6y7CHqCeRO3l/view?usp=sharing
● Homestead Act:○ Homestead Act-Sound Smart (HIstory Channel): www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hsQ0FlCxVE○ Homestead Act (Discover): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LNbig3B5_G3HWot-fV0VMzxUJE2LhhAY/view?usp=sharing
● Yellowstone: www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9AodC_SU1s● Oklahoma Land Race (Far & Away): www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxaJY8UZxn4● Western Agriculture (Discover): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F-pGFN-ID93Fu29-L6E3CSjZ0ZG1YghH/view?usp=sharing
● How stuff Works (Corn Combine): www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2AvESRQRsg● Today’s Sod Production: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zA0E_gvwkVo● Men of the Frontier-Men Who Built America (History Channel): www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nPIm_cNV1E● Populist:
○ Farmers Alliances and Populist (Discovery): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pNcuDzBsrfFhhglcbRi_3DBq7e5WdpaH/view?usp=sharing
○ What is Populism? (HIstory Channel): www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uA1GBzXzr4○ Cross of Gold Speech & 1896 Election (Discovery): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A46g8-ojDb48lZ_I3wXMNxnFLNRbTHCL/view?usp=sharing
● WIlliam McKinley (Biography): www.biography.com/video/william-mckinley-the-spanish-american-war-26303555601○ How McKinley’s Assassination led to the Secret Service (History):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYpN1ulU50I● Is the Wizard of OZ an allegory? (Ted-Ed): www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Lg4vjRY4Ts
TAKING FORMAL NOTES
FORMAL NOTES: We will refer to formal notes as using Roman Numerals, letters, and numbers.
● Important to be able to take large amounts of information and reduce to manageable amount
● If you take notes as you read, you will always think more is important than really is, READ FIRST to know what the
● WHAT IS THE NECESSARY INFORMATION?
Formal Notes
I. Cultures Clash on the Prairie (Module 2-Section 1) A. The Culture of the Plains Indians 1. Great Plains: 1. The Horse and the Buffalo a. b. c. 2. Family Life a. b. c. B. The Government Restricts Native Americans 1. Massacre at Sand Creek a. b. c. 2. Death on the Bozeman Trail a. b. B. Bloody Battles Continue 1. Red River War
I. Cultures Clash on the Prairie (Module 2-Section 1)
A. The Culture of the Plains Indians1. Great Plains: grassland in the
Midwest and extended into the west
2. The Horse and the Buffaloa. Horses (intro. by Spanish in
1598) changed Native American life (farm to hunt)
b. Buffalo was target hunt and they used everything productively.
3. Family Lifea. Lived in small family groups
(men hunt/warriors) (women cook/clothes makers)
b. believed in spirits and their cohesion in that world-tribe existed as a whole and not as individuals
B. The Government Restricts Native Americans 1. Massacre at Sand Creek
In book, uppercase letters are in RED
In book, numbers are in BLUE
Information under the blue titles will be
lowercase letters and numbers
Lesson 1:Cultures Clash on the Prairie
Module 2: WESTWARD EXPANSION
CULTURES CLASH ON THE PRAIRIE
• Great Plains—grassland in the Midwest and extended into the west
• The culture of the Plains Indians was not well known to Easterners
• The Osaga and the Iowa had hunted and planted in the Great plains for over 100 years
• Tribes such as the Sioux and Cheyenne hunted buffalo
THE PLAINS
Midwest
This slide used to show how the country can be broken up into regions to further explain the term Midwest.
THE HORSE AND THE BUFFALO
• Horse: The introduction of horses by the Spanish (1598) and later guns, meant natives were able to travel and hunt
• Buffalo: While the horse provided speed and mobility, it was the buffalo that provided for basic needs
– Meat—high protein food– The Skull—considered sacred
and used in rituals– Horns—carved into bowls and
spoons– Bones—made into hide scrapers,
tool handles, sled runners– Hoofs—ground up and made into
glue– Hides—made into clothing,
tepees, arrow shields, etc.
FAMILY LIFE ON THE PLAINS
• Small extended families were the norm
• Men were hunters and warriors, while women trained to cooks and clothing makers
• Native Americans believed in the balance of spirits and their cohesion in that world
• The tribe existed as a whole and not as individuals
OSAGE TRIBE
SETTLERS PUSH WESTWARD
• Indians believed land was communal• Settlers believed land was owned—to own
you had to “improve” the land• Concluding that the plains were
“unsettled,” thousands advanced to claim land
• Lure of Gold and Silver
– The idea of finding gold attracted many westward
– Gold rush also pulled many new immigrants—including Irish, German, Polish, Chinese, and African-Americans• White Americans from East—mainly middle-class farmers moved
in search of fertile soil while others (Civil War veterans from south) sought a new start.
