Westward Expansion after the
Civil War (1865-1890)
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
C HAPTER
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Westward Expansion after
the Civil War (1865-1890)
C HAPTER O UTLINE
1.1
Standard 8.91 Lesson
1.2
Standard 8.92 Lesson
1.3
Standard 8.93 Lesson
1.4
Standard 8.94 Lesson
1.5
Standard 8.95 Lesson
1.6
Standard 8.96 Lesson
1.7
Standard 8.97 and 8.98 Lesson
1.8
Westward Expansion Interactive Map Link
Students analyze the social, political, and economic transformation of America as a result of westward expansion.
Standards:
8.91 ... Explain patterns of agricultural and industrial development after the Civil War as they relate to climate, use
of natural resources, markets and trade and the location of such development on a map. (E, G)
8.92 ... Trace the evolution of federal policies toward American Indians, including movement to reservations;
assimilation, boarding schools, wars with Indians (Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee), and the impact of the
railroad and settlement patterns of pioneers, Buffalo Soldiers (George Jordan), and the Dawes Act. (C, E, G, H, P,
TN)
8.93 ... Explain the significance of various American Indian leaders, including: (H)
•
•
•
•
Crazy Horse
Geronimo
Sitting Bull
Chief Joseph
8.94 ... Explain the impact of the Homestead Act. (E, H, P)
8.95... Analyze how significant inventors and their inventions, including barbed wire, the six shooter, windmills,
sod housing, and the steel plow changed life in the West. (C, E, H, P)
8.96 ... Trace the expansion and development of the Transcontinental Railroad, including the Golden Spike event
(1869), and the role that Chinese immigrant laborers (Central Pacific track) and Irish immigrant laborers (Union
Pacific track) played in its construction. (C, E, G, P)
8.97 ... Examine the development and life of the iconic American cowboy, including his skills, clothes and daily life
and work. (C, H)
8.98 ... Explain the concepts of the Open Range, Long Drive and cow towns in the development of the American
ranching industry. (E, G, H)
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Primary Documents and Supporting Texts to Read: A Century of Dishonor, Helen Hunt Jackson.
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
1.1 Standard 8.91 Lesson
8.91 Explain patterns of agricultural and industrial development after the Civil War as they relate to climate, use of
natural resources, markets and trade and the location of such development on a map. (E,G)
The Gilded Age
From the ashes of the American Civil War sprung an economic powerhouse.
The factories built by the Union to defeat the Confederacy were not shut down at the war’s end. Now that the
fighting was done, these factories were converted to peacetime purposes. Although industry had existed prior to the
war, agriculture had represented the most significant portion of the American economy.
After the war, beginning with the railroads, small businesses grew larger and larger. By the century’s end, the nation’s
economy was dominated by a few, very powerful individuals. In 1850, most Americans worked for themselves. By
1900, most Americans worked for an employer.
The growth was astounding. From the end of Reconstruction in 1877 to the disastrous Panic Of 1893, the American
economy nearly doubled in size. New technologies and new ways of organizing business led a few individuals to the
top. The competition was ruthless. Those who could not provide the best product at the cheapest price were simply
driven into bankruptcy or were bought up by hungry, successful industrialists.
The so-called captains of industry became household names: John D. Rockefeller of Standard Oil, Andrew Carnegie
of Carnegie Steel, and J. Pierpont Morgan, the powerful banker who controlled a great many industries. Their tactics
were not always fair, but there were few laws regulating business conduct at that time.
Pictured Above: Andrew Carnegie Steel mill
The "Molly Maguires" were a band of 19th century Irish immigrant laborers who struggled to survive in American
industry. They organized labor unions and were not averse to violence, as this "coffin notice," delivered to three
bosses, suggests.
Industrial Strength
Nevertheless, the American economy grew and grew. By 1914, the small nation once seen as a playground for
European empires had now surpassed them all. The United States had become the largest industrial nation in the
world.
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However, the prosperity of America did not reach everyone. Amid the fabulous wealth of the new economic elite
was tremendous poverty. How did some manage to be so successful while others struggled to put food on the table?
Americans wrestled with this great question as new attitudes toward wealth began to emerge.
What role did the government play in this trend? Basically, it was pro-business. Congress, the Presidents, and the
Courts looked favorably on this new growth. But leadership was generally lacking on the political level. Corruption
spread like a plague through the city, state, and national governments. Greedy legislators and "forgettable" Presidents
dominated the political scene. True leadership, for better or for worse, resided among the magnates who dominated
the Gilded Age.
