USH Unit 5
CHAPTERS 8 -11
5.1 Western Expansion
 After Civil War, territorial expansion increased
 White settlers claimed land occupied by Native Americans
 Availability of land, precious metals drew many west (pull factors)
 Hopes of finding wealth, happiness, prosperity (pull factors)
QFT Activity
5.1 Railroads
 RR had great economic impact; crucial to western expansion
Negative impact on Native Americans
 RR allowed farmers/ranchers to ship products to eastern cities
 1862: Congress set out to build transcontinental RR
 Union Pacific RR [1,085 miles]
 Council Bluffs, IO to Promontory Point, UT
 Irish immigrants, Civil War veterans, African Americans
 Central Pacific RR [690 miles]
 Sacramento, CA to Promontory Point, UT
 Chinese immigrants
 Western Pacific RR [132 miles]
 Oakland, CA to Sacramento, CA
 1869: project completed; driving of the “golden spike”
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5.1 Reasons for Moving West
 Religion
Share with Native Americans
 Mormons
 To escape religious persecution; settled in Utah
 Voted as a bloc, drilled a militia, practiced polygamy
 Gold
 1849: Gold Rush in California
 Major source of conflict between white settlers and Native Americans
 Land
 1862: Homestead Act
 160 acres of public land for small filing fee ($10)
 Complete 5 years of continuous residence to receive ownership
 1889: Oklahoma Land Rush (Oklahoma “Sooners”)
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5.1 Farming, Ranching, Mining
 Farming
Had to adapt to terrain; lacked wood; used sod for homes
 John Deere’s steel plow cut thru tough prairie sod
 Windmills helped pump water to surface
 No wood for fences; shifted to barbed wire (Joseph Glidden)
 RR brought supplies to farmers; shipped supplies to eastern markets
 Ranching
 Borrowed techniques from Mexicans
 Led to slaughter of buffalo herds; competition over food sources
 Cattle drives; cowtowns; railheads; cowboys
 Mining
 Mining camps/towns had reputation of being wild, full of vice
 Placer mining (prospector) v. quartz (corporate) mining
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5.1 Women, Immigrants, African Americans
Out West
 Women of the west experienced greater freedom, flexibility
 Had opportunity to take on roles traditionally only open to men
 West also saw wave of foreign immigration
 Chinese in West; Irish in East (role on RR construction)
 African Americans made their way west following Civil War
 Known as the Black Exodus
 Large number of cowboys were African Americans
 Some served as soldiers in U.S. Army (the Buffalo Soldiers)
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Name given to them by Native Americans
All black regiments known for their bravery (just like the Civil War)
5.1 Impact on Native Americans
 Plains Indians depended on buffalo for their livelihood (food, fuel, etc.)
 Settlers killed buffalo for their hides, make way for cattle
 RR construction contributed to destruction of buffalo
 1889: only about 1,000 buffalo left on continent
 Native American tribes often forced to relocate to reservations
5.1 Important Battles
(U.S. Troops v. Natives Americans)
 Sand Creek Massacre
1861: Cheyenne forced to give up land promised by government
 Cheyenne launch raids on mining camps, local settlements
 U.S. troops surprised Cheyenne at Sand Creek, IL
 Killed 270 (mostly women and children)
 Battle of Little Bighorn
 1876: Chief Red Cloud and Crazy Horse led Sioux Indians to resist
 U.S. General George A. Custer attempted surprise attack
 Greatly underestimated size of enemy forces
 Recklessly rushed into battle
 Custer surrounded; Custer died along with over 200 of his men
 “Custer’s Last Stand”
 1877: Cheyenne and Sioux both forcibly moved to reservations
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5.1 Important Battles
(U.S. Troops v. Natives Americans)
 Wounded Knee
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1890: Sioux holy man, Wovoka, developed ritual called Ghost Dance
 Reunite the living with spirits of the dead
 Bring the spirits of the dead to fight on their behalf
 Make white colonists leave
 Bring peace, prosperity, unity to Indian peoples
 Bring back the buffalo herds
Sitting Bull using Ghost Dance to start uprisings
Government sent U.S. Army to stop Ghost Dance
When soldiers tried to arrest Sitting Bull, gunfight resulted
More than 150 Native Americans died (mostly unarmed)
5.1 Important Battles
(U.S. Troops v. Natives Americans)
 Dawes Act
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1887: Congress abolished tribal organizations; divided reservations
Purpose was to allot land to individual Native American families
After 25 years, ownership goes to Native Americans; become citizens
 Turned out to be huge failure
 Did not want to give up tribal identity
 Did not want to be assimilated into white culture
 Had no interest in farming (land not suitable for growing crops)
• Native American population decreased due to poverty, disease
Review:
 Railroads had which of the following impacts on Native Americans?
