Chapter 19 Politics & Progress

Main Idea: Politics & Progress Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads Era During the late 1800s, Texas experienced a lot of growth. Railroads expanded, farming boomed, and industries and populations grew. Main Street Waco, Texas in late 1800s

Democrats Control State Politics In 1874 Democrats returned to power in Texas and a new state constitution was written in 1876 – This is the state’s current constitution! (more than 400 amendments have since been added).

Democrats Control State Politics The new Constitution created a government with limited powers. Provisions included: 1) it limited the power of the governor 2) made the legislature meet every 2 years and set term limits on the legislature 3) lowered state employees’ salaries 4) guaranteed low taxes 5) reduced money to be spent on education

Democrats Control State Politics Sometimes African Americans were threatened, denied jobs, or harmed if they tried to take part in politics or vote.

Women Fight for Their Rights Although women in Texas made up about half of the population by 1900, they did not have the same legal rights as men. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union was the first Texas group to endorse suffrage.

Women Fight for Their Rights The women of Texas would not get the right to vote (nationally) until after World War I.

Texans Demand Railroads Before 1900 most people traveled by wagons and buggies. Poor transportation slowed Texas’ development. Farmers and Merchants could only market goods in nearby areas – not many opportunities to make profits.

Texans Demand Railroads Before the Civil War, only 400 miles of railroad in Texas. 1872 – First Rail connections with other states made. Towns paid railroads to build tracks in their cities.

Texans Demand Railroads By 1900 10,000 miles of track in Texas. Travel times across the state went from days or weeks to hours. New towns built near railroads. Existing towns near railroads grew up. Towns located away or outside of railroads dried up. Towns where rail lines met became center of business – Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio – grew into major cities.

Texans Demand Railroads Results of the growth of railroads: Allowed raw material in Texas to be sent to northern markets Texans had fast, inexpensive, and reliable transportation Caused the industrialization of Texas

T&P 610 – owned by TX State Railroad

Monopolies Use Unfair Tactics In the late 1800s, large companies that operated in Texas joined together and formed trusts. These trusts: Prevented other companies from selling the same product or service; Reduced or eliminated competition Could hold a monopoly on a business, which allowed them to pay very low prices for materials they bought and charge very high prices for the goods they sold Overall, companies formed trusts to ensure their business partners would have control over an industry.

Cycle of Debt Farmers worried about shrinking profits received from their crops. Farmers found themselves in a cycle of debt they could not get out of.

Cycle of Debt 1. Cotton prices fell during 1875 and remained low through 1900. 2. To offset the drop in prices, farmers borrowed extra money to buy more land, equipment, seed, and other supplies to produce more crops = overproduction. 3. This overproduction dropped the price of cotton even more. 4. With lower crop prices and increased debts from land/equipment/seed purchases, many farmers could not get out of the cycle of debt. They must produce more and more crops to try to pay debts and make profits.

Cycle of Debt Cotton prices drop Overproduction Overproduction

New Laws Prohibits Trusts 1889 - TX legislature passed antitrust laws stopping companies from joining together to fix prices or limit production. Main reason for antitrust laws - unfair business practices by railroads.

Governor Hogg Regulates the Railroads At the request of Governor James S. Hogg in 1891, the legislature created the Texas Railroad Commission, a state agency to regulate railroads operating in Texas. Soon, many railroads ceased unfair practices, such as fixing prices and charging more for short hauls than for long hauls.

Governor Hogg Regulates the Railroads Since then, the Railroad Commission has been expanded to regulate other industries, particularly the oil industry. Governor Hogg is remembered as one of Texas’s most important governors, in part, because of his establishment of the Texas Railroad Commission.

Advancements in Agricultural Industries Barbed Wire – fencing that prevented cattle and other animals from destroying crops Windmills – allowed cattle, sheep, goats, and crops to be watered on a farmer’s land, they did not have to be near a river or water source Irrigation – is an artificial application of water to the soil; usually used to assist the growing of crops in dry areas and during period of inadequate rainfall