• African Americans from South—moved to escape violence and seek a new life. Biggest rush was called Kansas Fever Exodus of 1870 in which 20,000—40,000 African Americans move.
• Many European immigrants (including Irish, German, and Polish) also sought a new life in the west.
• Chinese immigrants also sought to farm in the west after gold rush was over.
A COVERED WAGON HEADS WEST
THE GOVERNMENT RESTRICTS NATIVES
• As more and more settlers headed west, the U.S. government increasingly protected their interests
• Railroad Companies also influenced government decisions RAILROADS GREATLY
IMPACTED NATIVE LIFE
NATIVES AND SETTLERS CLASH
• 1834 – Government set aside all of the Great Plains as “Indian lands”
• 1850s- Government shifts policy, giving natives much smaller lands—tensions rise
• Massacre at Sand Creek– U.S. pressured the Cheyenne and
Arapaho to sell their land—most refused and clashed with the army
– Forces fought the entire summer of 1864, before Chief Black kettle tired and wanted to surrender
– Cheyenne and Arapaho were on their way to surrender when they camped at Colorado’s Sand Creek
– They were attacked by U.S. troops (while warriors were out hunting) killing 150, mostly women and children
OTHER CONFLICTS AND BATTLES
• Death on the Bozeman Trail– Bozeman Trail was path followed
by settlers that went through Sioux hunting grounds
– After appealing to U.S. government failed, Sioux warrior Crazy Horse ambushed Captain William J. Fetterman and killed 80 soldiers—became known as the Fetterman Massacre
• Treaty of Fort Laramie– U.S. closed the Bozeman Trail and
the Sioux agreed to live on a reservation along the Missouri River
– Sitting Bull (Tatanka Iyotanka), leader of the Hunkpapa Sioux, never signed the treaty
Sitting Bull, great chief of Sioux nation.
Bloody Battles Continue
• The Treaty of Fort Laramie only temporary stopped the fighting
• Red River War– Starting at the end of
1868, Kiowa and Comanche engaged in six years of raiding which led to the Red River War of 1874-1875
– U.S. Army, under command of General Phillip Sheridan, herded friendly Indians onto reservations and attempted to kill all others
A Kiowa ledger drawing possibly depicting the Buffalo Wallow battle in 1874 during the Red River War.
A Kiowa Family
Bloody Battles Continue
Custer’s Last Stand• Gold Rush
– Shortly after the Treaty of Fort Laramie, U.S. secretly surveyed Sioux lands in the Black Hills for gold—which they found
– U.S. tried to negotiate a new treaty to gain the land, however, the Sioux refused
• Last Stand– Colonel George A. Custer and the 7th Calvary met the Sioux at
the Little Bighorn River and the Native Americans were ready for them
– Custer and all of his men (over 200) were killed– The Battle of the Little Bighorn forced U.S. to take action and
helped bring an end to Indian resistance
The Government Supports Assimilation
• Assimilation—the idea that Native Americans give up their own believes and take up those of white culture to blend (assimilate) in
– Many government officials felt the only way to ensure Indian survival was absorption into “white America.”
– Government established schools where kids were forced to speak only English, wear “proper” clothes, and to change their names to “American” ones.
– Government officials tried to convince American Indians to farm but it did not take.
– Dawes Act to try and encourage individualism
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE BUFFALO
• The most significant blow to tribal life on the plains was the destruction of the buffalo
– Tourist and fur traders shot buffalo for sport
– Horses and Cattle ate the pastures of the west thus decreasing the food for the buffalo
• Native Americans had little hope of maintaining an independent existence on the Plains without the buffalo
– 1800—65 million buffalo– 1890—fewer than 1,000
buffalo– 1900—one single buffalo
herdWestern settlers leaving the rotting carcasses
of Buffalo after going on a hunting spree.
