1. Chapter 15: Looking to the West

2. Following the Civil War, an increasing number of Americans began settling the large region between the Mississippi and the west coast (Great Plains, Southwest) The Pacific Railway Acts of 1862, and1864 granted large amounts of land to railroad companies which they later sold to settlers. The Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862 gave land to state governments which they sold to support state colleges.

3. The Homestead Act of 1862 gave 160 acres of land to settlers who met the following requirements: 1) must be 21 years old or the head of a family 2) must be an American citizen or have applied for citizenship 3) must build a house and live on the claim at least 6 months a year 4) must farm the land actively for at least 5 years 5) must pay a 10 dollar registration fee.

4. Section 2: Conflict with Native Americans As American settlers began flooding into the West following the Civil War, Native Americans saw their lands and their way of life being taken away from them. Railroads were built through Indian lands and brought many settlers to them. The Plains Indians relied heavily on buffalo for their food as well as many other of life’s necessities. Railroad companies and settlers hunted the buffalo nearly to extinction. There were many violent conflicts between Native American tribes and settlers. Many tribes realized that effective resistance was nearly impossible and therefore decided to sell their lands and move on to reservations.

6. Some groups chose to fight. Occasionally they won victories, such as the Battle of Little Big Horn, where the Sioux, led by Chief Sitting Bull, defeated troops under Colonel George A. Custer. However, all the Native Americans who chose to fight were eventually defeated. There were numerous occasions where Native Americans were massacred by U.S. troops. In 1890, over 200 Sioux, including women and children, were killed at Wounded Knee

7. The federal government passed laws, such as the Dawes Act of 1887, which attempted to force Native Americans to live more like whites. Laws were passed that outlawed Native American religions and encouraged them to practice farming. In 1889, Oklahoma was opened for settlement even though it was supposed to be reserved for Native Americans. People who moved in and settled prime pieces of land prior to its official opening became known as “sooners.”

8. Section 3 – Farming, Mining, and Ranching – Farming on the Great Plains was often difficult due to insufficient rainfall, extreme weather, tough ground, and pestilence. It took very determined settlers to persevere. Farming did become easier through advances in technology that provided new machines that saved labor. Also, in 1862, a federal Department of Agriculture was created that helped to increase agricultural knowledge.

9. Mining was also a common occupation on the frontier. Thousands of people flocked to places such as Pikes Peak, Colorado and Comstock, Nevada in search of gold and silver.

10. – Ranching, or cattle farming, was another livelihood in the West. Cattle were raised on the prairies and then driven long distances by cowboys to towns with major railroad lines where they could be shipped to markets in the East. Overall, the population of the West grew from under one million in 1860, to over eight million in 1900.

11. Section 4 - Populism Following the Civil War, farmers faced difficult times. They fell heavily into debt, purchasing land and equipment, however crop prices were generally low and farmers found it hard to pay back loans. Farmers were opposed to high tariffs because it meant that they had to pay more for manufactured goods and it decreased their overseas markets. Farmers also wanted regulation of big business, especially railroads.

12. Farmers were in favor of a monetary policy that would create inflation and therefore, make it easier for them to repay their debts, it would also raise the prices of farm goods. This called for an increase in the money supply. Bankers were in favor of deflation which was caused by reducing the money supply. This meant that loans were paid back with money that had more value. Following the Civil War, the nation experienced a long period of deflation due to the removal of the paper money that had been issued during the war

13. The monetary policy of the federal government became an important political issue in the last decades of the 1800s. In 1873, Congress placed the nation on a gold standard instead of one that used both gold and silver to back money. This restricted the money supply and was a victory for proponents of deflation. In the 1880s farmers formed a network of Farmers Alliances that would support their interests. These alliances would become politically active and fought for federal regulation of railroads, lower tariffs, an increase in the money supply, the creation of state Departments of Agriculture, and anti-trust laws to control big business.

14. During the 1880s a series of natural disasters worsened the plight of many farmers. In 1887, Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act to regulate the railroad industry. This provided some improvement in shipping costs for farmers

15. In 1892 the Farmers Alliances founded the People’s Party whose followers became known as the Populists. Populists supported a similar stance to the Farmers Alliances. – An increased circulation of money through increased minting of silver (Free Silver) – A progressive income tax in which the percentage of taxes owed increases with income. This would place a greater tax burden on wealthy industrialists and a lesser one on farmers. – They called for government ownership of the country’s communications and transportation systems. – They supported an eight-hour workday to try and gain support from industrial workers.

16. The Populists supported a presidential candidate in 1892; however, he won little support. In 1896, the Populists backed William Jennings Bryan who was also the Democratic nominee. Bryan ran on a platform that would increase the circulation of money, he pleaded for relief for farmers in his famous “Cross of Gold” speech.

17. Bryan lost the election when he could not carry the urban and industrial areas of the country. Conditions for farmers began to improve after 1900 as crop prices began a steady increase. The Populist movement died out; however, a number of their goals would be supported by later reformers known as Progressives.