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A. they helped Native Americans thrive because they opened new
markets
B. they made Native Americans wealthy because railroad companies
paid them for their land
C. they hurt Native Americans by altering their way of life and
disrupting their culture
D. they had little effect on Native Americans because Native
Americans did not ride trains
5.2 Rise of Big Business
 Inventions and Natural Resources
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Samuel Morse & Morse Code (communication)
Alexander Graham Bell & telephone (communication)
Thomas Edison & light bulb (industry)
 Workers could now work beyond sunset
George Westinghouse & alternating current electricity (power)
 Allowed businesses to be built wherever desired
 Not limited to waterfalls, coal fields
Typewriter, vacuum cleaner, refrigeration cars for trains, elevators
Threshers, mowers, planters
5.2 Mass Production
 Mass Production
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Process of producing goods in large numbers
By selling more, producers can charge less, still make profit
By start of WWI, Henry Ford improved automobile with the Model T
Assembly line allowed him to produce cars cheaper, then sell cheaper
Nation transforming into a commuter society
Increased availability of natural resources
 Appalachia provided coal and iron ore
 Pennsylvania, the Southwest provided oil
 The South provided lumber
5.2 Giants of Early U.S. Industrialization
 Railroad Industry
Some rich RR men were crooked, became known as “robber barons”
 “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt (first made money in shipping)
 1869: Connected NYC with Chicago w/o multiple transfers
 Oil Industry
 John D. Rockefeller; Standard Oil
 Nation’s first “trust”
 Combination of firms/corporations; reduces competition
 Created “monopoly”
 Total control of a type of industry by one person/company
 Utilized “horizontal integration”
 Combining of competing firms into one corporation
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5.2 Giants of Early U.S. Industrialization
 Steel Industry
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1850s: Henry Bessemer; Bessemer Process (way of making steel)
Could make steel much cheaper than ever before
Increased production meant faster expansion of RR, buildings
Andrew Carnegie came to control this industry; created monopoly
Utilized “vertical integration”
 Combining companies that supply equipment/services needed for
particular industry
Carnegie a great philanthropist (gives $ to charitable causes)
 Especially libraries, Carnegie Hall, etc.
The Gospel of Wealth
 “It’s the responsibility of the wealthy to make sure their money was
put to good use serving others rather than on selfish pursuits.”
5.2 Giants of Early U.S. Industrialization
 Banking
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J.P. Morgan; most powerful, influential of early finance capitalists
Controlled banks, insurance companies, stock market operations
1913: assets totaled over $20 billion dollars
So rich, he bought out Andrew Carnegie; formed U.S. Steel
 Paid nearly $500 million; made Carnegie richest man in the world
 Interlocking Directorates
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Allowed directors of one company to serve as directors for other
companies also
Goal: control entire industries, increase economic gains, limit
competition
5.2 Social Darwinism & the Gilded Age
 Social Darwinism
Mid 1800s: introduced by Herbert Spencer
 Based on theories of Charles Darwin
 Life was a battle for “survival of the fittest”
 Basis for belief in “laissez-faire” capitalism
• Gvt. should not interfere with market; regulate business
 Gilded Age (1877-early 1900s)
 Mark Twain
 Time in which it appears that a thin layer of prosperity was
covering the poverty and corruption that existed in much of society
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5.2 Cultural, Economic, Political Impact
 Capitalism
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Means of production are privately owned
Producers provide goods/services in response to market demand
Different producers are free to produce same goods/services
Creates “market competition” which leads to lower prices
Desire to sell goods for less encourages innovation, mass production
Increased production means more affordability/availability
Standard of living increases
U.S. business thrived not only at home, but in international markets
Invest in other countries, lead to call for territorial expansion
 Time of “imperialism” and conflict coming soon
Review:
 George Westinghouse & Thomas Edison are connected in which of the
following ways?