THE DAWES ACT - 1887
• The Dawes Act of 1887 attempted to assimilate natives
• The Dawes Act
– Passed by Congress in 1887, sought to break up reservations and give land to individuals of the tribe (160 acres to each head of household and 80 acres to each unmarried adult)
– Remaining lands were sold to white settlers; Native Americans received no money from the sale of this land
• By 1932, 2/3rds of the land committed to Natives had been taken
FAMOUS DEPICTION OF NATIVE STRUGGLE
THE DARK AREAS DEPICT NATIVE LANDS BY 1894
GHOST DANCE
• Ghost Dance—was spiritual movement that could supposedly cause white settlers to vanish, dead Indian ancestors to return to life, the buffalo to return, and tradition Indian ways of life to return
• When the Ghost Dance spread to Sitting Bull’s reservation—the army surrounded his cabin and fight broke out killing 14 Indians including Sitting Bull
The Ghost Dance of the Sioux Indians in North America," Illustrated London News, woodcut based on sketch by Amédée Forestier, 1891.
BATTLE OF WOUNDED KNEE
• On December 29, 1890, the Seventh Cavalry (Custer’s old regiment) rounded up 350 Sioux and took them to Wounded Knee, S.D.
• In attempting to get weapons from them, a shot went off which caused a chain reaction leading to the slaughter of 300 unarmed Native Americans—became known as Battle of Wounded Knee (Wounded Knee Massacre)
• This event brought the “Indian Wars”– and an entire era to a bitter end
HUNDREDS OF CORPSES WERE LEFT TO FREEZE ON THE GROUND
Video: Ghost Dance & Wounded Knee
“I did not know then how much was ended. When I look back now from this high hill of my old age, I can still see the butchered women and children lying heaped and scattered along the crooked gulch as plain as when I saw them with eyes still young. And I can see that something else died there in the bloody mud, and was buried in the blizzard. A people’s dream died there. It was a beautiful dream...The nation’s hope is broken and scattered. There is no center any longer, and the sacred tree is dead.”
BLACK ELK SPEAKING ABOUT WOUNDED KNEE
BLACK ELK
Lesson 2:Mining and Ranching
Module 2: WESTWARD EXPANSION
Lure of SIlver and Gold
There were a number of Gold Finds that lured people west and encouraged rapid migration• Starts with the California Gold Rush (1849)• 1858 - Pike’s Peak, Colorado• 1859 - Comstock Lode silver vein in
Carson River, Nevada discovered by Henry Comstock
• 1896 - Klondike district in the Yukon Territory, Canada
TYPES OF MINING
• Placer Mining: – searching for gold using pans or other devices to wash gold
nuggets out of loose rock.
• Hydraulic mining:– using water under pressure to strip away surface rock to expose
the minerals beneath
• Hard-rock mining:– sinking a deep shaft and extracting the gold directly from the rock
usually by digging and blasting. Once brought to the surface, the rocks were crushed and the gold was separated out by using arsenic or mercury
• Mining comes to be dominated by large companies because these more effective methods were expensive
Difficult Mining
Difficult Work• Mining was dominated by big companies because the more
effective methods of mining were expensive– Miners became employees rather than independent lone
prospectors
• It was dangerous work: tunnels collapsing, hot temperatures in mines, pressure, lack of clean air, etc.– 7,500 people died digging for gold (that is more than total
number that died during the Indian wars).
Injustices of the West• Camp conditions were dangerous and had no law
enforcement
• Vigilante committees naturally formed to carry out justice (sometimes unfair/prejudice justice)
MINING TOWNS
• Mining towns develop near discoveries and were characterized by:
– Almost entirely male residents
– Absence of law enforcement
– Vigilante committees to combat theft and violence
– Tension between ethnic groups; discrimination common
– Atmosphere of intense competition
• Mining towns eventually evolved into urban centers
– Attracted business that miners needed – stores, laundries, boarding houses, etc.
