Settling on the Great Plains
To The Victors go the
spoils
South blocked
transcontinental
railroads and settlement
of the Plains
Native American obstacle
removed
Settling on the Great Plains
Railroads open the West
Pacific Railways Act 1862
US Government makes huge
land grants to Railroad
companies
170,000,000 acres
$500,000,000 value
Settling on the Great Plains
Transcontinental Railroad
completed in 1869
1884 15 transcontinental
railroads complete
Railroads sold land to
farms and others,
recruited in Europe
Settling on the Great Plains
Homestead Act of 1862
160 free acres to citizens
who were heads of
households
1862-1900 600,000 families
take up offer
Some African Americans
Settling on the Great Plains
Journal Prompt #2
Which land was more valuable,
land sold by the railroads or
land people claimed through the
Homestead Act?
Settling on the Great Plains
Not all land of equal value
Land close to rail stops
highly desirable
Speculators, ranchers,
miners get there first,
take best lands and
manipulate price
10% goes to intended
Settling on the Great Plains
Homestead Act strengthened
More land giveaways established
Railroad companies forced to give
back huge holdings
Oklahoma
As a result of the Dawes Act,
former Indian territory made
available for settlement
Sooners and others claim 2 million
acres in a day
Settling on the Great Plains
Settlers meet Challenges
Faced hardships but
numbers grew
1% of US Population west
of the Mississippi in
1850
30% in 1900
Settling on the Great Plains
Homes – built grass homes
or dugouts
Women worked alongside
men and other chores
Droughts, fires, floods,
blizzards, locusts, raids,
tornadoes
Settling on the Great Plains
Establishing a farm huge
task
Farming a overwhelming
task
Mass market plows, reapers
and other devices help
make it easier by late
1800’s
Production increases
Settling on the Great Plains
Morrill Act of 1862 and
1890
Land given to states to build
agricultural schools
Hatch Act of 1887 created
experimental stations and
educational opportunities
Settling on the Great Plains
Farmer Debt
Equipment expensive and
required borrowing
Crop prices varied from year to
year
Farmers sought more land and
went deeper into debt
Railroads charge unfair prices
for shipping
Farmers begin to organize