1. CHANGES ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER Chapter 5

2. CULTURES CLASH ON THE PRAIRIE

3. THE GREAT PLAINS The grasslands in the west-central portion of the U.S. Life centered on the horse and buffalo Great Plains Native Americans lived in small extended family groups. Men hunted for food. Women helped butcher the game and prepare buffalo hides.

4. WHITE SETTLERS After the Civil War, many white settlers moved to the Great Plains. Some were looking for gold; others wanted to own land.

5. Settlers & Native Americans Clash over Land & Resources

6. Sitting Bull & George A. Custer

7. Assimilation- U.S. government’s plan in which Native Americans would give up their beliefs & culture & become part of white culture.

8. DAWES ACT OF 1887 Act broke up reservations & gave land to each Native American family for farming. –1–160 acres to the head of each household or 80 acres to each unmarried adult. Results in over hunting of the Buffalo –I–In 1800, 65 million buffalo roamed the plains. By 1900, fewer than 1,000 buffalo remained.

9. The Influence of the Cattle Market

10. Cattle Ranching was BIG Business! Ranchers raised Longhorns, a sturdy breed 1 st brought to Americas by Spanish American cowboys learned from Vaqueros….Vaqueros were Mexicans who worked on Spanish ranches in Mexico.

11. Cattle Drives Growing cities spurred demand for beef Cattle ranchers drove cattle over the Trails From there, cattle was shipped by rail to Chicago.

12. Map of Main Trails & Cattleman

13. What shut the Cattle Drives down? Bad weather in the 1880’s Invention of barbed wire Windmills Cattleyards

14. Settling on the Great Plains

15. 3 Main groups went West: 1.Settlers: who bought land from railroad companies at low prices & willing to farm it. 2.Homesteaders: Homestead Act of 1862 where government offered 160 acres of free land to anyone who would farm it for 5 yrs. 3.Exodusters: African Americans who moved from the post-Reconstruction South to Kansas.

16. Homesteaders

17. Exodusters

18. Government helps to improve farming techniques: Morrill Act of 1862 & 1890… helped establish agricultural colleges. Established an experimental station on Great Plains to develop new types of crops and new growing techniques. Justin Morrill pictured right.

19. FARMERS & THE POPULIST MOVEMENT

20. FARMERS ON THE BRINK OF RUIN! Government refused to increase $ supply to Civil War levels Farmers paid high prices to transport grain. They wanted REFORM!!

21. Oliver Hudson Kelley Farmer who started the GRANGE organization in 1867.

22. The GRANGE Organization: Purpose was to provide a place for farm families to discuss social & educational issues. By 1870’s, Grange members spent most of their time & energy fighting the railroads.

23. The Rise & Fall of Populism Populist Party or People’s Party created in 1892 by Farmer’s Alliance leaders who realized they needed political power to make far-reaching changes.

24. Beginnings of POPULISM: The Populist Party was the beginning of Populism…. This was a movement to gain more political & economic power for common people. Party appealed to farmers and laborers.

25. Panic continues into Presidential election of 1896! Important issue: Whether the country’s paper money should be backed w/both gold & silver.

26. Republicans & Democrats : REPUBLICANS Were “gold bugs”. Nominated : William McKinley for president. DEMOCRATS Democrats & Populists favored “bimetallism”. Nominated : William Jennings Bryan for President.

27. William Jennings Bryan Three time presidential candidate Very influential in the Populist Party Believed in the support and protection of the common people Famous speaker of his day

28. MCKINLEY WINS!!!!! Brings an end to Populism

29. Although McKinley won, the movement left 2 powerful legacies: Message that the common man could organize and make a difference Paved the way for reforms enacted in the 20 th century.