– As businesses grew, more women and children moved in which led to schools and churches being established
• Examples: Denver, Colorado; Boulder, Colorado; Carson City, Nevada; Helena, Montana
ABANDONED MINING TOWNS
• While some mining camps flourished and became cities, others were abandoned, like this town in Colorado, when the mine no longer produced
CATTLE BECOMES BIG BUSINESS
• Ranching became increasingly profitable
• Texas rangers learned how to handle the Texas Longhorns from Mexican rangers
– he Texas longhorn was the most popular because it could travel long distances on little water, could live year-round on grass, and was immune to Texas fever
VOCABULARY BORROWED
• Lots of vocabulary came from the Mexican Vaqueros– Chaparreras—chaps—leathe
r overalls– Charqui—jerky—dried strips
of meat– Bronco caballo—rough
horse—bronco– Mestenos—mustang– Rancho—ranch– Also:
• Vanilla, mosquito, pronto, tuna, stampede, tornado, chili, cigar, shack, savvy, siesta, wrangler, lasso, lariat, corral, burro, canyon, bandit, fiesta, guerrilla, hurricane, matador, plaza, rodeo, vigilante, desperado, cockroach, buckaroo MEXICAN “VAQUEROS” (COW MAN)
PROVIDED THE VOCABULARY FOR THE AMERICAN COWBOY
TRAILS CONNECTED TO RAILROADS
GROWING DEMAND FOR BEEF
• After the Civil War the demand for beef surged
• Urbanization and the rise of the railroad was instrumental in the increase of beef consumption
• Chicago Union Stock Yards was a famous market after 1865
• Long Drive Trails: paths cowboys used to push cattle to a train line
• Cattle towns popped up along the major trails (such as the Chisholm Trail)
• A railhead was a town located at a railroad station at the end of a particular trail
POSTCARD OF CHICAGO UNION STOCKYARDS
DAY IN THE LIFE OF A COWBOY
• A Day’s Work—worked 10-14 hour days• Roundup
– Cattle grazed open range during fall and winter
– In Spring, cowboys rounded up as many cattle as they could find and put them in a corral—kept ones with their brands and branded all those that were not branded
– Cattle was left in corral until so hungry that once on drive they would not run away, just eat
• The Long Drive—Cowboys drove the herd along a path to stockyard or a railhead
Legends of the West
• Wild West Legends: 1). It was uniquely American (grasslands, buffalo, cowboys, Native Americans, etc.); 2) the exaggerated stories of dime novels (equivalent of tabloids) being sold in east
• William F. Cody “Buffalo Bill”: American soldier, bison hunter, and howman. His legend grew because of a book (mostly made up) that exaggerated the life of Cody. He later started a show called Buffalo Bill’s Wild West.
– Annie Oakley: A sharp shooter– Sitting Bull: After Little Bighorn, fled to Canada and later returned and eventually
joined the show.– James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok: known as a wagon master, soldier, spy, sout,
gunfighters--the exaggerated stories of his exploits built his reputation.– Martha Jane Burke (Calamity Janes): frontiers woman and professional scout
• Jesse James: An outlaw who robbed banks and trains. His popularity grew with exaggerated stores and the positive outlook given to him by commoners (stealing from the rich and big business)
• Billy the Kid: an outlaw who gained fame for his exploits out west specifically during the Lincoln County Wars (and the lawlessness that followed)
• Wyatt Earp: frontiersmen known for being a gambler and lawman. Most famously was as sheriff of Tombstone, Arizona he had the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.
• John “Doc” Holliday: gambler, gunfighter, and dentist. Close friend of Wyatt Earp and participated in the shootout at the O.K. Corral.
Video: Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show
THE END OF THE OPEN RANGE
• Almost as soon as ranching became big business, the cattle frontier met its end
– Ranchers crowded the plains with too many cattle causing prices to drop
– When Joseph Glidden invented the barbed wire, many ranches went to it which closed up the west
– Bad weather—a severe winter in 1885-86 and a drought in 1886 diminished many herds
Lesson 3: SETTLING ON THE GREAT PLAINS
Module 2: WESTWARD EXPANSION
Railroads Open the West
• Pacific Railway Act: acts that promoted construction of ‘transcontinental railroad’ by paying for it (bonds/land grants)
• 1850–1871, huge land grants to railroads for payment to lay track
• Railroads sell land to farmers, attract many European immigrants
• 1860s, Central Pacific goes east, Union Pacific west, meet in Utah
• By 1880s, 5 transcontinental railroads completed
Video: Transcontinental Railroad
The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1868. The Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met in Promontory Point, Utah and laid a Golden Spike
GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR SETTLEMENT
• Federal land policy and the completion of the transcontinental railroad led to the rapid settlement of American west– 1862 Homestead Act offered 160
acres free to any head of household
• 1862–1900, up to 600,000 families settle
– Exodusters—Southern African-American settlers in Kansas
– Railroad, state agents, speculators profit; 10% of land to families
Video: Homestead Act (Video One) (Video Two)
THE CLOSING OF THE FRONTIER
• 1872, Yellowstone National Park created to protect some wilderness (3,472 square miles): Twice the size of Rhode Island
• 1890s, no frontier left; some regret loss of unique American feature
First National Park: Yellowstone National Park
Video: Yellowstone National Park
OKLAHOMA SOONERS
• In 1889, a major governmental land giveaway in what is now Oklahoma attracted thousands
• In less than a day, 2 million acres were claimed by settlers
• Some took possession before the government had officially declared it open – thus Oklahoma became known as the “Sooner State”
SETTLERS ENCOUNTER HARDSHIPS
• The frontier settlers faced extreme hardships – droughts, floods, fires, blizzards, locust plagues, and bandits
• Despite hardships, the number of people living west of the Mississippi grew from 1% of the nation’s population in 1850 to almost 30% in 1900
LOCUST SWARM
DUGOUTS & SODDIES
• Most settlers built their homes from the land itself
• Pioneers often dug their homes out of the sides of ravines or hills (Dugouts)
• Those in the flat plains made freestanding homes made of turf (Soddies)
DUGOUT
SODDY
Sod Farms Today
After talking about soddies and how sod is grass, this slide used to show students there are grass farms for sod.
