Changes on the Western Frontier Chapter 13 Changes on the Western Frontier

Cultures Clash on the Prairie Section 1 Cultures Clash on the Prairie

How did the Plains Indians live? Native Americans lived on the Great Plains-the grasslands in the west-central portion of the U.S. The horse allowed them to hunt more easily and to travel farther. The buffalo provided food, clothing, shelter, and other important items. The men hunted for food. The women helped butcher the game and prepare buffalo hides.

The Government Restricts Native Americans; Bloody Battle Continue Along the Great Plains, Native Americans and white settlers often clashed, mainly over land and resources. The Cheyenne, living in an area of the Colorado Territory known as Sand Creek, had attacked settlers. In response, the army attacked and killed about 200 Cheyenne in an incident known as the Sand Creek Massacre. In the Treaty of Fort Laramie, 1868, most Sioux agreed to live on a reservation. Sitting Bull, an important Sioux leader, never signed the treaty.

Continued Sitting Bull, an important Sioux leader, never signed the treaty. In 1876, he defeated army troops led by George A. Custer, at the Little Bighorn River. The Sioux won decisively, killing Custer and all his soldiers. The army recovered and within months it defeated the Sioux.

What did assimilation fail? To deal with the Native American problem, the U.S. government adopted a plan of assimilation-Native Americans would give up their beliefs and culture to become part of the white culture. To push assimilation, Congress passed the Dawes Act in 1887. the act broke up reservations and gave some of the land to each Native American family for farming. The plan failed.

Continued The Sioux adopted a ritual called the Ghost Dance which they hoped would bring the buffalo back. This made the Army nervous. 1890 they rounded up a group of Sioux including Sitting Bull. When they tried to take the Sioux’s weapons, a fight broke out. Army troops killed 300 unarmed Sioux in the Battle of Wounded Knee, including women and children. (South Dakota)

What caused the cattle business to grow? Cattle ranching became a big business after the Civil War. Ranchers raised longhorns-sturdy breed first brought to the Americas by the Spanish. Growing cities spurred the demand for beef. Cattle ranchers drove their cattle over the Chisholm Trail from San Antonia, Texas, to Kansas where they were shipped by rail to Chicago. Between 1866 and 1885, about 55,000 cowboys worked the plains. About 12 percent of these cowboys were Mexican. About 25 percent were African American.

Continued In the spring, cowboys rounded up their cattle and headed them out on the long drive-the journey from the plains to the shipping yards in Abilene, Kansas. The days of the open range and cattle drive did not last long. Bad weather in the 1800s wiped out many ranchers. Others started using barbed wire to fence in their ranches.

Settling on the Great Plains Section 2 Settling on the Great Plains

Settlers Move Westward to Farm More and more people migrated to the Great Plains with the building of the transcontinental railroads. 1867, the Central Pacific company began laying tracks east from Sacramento, California. The Union Pacific began laying tracks west from Omaha, Nebraska. Much of the work was done by Irish and Chinese Immigrants. 1869, the two routes met at Promontory, Utah.

Continued A growing number of people were responding to the Homestead Act of 1862. Under this law, the government offered 160 acres of free land to anyone would farm it for five years. By 1900, the Great Plains was filled with more than 400,000 homesteaders, or settlers on this free land. Several thousand settlers were exodusters-African Americans who moved from the post-Reconstruction South to Kansas.

Continued The law did not always work as the government had planned. Only about 10 percent of the land was settled by the families. Cattlemen and miners claimed much of the rest. 1872, the government set aside land in Wyoming to create Yellowstone National Park. Millions of acres more were set aside later.

Settlers Meet the Challenges of the Plains The Great Plains did not have many trees. As a result, people built soddys-these homes were dug into the side of hills or made from sod. The steel plow helped break up the prairie’s tough soil. A new reaper cut wheat even faster. The Morrill Act of 1862 and 1890 helped establish agricultural colleges.

Continued Bonanza farms-huge single-crop farms. The government also established experiment stations on the Great Plains. Researchers there developed new types of crops as well we new government techniques. To make more money, they often had to raise more crops. Bonanza farms-huge single-crop farms.

Farmers and the Populist Movement Section 3 Farmers and the Populist Movement

Farmers Unite to Address Common Problems Farmers faced serious problems after the Civil War. The prices they could sell their crops for kept going down. The was because the United States was withdrawing greenbacks-money printed for the Civil War-from circulation. The decline in prices also meant that farmers had to pay back their loans in money that was worth more than when they borrowed it.

Continued Farmers continued to pay high prices to transport grain using the railroads Often they paid as much to ship their crops as they received for them. The time had come for reform (change). 1867, Oliver Hudson Kelley started an organization that became known as the Grange. Its original purpose was to provide a place for farm families to discuss social and educational issues.

Continued By the 1870s, Grange members spent most of their time and energy fighting the railroads. The Grange gave rise to other organizations. They included the Farmers’ Alliances-included teachers, preachers, and newspaper editors who sympathized with farmers. Alliance members traveled throughout the Great Plains. They educated farmers about a variety of issues, including how to obtain lower interest rates and ways to protest the railroads.

The Rise and Fall of Populism Alliance leaders realized that to make far-reaching changes, they needed political power. 1892, they created the Populist Party, or People’s Party. This party was the beginning of Populism-movement to gain more political power and economic power for common people. The Populist Party pushed for reforms to help farmers. It also called for reforms to make government more democratic. These reforms included direct election of senators

Continued 1893, the nation faced an economic crisis called the Panic of 1893. The panic continued into 1895. Then political parties began to choose candidates for the 1896 presidential election. The central issue of the campaign was which metal would be the basis of the nation’s monetary system. On one side were the “silverites” who favored bimetallism-a monetary system in which the government would give people either gold or silver in exchange for paper currency or checks.

Continued On the other side were the “gold bugs” who favored the gold standard-backing dollars solely with gold. Gold Bugs-bankers and businessmen Wanted- gold standard; less money in circulation Silverites- farmers and laborers Wanted- bimetallism; more money in circulation

Continued Republicans were “gold bugs.” They elected William McKinley for president. The Democrats and the Populists both favored bimetallism. Both partied nominated William Jennings Bryan. At the Democratic convention, Bryan delivered an emotional speech, know as the “Cross of Gold” speech, in support of bimetallism.

Continued On election day, McKinley won. McKinley’s election brought an end to populism. The movement left two powerful legacies: A message that poor people and less powerful groups in society could organize and have a political impact. An agenda of reforms many of which would be enacted in the 20th century.