 A. their inventions made it easier for businesses to communicate on a
broader scale
 B. they both made important strides in inventing ways to harness the
power of electricity
 C. Edison invented the first telephone, Westinghouse later improved
on his invention
 D. Edison discovered electricity, Westinghouse figured out a way for
factories to use it
5.3 Farmers & Populism
 1870s-1880s: farming a very costly industry
 Borrowed from banks to purchase latest machinery
 Initial benefit, but led to overproduction, which led to drop in prices
 Farmers blamed politicians, big business; wanted government help
 1887: Interstate Commerce Act (Interstate Commerce Commission)
Regulated railroad rates in name of public interest
 Farmers wanted subsidies
 Benefit given by government; usually cash payment/tax reduction
 Given to remove some type of burden
 Often considered to be in the overall interest of the public
 Famers wanted more $ pumped into economy
 Supported circulation of greenbacks (paper money)
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5.3 The Grange
 Farmers began banding together to protect their interests
 Collectively stand up to railroads/other industries
 Pooled resources to purchase new machinery, supplies
 Pooled resources to sell produce without paying other distributors
5.3 Populism (the People’s Party)
 Concerns of farmers gave rise to the Populist Movement
 Supported circulation of greenbacks
 Supported government regulation of business
 1892: met in Omaha to adopt political platform
 Populism appealed to the common man
 Praised agriculture as backbone of the country
 Favored farmers of the South and West
 Sought to break down racial divisions between farmers
5.3 Election of 1896
 Country going through terrible economic depression
 President Cleveland blamed silver standard for problems
Moved U.S. from silver standard to gold standard
 Many citizens wanted economy backed by BOTH: gold and silver
 Known as “bimetallism”
 Believed $ would be more plentiful; give consumers more to spend
 Would increase money supply; raise prices on farm products
 Populists supported “bimetallism” along with greenbacks
 Democrats nominated William Jennings Bryan
 Backed “bimetallism,” won support of Populists
 “Cross of Gold” speech
 “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold”
 Republicans: William McKinley (backed by big business; won election)
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Review:
 Which of the following was a problem faced by farmers in the late
1800s?
 A. falling railroad prices interfered with their ability to ship products
 B. high farm prices caused financial problems because few people
could afford their products
 C. overproduction of agricultural products led to falling farm prices
and made it hard to make a profit
 D. because there was too much money in circulation, it was
impossible for farmers to get the price they needed for their goods
Review:
 Which of the following statements best describes reasons for joining the
grange?
 A. it provided a means by which farmers could protect their interests
collectively
 B. it was a political movement that farmers and low income workers
felt represented their needs
 C. it gave a voice to railroad industrialists who felt unfairly criticized
by angry farmers
 D. it provided a place where farmers could fight to protect laissezfaire economics
5.4 Migration to the Cities
 As industrialization continued, many people left farms for the cities
 African Americans farmed, moved west, or moved to cities in the South
No mass exodus to the North until World War I
 Second half of 19th century drastic increase in immigration
 In the East, most came from Europe (Ellis Island)
 In the West, most came from Asia (Angel Island)
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5.4 Nativism & Restrictions on Immigration
 Nativism: opposing immigration (formed anti-immigrant groups)
 Government reacted by attempting restrictions on immigration
 1882: Chinese Exclusion Act
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Prohibited Chinese from legally coming to U.S. (until 1943)
5.4 Living & Working Conditions
 For poor, unskilled people, urban life was hard
 Whole families tended to work because of low wages
 Usually 12 hours a day, 6 days a week
 Women tended to run simple machines; almost no advancement
 Child labor was common practice (some as young as 5 years old)
 Missed out not only on childhood but on education as well
 Very limited opportunities for African Americans in industry
5.4 Living & Working Conditions
 Relied on work of specialized laborers; repetitive tasks
 Work monotonous; little sense of pride
 Work hours long, wages low, conditions dangerous
 Sweatshops (makeshift factories, private contractors, small apartments)
 Relied heavily on immigrant (cheap) labor
 Urban slums (poor, inner city neighborhoods)
 Tenements (overcrowded apartments)
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Open sewers, rats, disease-spreading pests
Dark, polluted with soot from steam engines and boilers
Poorly ventilated, full of fire hazards
5.4 New Urban Lifestyle & Entertainment
 Transportation evolved: electric trolleys, subways
 Allowed people to live outside inner city
 Increased divisions in economic classes developed
 Middle and upper classes moved further out
 Left inner city to poorer classes, immigrants
 People on farms worked until work was done
 People in factories worked by the clock; looked for amusement
 Saloons, dance halls, cabarets; amusement parks; vaudeville shows
 Moving picture industry was born (thanks, Thomas Edison)
 Spectator sports (boxing, horse racing, baseball)
 Creation of city parks (Central Park in NYC)
5.4 Political Machines
 Fast growth of urban population led to need for improvement in cities
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Improvement in “infrastructure”
 More public money, greater role for government
 Made battle for government positions more intense
Political machine
 Unofficial entity meant to keep certain party/group in power
 “Graft” (use of one’s political position to gain wealth) very common
 Poor workers, immigrants important source of power for machines
 Machines helped them out but wanted their vote in return
 Most notorious was William M. “Boss” Tweed
 Ran the Democratic political machine : Tammany Hall in NYC
 Stole over $100 million dollars from NYC
 Brought down by Thomas Nast and his political cartoons
I don't care a straw for
your newspaper
articles, my
constituents don't
know how to read, but
they can't help seeing
them damned pictures.