After talking about soddies and how sod is grass, this slide used to show students sod rolls for homes and playing fields.
INCREASED TECHNOLOGY HELPS FARMERS
• 1837 – John Deere invented a steel plow that could slice through heavy soil
• 1847 – Cyrus McCormick mass-produced a reaping machine (harvester)
• 1874 – Joseph Glidden invented barbed wire which allowed western farmers/ranchers to section off their property and thus ending the open range
• Other inventions included a grain drill to plant seed, and corn binder
JOHN DEERE’S STEEL PLOW HAD TO BE PULLED BY A HORSE
OR MULE
• Mechanized farming transformed the American economy, increasing crop production.
• Production was made more efficient as machines reduced the amount of human labor needed on farms (farm hands and/or migrant farmers displaced).
Video: Western Agriculture
FARMER EDUCATION SUPPORTED
• The federal government financed agricultural education
• The Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890 gave federal land to states to help finance agricultural colleges– The Ohio State
University– Texas Agricultural and
Mechanical University (Texas A&M)
ADVANCEMENTS IN AGRICULTURE
• Crop Rotation:
• Crop Genetics:
Farmers in Debt
• Railroads, investors create bonanza farms— huge, single-crop spreads (cash crop)
• 1885–1890 droughts bankrupt single-crop operations
• Rising cost of shipping grain pushes farmers into debt
Lesson 4: Farmers and the Populist Movement
Module 2: WESTWARD EXPANSION
THE FARMERS PLIGHT
• growing populations (cities) required food and farmers grew more
• Supply eventually outgrew demand (decrease price)
• farmers responded by buying more land and growing more crop to make money, resulted in even more surplus and decrease in prices
Farmers Need A Lift
1925 1929 1930 1931Wheat (Bushel) $1.67 $1.18 $0.90 $0.606
Corn (Bushel) $0.70 $0.80 $0.60 $0.32
Raw Cotton (Pound) $0.235 $0.19 $0.135 $0.085
Wool (Pound) $1.405 $0.985 $0.765 $0.62
Tobacco (Pound) $0.17 $0.185 $0.13 $0.08
NOTE: This graph shows the drop in farm prices prior to the Great Depression. A similar drop occurred during the late 1800s and this graph is just showing how that can happen.
ECONOMIC DISTRESS• Hard money—coins and paper money that was backed by gold (could be
exchanged for gold)
• Greenbacks—paper money issued during Civil War but it could not be exchanged; it was worth less than hard money of the same value– The nearly $500 million in greenbacks was taken out of circulation
• WIth money being taken out of circulation, tt made the money in circulation worth more but farmers (now in debt) had to pay back their loans in dollars worth more than the dollars they had borrowed
• At the same time, they were receiving less money for their crops (i.e. wheat in 1867 was $2.00 a bushel and in 1887 it was $0.68 a bushel)
• Bland-Allison Act of 1878 (Sherman Silver Purchase Act)—required government to issue more money into circulation
– Government had to buy and coin at least $2 million to $4 million worth of silver each month
– However, did not make a big enough impact in increasing the money in circulation
PROBLEMS WITH THE RAILROADS
• Farmers had to ship their crop to the cities
• Lack of competition led to railroads being able to overcharge (cheaper to ship from Chicago to England by boat than Dakotas to Minneapolis by rail) The cartoon depicts how the farmers are at the
mercy of the railroads, and their warnings are being ignored by businessmen and industrialists
THIS POLITICAL CARTOON SHOWS A POPULIST CLUBBING A RAILROAD CAR
This picture shows the cable providers in 2011. It is meant to show how cable companies had no competition for hard wire cable in areas, just like railroads had no competition in regions.
