1st Transcontinental Railroad

I. Railroads 1st Transcontinental RR ( 1869) – Union Pacific and Central Pacific united at Promontory Point, Utah – 4 more RR completed by 1890 Irish worked on the Union Pacific while the Chinese worked on the Central Pacific (Government gave out land grants)

Inventions that aided the RR Steel rails replaced iron Standardized time zones George Westinghouse invented the air brake Granville Woods – Telegraph system All made it easier to ship goods

II. Cattle Ranching Railroads made it easier to ship cattle east but had to get cattle to major RR ( $4 TX v. $40 Chicago) Long Drives – harsh conditions, stampedes, low wages 1/3 -1/5 of cowboys Hispanic or African American Main type of cattle – Texas Longhorn

Problems (cattle ranching) Had used open range but with the invention of barbed wire by Joseph Glidden ranges closed off Natural disasters also hurt industry – 1880’s – 90% killed in blizzard – ranchers went bankrupt – big business took over

Barbed Wire

III. Strikes 1859- Comstock Lode – large silver strike – lured people out west Problems: Mining towns – bad reputation but helped in settlement Most miners didn’t strike it rich – large corporations bought up ore deposits

IV. Homesteader Homestead Act – gave 160 acres to anyone willing to farm it and make it productive w/in 5 years. Inventions aided the homesteader: 1) barbed wire 2) windmill – provided need H20 3) steel plow 4) reaper 1889- Harrison’s Hoss Race in Oklahoma attempt to give 1.9 acres away Frontier announce closed in 1890

V. Conflicts with the Plains Indians Problems came from: 1) killing off of Buffalo by RR – Nat. Am. Relied on the buffalo for everything. 2) breaking treaties/ taking land 3) Concentration policy – tried to Americanize them by turning them into farmers – put them on reservations – face confinement or extermination

Major Confrontations Chivington Massacre ( 1864) – killing of 450 Cheyenne Little Big Horn ( 1876) 7th cavalry led by George Armstrong Custer wiped out by Sitting Bull and a mixture of Sioux and Cheyenne Nez Perce – peaceful tribe attempted to escape to Canada – led by Chief Joseph – led his tribe on a 1,000 mile journey before surrendering “ I will fight no more forever” Wounded Knee ( 1890) – last confrontation – death of 290 Native Americans

Native Americans Many tribes turned to the Ghost Dance Religion – a mixture of Native American and Christian beliefs – focused on the return of the land – this was led by Sitting Bull Dawes ( Act) 1887 – broke up tribes – not allowed to practice tribal customs (Americanize)- Assimilation efforts by the Government

Frontier Thesis Frederick Jackson Turner: Argued Frontier chief influence in shaping a distinctive American way of life 1) social equality 2) economic independence 3) political democracy

The West