Boss Tweed
Review:
 Between the late 1860s and early 1900s, which of the following best
describes the changes that occurred in urban population?
 A. the number of African Americans living in the inner city of
northern urban areas more than doubled
 B. many farmers migrated to the cities, while foreign immigrants did
not start to come until just after 1900
 C. urban areas of the North became culturally diverse as more
immigrants arrived
 D. the U.S. middle class declined as people tended to be either rich
businessmen or poor laborers
Review:
 Which of the following statements would be most supported by a
nativist?
 A. “since the U.S. is suppose to be the land of the free and the
country of opportunity, then let all those who desire freedom and a
better life come to the U.S.”
 B. “immigration is bad for the country; immigrants take jobs that
otherwise would go to those born here”
 C. “cultural diversity is a good thing; it is our differences and the way
foreigners hold on to their traditional ways that make our nation
great”
 D. “God bless the Irish, the Germans, and the Italian immigrant; give
them a home here, I say, but blast the Chinese; keep them out by all
means”
5.5 Rise of Labor Unions
 Labor unions rose out of challenging conditions faced by urban workers
 Organizations of workers formed to protect interests of its members
 1869: Knights of Labor
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Hoped to organize all working men and women in one union
Skilled, unskilled, and African Americans
Pushed for equal pay for equal work; 8 hour day; end to child labor
Series of failed strikes led to group’s decline by 1890s
5.5 Rise of Labor Unions
 1886: American Federation of Labor (AFL) [Samuel Gompers]
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Issues of wages, working hours, and working conditions
Used strikes and boycotts to get attention
Believed in “collective bargaining”
 Employees negotiate as united group rather than as individuals
AFL pressed for “closed shops”
 Workplaces in which employers could only hire union members
 1893: American Railway Union [Eugene V. Debs]
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Led Pullman Strike in 1894
Ran for president several times as leader of American Socialist Party
5.5 Employers Response to Unions
 Employers hated unions
 Forced employees to sign contracts that forbade union membership
 Placed union workers on “blacklists” (refuse to hire)
 Institute “lockouts” where employees were not allowed to return to work
 When strikes occurred, often hired “scabs” (replacement workers)
 Business leaders came to realize they had support of government
 Government would/could help break strikes (by force if needed)
 Would ask for “injunctions”
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Court orders to not strike; would break law or threaten public interest
5.5 Strikes & Confrontations
 1877: the “Great Strike” (railroad workers due to pay cuts)
Workers responded with violence; Midwest & Eastern U.S.
 Worried about disruption of rail service, President Hayes sent federal
troops to put down strike
 Showed employers could appeal to government for help with strikes
 1886: the “Haymarket Square Riot” in Chicago
 Workers rally for 8 hour workday
 Group of radicals exploded bomb, killed several police officers
 Riot broke out with gunfire; killed both police & striking workers
 Turned public opinion against unions
 Nation began to associate unions/strikes with anarchy/violence
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5.5 Strikes & Confrontations
 1892: Homestead Strike (Pennsylvania) Carnegie Steel Plant
Business partner, Henry Frick, pushing workers to the breaking point
 Frick hired private police force: the Pinkertons, to put down strike
 Shootout left several people dead; Pinkertons surrender, left
 Public again perceived striking workers as instigators of violence
 1894: Pullman Strike (railroad workers being laid off)
 Pullman responded by firing three labor representatives
 Union goes on strike; Pullman closed the plant
 Led by Eugene V. Debs; union called for boycott of Pullman cars
 Government responded with court injunction against union
 President Cleveland sent federal troops to see law was enforced
 Set precedent for factory owners appealing to courts to end strikes
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Review:
 Which of the following contributed to the rise of unions?
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A. increased number of workers in urban areas
B. child unemployment
C. unsafe farming techniques
D. government policies giving more power to workers
Review:
 How did the public often perceive unions as the results of events like
the Haymarket Riot and the Homestead Strike?
 A. as champions of the common man
 B. as victims of harsh treatment by employers
 C. as promoting violence and anarchy
 D. as being treated unfairly by the government