THE GRANGE MOVEMENT
• Farmers were unable to make changes up to this point because they were not united
• National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry (National Grange) was first major farmers’ organization
– Grange: a social and educational organization through which farmers attempted to combat the power of the railroads in the late 19th century
• Started as social organization by Oliver Hudson Kelley in 1867, the group soon focused on economic and political issues to help farmers
• Some members formed cooperatives in which they pooled their money and resources to buy and sell goods
• The Granges main focus turned to regulate railroad freight and grain-storage rates
– Pressure from group forced many states to form commissions enforcing “Granger laws”
– Interstate Commerce Act in 1887 prohibited railroads from giving secret rebates, or refunds to large shippers or charging more for short hauls than for long hauls over the same line
THE FARMERS’ ALLIANCE
• The Farmers’ Alliance was an alliance was made of three organizations:
– the National Farmers’ Alliance– the all-white Southern Alliance– the Colored Farmers’ Alliance
• The Alliance lobbied bank regulations, government ownership of railroads, and graduated income tax (tax on higher incomes at higher rate) an addition to railroad regulation, formed cooperatives
• Mary Elizabeth Lease from Kansas was a major Alliance leader
• African American farmers began to stay away from Colored Farmers’ Alliance due to violence that broke out which resulted in the power and influence of the Colored Farmers’ Alliance to fade during the 1890s’
THe Rise and Fall of Populism
• Populism: political movement demanding that people have a greater voice in government and seeking to advance the interests of farmers and laborers
POPULIST PARTY PLATFORM
• The Populist Party (The People’s Party): formed by farmers, labor leaders, and reformers
• Party called for – Graduated income tax– bank regulations– government ownership of railroad and telegraph
companies– coinage of silver (which would increase money supply
thus producing a rise in prices received for goods and services)
– restrictions on immigration– shorter workday– voting reforms (direct election of senators)
• lost presidential election of 1892 but got 10 members elected to congress
Video: Populist Party
2019 Tax Bracket
THE PANIC OF 1893• Panic of 1893, a financial panic that sent stock prices
plunging– Farmers were overextended with debt & loans– Railroad construction expanded faster than markets
(need)• New discoveries of silver caused a decrease in value and
a rush for people to exchange their currency for gold which caused a strain on Treasury’s gold reserves– Silver was blamed and to protect Gold Standard, the
Bland-Allison Act of 1878 (Sherman Silver Purchase Act) was repealed
– Gold Standard: backing dollars solely with gold
• The panic also spread to the stock market where stock prices plunged
• By the end of the year, over 15,000 businesses and 500 banks had failed (more than 3 million unemployed)
Silver or Gold• The central issue of politics was Gold Standard:
– Republicans (business owners and bankers from Northeast)• Gold Standard: backing dollars solely with gold
– Democrats (farmers and laborers from South and West)
–
• Bimetallism: money was backed up with gold and silver
• Backing currency with both metals would make more currency available but decrease value of the dollar (inflation)– Silverites (Democrats/Poplist) wanted to make it easier
to pay back debt and thought increased money supply would stimulate the economy
– Gold Bugs (Republican)s didn’t want because beleieved gold was more stable and bimetallism would cause inflation and hurt banks and business owners
Inflation• Inflation is:
– decline in money’s value– when purchasing power of money decreases—it takes more
money to buy goods– price of goods goes up
• The value of money changes according to the supply• If the number of dollars in circulation increases while
there is no increase in the amount of goods and services for sale, the dollar buys less (prices go up)
• If the number of dollars in circulation decreases while there is no decrease in the amount of goods and services for sale, the dollar buys more prices go down—deflation
1850 1880 1910 1940 1960 1970 1980 1996 2005
Wage Per Hour $0.31 $0.35 $0.33 $0.51 $1.08 $1.36 $2.70 $5.64 $6.85
Car $676.34 $757.52 $730.62 $1,127.22 $2,367.14 $2,977.42 $5,906.31 $12,357.64 $15,000
Gas $0.18 $0.37 $0.47 $0.93 $1.95 $2.37
House $4508.92 $5,050.11 $4,870.83 $7,514.79 $15,780.95 $19,849.49 $39375.37 $82384.26 $100,000
Movie $0.32 $0.35 $0.34 $0.53 $1.10 $1.39 $2.76 $5.77 $7.00
Hamburger $0.04 $0.05 $0.05 $0.07 $0.16 $0.20 $0.39 $0.82 $0.99
