A GREAT MIGRATION / A GREAT DEGRADATION Obj: To determine the role of the U.S. Government in western settlement by looking at Indian Policy and Congressional Legislation

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD WAVING THE BLOODY SHIRT: 1868 ROOT, HOG OR DIE: SELF RELIANCE DARWINS THEORY MANIPULATED TO APPLY TO SOCIETY WM. SUMNER & SOCIAL DARWINISM INDIVIDUALISM & SECTIONALISM- WAR OVER BUT NOT FEELINGS MAJOR ISSUES GO UNADDRESSED – BLACKS – CIVIL RIGHTS CASES 1883 DECLARE CIVIL RIGHS ACT 1875 UNCON-STITUTIONAL. BLACKS REMAIN MIRED IN POVERTY DUE TO RECONSTRUCTION & JIM CROW – CURRENCY : RETURN TO GOLD STANDARD – CIVIL SERVICE: GRANT SCANDALS & PENDELTON ACT 1883

THE GREAT AMERICAN DESERT ST ½ 19 TH CENTURY AMERICANS BELIEVED AREA UNINHABITABLE BUFFALO, SOD, INDIANS MADE IT UNATTRACTIVE EVE OF CIVIL WAR INDIANS ½ THE POPULATION & ¼ MILLION ROAMED THE GREAT PLAINS CONTACT WITH WHITES ALREADY MADE – HORSE MOST TRANSFOR- MING ADAPTATION FOR INDIANS PLAINS INDIANS NOMADIC, FOLLOWED BUFFALO, SOME INTER TRIBAL WARFARE

INDIAN POLICY EXPANSION WITH HONOR 1784 INDIAN REMOVAL 1834 CONCENTRATION 1851 – DEFINITE BOUNDARIES, INDIVIDUAL TRIBAL TREATIES HUNTING/ROAMING GROUNDS LIMITED DISCOVERY OF GOLD FORCES NEW POLICY MAJOR RESERVATIONS 1870 NO LONGER CONGRESSIONAL ACTS BUT EXECUTIVE ORDER DUE TO CORRUPTION

INDIAN WARS COLORADO GOLD – INDIANS CHOOSE WARFARE OVER NEGOTIATIN – SAND CREEK SIOUX WARS & TREATY OF FORT LARAMIE PANIC 1873 – NEED SPECIE BATTLE OF LITTLE BIG HORN BUFFALO SOLDIERS 2K FROM ASSIMILATION 1871 CARLISLE INDIAN SCHOOL, PA 1879 KILL THE INDIAN, SAVE THE MAN

DAWES SEVERALTY ACT 1887 TREAT INDIANS AS INDIVIDUALS NOT TRIBES, GROUPS DIVIDE TRIBAL LAND, CITIZENSHIP AVAILABLE FOR WHITES ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENT TIED TO INDIVIDU- ALISM. DESTRUCTION PRICE FOR CIVILIZATION HELEN HUNT JACKSON & 1881 CENTURY OF DISHONOR – OUT OF REFORMER TRADITION, LITTLE IMPACT GHOST DANCE & WOUNDED KNEE – LAST ARMED RESISTANCE 1890

MOVING WEST MORE LAND OPEN TO AGRICULTURE THAN LAST 250 YRS. COMBINED HOMESTEAD ACT 1862: 160 ACRES, $10, STAY 5 YEARS & IMPROVE THE LAND OR $1.25/ACRE & STAY 6 MONTHS; GOVT GAVE AWAY 48 MILL, SOLD 100 MILL, 128 MILL IN LAND GRANT; START UP COSTS $1,200, 3X ANNUAL AVERAGE TIMBER CULTURE ACT 1873: RECEIVE EXTRA 160 ACRES & PLANT TREES ON 25% DESERT LAND ACT 1877: 640 $1.25 & IRRIGATE PART W/I 3 YEARS TIMBER & STONE ACT 1878: $2.50/ACRE, LUMBER COS CLEAN UP! 2/3 ALL HOMESTEADERS FAILED BY 1890