Backing Currency—Silver and gold standards
• In 1900, the bimetallic standard was abandoned and the dollar was defined as 23.22 grains of gold. Silver coins continued to be issued for circulation until 1964, when all silver was removed from dimes and quarters, and the half dollar was reduced to 40% silver. Silver half dollars were last issued for circulation in 1969
• Today, like the currency of most nations, the dollar is fiat money, unbacked by any physical asset—i.e., a holder of a federal reserve note has no right to demand an asset such as gold or silver from the government in exchange for a note. Instead, the currency is backed by future claims to wealth of American taxpayers and other income sources of the Treasury
• In September 2004, it was estimated that if all the gold held by the U.S. government (261.7 million ounces ) were again required to back the circulating U.S. currency ($733,170,953,704), gold would need to be valued at $2,800/ounce (current value is $1,313/ounce)
William Jennings Bryan and The “Cross of Gold”
• 1896 Presidential Election, Republicans stand behind Gold Standard and nominate Ohioan William McKinley
• Democrats support bimetallism and William Jennings Bryan
• Bryan delivered his famous “Cross of Gold Speech at the Democratic Convention
– Having behind us the producing masses of this nation and the world, supported by the commercial interests, the laboring for a gold standard by saying to them: You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold—Democratic convention speech, Chicago, July 8, 1896
Populist: Support Democrats and Maintain their Party
• Populist Question: should they join forces with sympathetic candidates in the major parties (and risk losing their identity) or nominate their own candidate (and risk losing the election)?
• Populist like Bryan but despised his Vice-Presidential candidate (Maine banker Arthur Sewall)
• Populist decided to endorse Bryan but nominate their own VP candidate, THomas Watson of Georgia.
The End of Populism• Bryan loses support for election
– Bimetallism (to gain Populist) cost him “Gold Bug” democrats who nominated their own candidate
– Bryan couldn’t keep up with the financial support afforded to McKinley’s campaign
– Support in cities waivered, as citizens believed bimetallism would cause inflation—cost of goods to go up
• McKinley wins the 1896 Presidential Election– McKinley received about 7 million votes
while Bryan received about 6.5 million• Midwest feared negatives of inflation and sided with McKinley to turn
the tide– With McKinley’s election, Populism collapsed but left two legacies
• Downtrodden could organize and make an impact• Agenda of reforms
1896 Presidential ElectionVideo: Cross of Gold Speech and 1896 Election
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Allegory to History?
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-wizard-of-oz-and-the-gold-standard-2014-5
Wizard of Oz
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a modernized fairy tale written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W.W. Denslow
• Many scholars have interpreted the book as an allegory (is a figurative mode of representation conveying a meaning other than the literal) or metaphor for the political, economic and social events of America of the 1890s
• Both Baum and Denslow had been actively involved in politics in the 1890s. However, Baum never said that the original story was an allegory for politics, although he did not have occasion to deny the notion
• Dorothy– Traditional Americans with good old fashion values—but naive
• Toto– Many political cartoonists would represent political parties as dogs– Or perhaps he represents teetotalers (promoted complete abstinence
from alcoholic beverages) who were aligned with William Jennings Bryan and Bimetallism
• Uncle Henry– In 1900 by far the most famous farmer in America was Henry Cantwell
Wallace, editor of the leading farm magazine. Everyone called him "Uncle Henry”
• The Munchkins– Are the little people and represent ordinary citizens– Many political cartoonists would represent the average citizen as a
little person when a powerful industrialist or politician got his way over ordinary citizens
Wizard of Oz: Main Characters
Munchkins are the Little People (Ordinary Citizens) as shown in this 1896 Judge cartoon; the Yellow Kid (center) was one the first color comic strip characters.
Wizard of Oz: Main Characters
• The Tin Woodman– Represents the dehumanized industrial workers—He's so dehumanized
he doesn't have a heart– He is rusted and helpless until he gets oil (John D. Rockefeller)– Was a person and they replace hurt/loss body parts with
metal—represents the unsafe working conditions of the factories.
• The Scarecrow– Represents the western farmers
• The Cowardly Lion– Represents William Jennings Bryan– Many political cartoonists would represent politicians as lions and
Bryan was often described as having a great roar with no bite
• Wizard– Mark Hanna (chairman of the Republican party) and McKinley’s advisor
July 1896 Puck cartoon shows farmer hung up on pole and helpless
Wizard of Oz: Main Characters
• Good Witch of the North– New England, a populist stronghold
• Good Witch of the South– the South, a populist stronghold
• Wicked Witch of the East– represents bankers and industrialists in the east (Grover Cleveland)– Flying Monkeys—represented Native Americans who were displaced
and eventually put in position of servitude
• Wicked Witch of the West– Represents bankers and industrialists in the west (William
McKinley—From Ohio)– Or perhaps he represents the consistent drought that plagued land out
west in the 1890s, since all that is needed to quell her is water
1897 JUDGE cartoon shows McKinley as a Witch/Mother Hubbard, and little Toto-like dog as Uncle Sam.
Wizard of Oz: Places
• Oz– abbreviation for ounce of gold
• Yellow Brick Road– gold standard– paved with gold bricks, leads to nowhere
• Emerald City– Washington D.C. and the fraudulent world of greenback paper
money that only pretends to have value • Emerald Palace
– the White House• Silver Shoes
– the silver component of a bimetallic standard– Walking on the yellowbrick road with the silver slippers represented
the bimetallic standard.
• The story "The Wizard of Oz" is the allegorical story of this period. Dorothy represents the good and simple farmers of the Midwest.
• Kansas is a dreary and gray place symbolizing the difficult lives of the farmers.
• Dorothy (traditionalist citizens) is swept into a new world by the forces of nature (a cyclone—political chaos) and kills the wicked Witch of the East (Eastern industrialists and bankers) who was a tyrant and detested by the Munchkins (ordinary citizens).
• The silver slippers of the Witch become the possessions of Dorothy and she sets out to find the Wizard of Oz (Republican leader Hanna) in the Emerald City (Washington, D.C.—Greenbacks) who, she is told, will show her how to get back to Kansas.
Wizard of Oz: As an Allegory
• On the way she first meets the Scarecrow (farmers) who has a low opinion of himself and his intelligence which shows the urban view of farmers.
• On their way they come across the Tin Man (industrialist workers) who has rusted out and needs to be oiled (referring to both well oiled machine and to oil tycoons such as Rockefeller).
• The three set out on their journey down the Yellow Brick Road (representing the gold standard) toward the Emerald City and soon come across the Lion (William Jennings Bryan) whose roar is greater than his bite.
Wizard of Oz: As an Allegory
Wizard of Oz: As an Allegory
• The Wizard sees them but appears to them each in a different form, an allusion to politicians' proclivity to be all things to all people. He is feared and respected by all in the land of Oz- including the witches- but he remains an enigma to them.
• In this Baum is speaking to the awe in which the common citizenry view the political center and its power (which derives from nothing more than their collective consent). The Wizard tells them that in order to grant their wish, they must kill the wicked Witch of the West who symbolizes the cruelty of nature and the perennial droughts which ravaged farmers in this period. Thus the politician passes the buck in effect telling them that their problem is with nature not with the political power.
• They cross the desert and confront many obstacles before Dorothy kills the witch by dousing her with water- that rarest and most valuable of resources which were it to be in sufficient supply would alleviate much of the burden of the farmers.
• Dorothy and company return to the Emerald City and discover the Wizard to be a phony (i.e. a real politician). The Wizard is just a common man who informs the four that they had the ability within them to achieve their aims. This is to say that the people have the power to solve their solutions for themselves independent of any reliance on the government.
• The story ends with the Scarecrow in command of the Emerald City (alluding to the rise of a farmers' lobby in Washington), the Tin Man ruling in the West (an allusion to the westward spread of industrialization) and the Lion ends up ruling a forest full of lesser animals (an allusion to Bryan's defeat in national elections but his continued prominence in the political world of the jungle full of petty hacks and functionaries).
Wizard of Oz: As an Allegory
• Dorothy, just before leaving Oz, is told by Glinda, the Witch of the South that the silver shoes are the key and she could have gone home at anytime. This is a direct reference to the ability of the people to control money- a democratic money- to serve their needs in any way they choose.
• Dorothy finds her way back to Kansas but loses Silver Slippers on the way which is Baum's way of poking fun at the Populists for whom silver became an end in itself.
Wizard of Oz: As an Allegory