MINING: 1 ST MAJOR INDUSTRY TO ATTRACT PEOPLE WEST – 1848 GOLD IN CALIFORNIA SIERRA NEVADAS 1852 COMSTOCK LODE $1BILLION WORTH OF GOLD IN CALIFORNIA ALONE MONTANA – IMMIGRANT MECCA DUE TO JOB AVAILABILITY INDIVIDUAL MINERS SELL OUT TO LARGE CORPORATIONS ANACONDA MINING: MONEY & MEANS TO GET TO VEINS OF SILVER AND GOLD ENVIRONMENTAL DEVASTATION NOT ANYONES MAJOR CONCERN

GIVE ME LAND, LOTS OF LAND UNDER STARRY SKIES ABOVE, DONT FENCE ME IN! What role did the U.S. Government play in western development from ? Which actions of the government supported the laissez-faire philosophy and which did not?

FARMING THE FRONTIER BETWEEN HUGE INCREASE IN PRODUCTION PLENTY OF SPACE – LIBERAL LAND POLICIES – HOMESTEAD ACT & MORRILL LAND GRANT ACT IMPROVED KNOWLEDGE & EDUCATION OF FARMING, HUSBANDRY, LAND MANAGEMENT ETC. CLEVER & SUCCESSFUL SOLUTIONS CREATED TO FARM MIDWEST; DRY FARMING, IRRIGATION, WINDMILLS TECHNOLOGY – DEERE & MCCORMICK BONANZA FARMING TAKES OVER FROM INDIVIDUALS – BECOMES AN INDUSTRY INCREASE IN POPULATION NEEDS TO EAT LOANS, CASH CROPS, PANIC 1873 – CYCLE BEGINS MOTHER NATURE

BOOM & BUST FOR FARMERS PANICS 1873 & 1893

TRANSPORTATION ADVANCES: PACIFIC RAILWAY ACT 1862 EXPLOITATION PARTIALLY DUE TO GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES OF RR LAND DEVASTATED BUT AMERICA & AMERICAN LIFE TRANSFORMED LINES: RAPID RAIL CON- STRUCTION POSSIBLE DUE TO FEDERAL & STATE INCENTIVES 170 MILL ACRES OF LAND GIVEN TO RR FROM FEDERAL GOVT WIDESPREAD SLAUGHTER OF BUFFALO TO FEED RR CREW: AN- OTHER NAIL IN THE COFFIN OF NATIVE AMERICANS TRANSCONTINENTAL RR: UNION PACIFIC & CENTRAL PACIFIC 12,000 CHINESE, NUMBEROUS IRISH, VETERANS, BLACKS & MEXICANS 5/10/1869 PROMONTORY POINT, UT PANIC 1893 – ONLY RR THAT DIDNT DECLARE BANKRUPTCY WAS TRANS.

CHINESE WORKERS & BISON SKULL PILE

BOOM & BUST IN THE CATTLE INDUSTRY EASTERN DEMAND FOR MEAT, GROWING POPULATION & RR CONTRIBUTE TO BOOM OPEN RANGE, PEAK YEARS , COWBOYS ¼ BLACK & ¼ MEXICAN – SKILLS CAME NORTH J. MCCOY & LONG DRIVE 1869 TEXAS LONGHORN: BUY AT $5/HEAD & SEEL AT $40/HEAD IN KS OTHER INDUSTRIES THRIVE: RR, MEATPACKING, REGRIGERATION MILLION HEAD TRANSPORTED VIA RR BATTLE BETWEEN RANCHERS & FARMERS, BARBED WIRE OVERSUPPLY, OVERGRAZING, OVERCROWDED PRARIE LANDS TEXAS FEVER: UP TO 90% DIE IN SOME AREAS MOTHER NATURE THE BIG DIE UP