The New Tycoons: John D. Rockefeller
Pictured Above: "What a Funny Little Government!" Cartoonist Horace Taylor pokes fun at John D. Rockefeller in
this cartoon which appeared in The Verdict , a partisan magazine of the day.
He was America’s first billionaire.
In a pure sense, the goal of any capitalist is to make money. JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER could serve as the poster
child for CAPITALISM. Overcoming humble beginnings, Rockefeller had the vision and the drive to become the
richest person in America.
At the turn of the century, when the average worker earned $8 to $10 per week, Rockefeller was worth millions.
Robber Baron or Captain of Industry?
Pictured Above: John D. Rockefeller (1839-1937)
What was his secret? Is he to be placed on a pedestal for others as a "CAPTAIN OF INDUSTRY?" Or should he
be demonized as a "robber baron." A ROBBER BARON, by definition, was an American capitalist at the turn of
the 19th century who enriched himself upon the sweat of others, exploited natural resources, or possessed unfair
government influence.
Whatever conclusions can be drawn, Rockefeller’s impact on the American economy demands recognition.
Rockefeller was born in 1839 in Moravia, a small town in western New York. His father practiced herbal medicine,
professing to cure patients with remedies he had created from plants in the area. John’s mother instilled a devout
Baptist faith in the boy, a belief system he took to his grave. After being graduated from high school in 1855, the
family sent him to a Cleveland business school.
Young John Rockefeller entered the workforce on the bottom rung of the ladder as a clerk in a Cleveland shipping
firm. Always thrifty, he saved enough money to start his own business in produce sales. When the Civil War came,
the demand for his goods increased dramatically, and Rockefeller found himself amassing a small fortune.
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
He took advantage of the loophole in the Union draft law by purchasing a substitute to avoid military service. When
EDWIN DRAKE discovered oil in 1859 in Titusville, Pennsylvania, Rockefeller saw the future. He slowly sold off
his other interests and became convinced that refining oil would bring him great wealth.
Waste Not...
Rockefeller introduced techniques that totally reshaped the OIL INDUSTRY. In the mid-19th century, the chief
demand was for kerosene. In the refining process, there are many by-products when CRUDE OIL is converted to
KEROSENE. What others saw as waste, Rockefeller saw as gold. He sold one byproduct paraffin to candlemakers
and another byproduct petroleum jelly to medical supply companies. He even sold off other "waste" as paving
materials for roads. He shipped so many goods that railroad companies drooled over the prospect of getting his
business.
Rockefeller demanded REBATES, or discounted rates, from the railroads. He used all these methods to reduce the
price of oil to his consumers. His profits soared and his competitors were crushed one by one. Rockefeller forced
smaller companies to surrender their stock to his control.
Standard Oil —a Trustworthy Company?
Pictured Above: John D. Rockefeller had to perform a delicate balancing act to maintain his reputation as a
philanthropist while living the life of a wealthy businessman.
This sort of arrangement is called a trust. A trust is a combination of firms formed by legal agreement. Trusts often
reduce fair business competition. As a result of Rockefeller’s shrewd business practices, his large corporation, the
STANDARD OIL COMPANY, became the largest business in the land.
As the new century dawned, Rockefeller’s investments mushroomed. With the advent of the automobile, gasoline
replaced kerosene as the number one petroleum product. Rockefeller was a bona fide billionaire. Critics charged
that his labor practices were unfair. Employees pointed out that he could have paid his workers a fairer wage and
settled for being a half-billionaire.
Before his death in 1937, Rockefeller gave away nearly half of his fortune. Churches, medical foundations, universities, and centers for the arts received hefty sums of oil money. Whether he was driven by good will, conscience, or
his devout faith in God is unknown. Regardless, he became a hero to many enterprising Americans.
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The New Tycoons: Andrew Carnegie
Pictured Above: By the time he died in 1919, Carnegie had given away $350,695,653. At his death, the last
$30,000,000 was likewise given away to foundations, charities and to pensioners.
Oil was not the only commodity in great demand during the Gilded Age. The nation also needed steel.
The railroads needed STEEL for their rails and cars, the navy needed steel for its new naval fleet, and cities needed
steel to build skyscrapers. Every factory in America needed steel for their physical plant and machinery. Andrew
Carnegie saw this demand and seized the moment.
Humble Roots
Like John Rockefeller, ANDREW CARNEGIE was not born into wealth. When he was 13, his family came to the
United States from Scotland and settled in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, a small town near Pittsburgh. His first job was
in a cotton mill, where he earned $1.20 per week.
His talents were soon recognized and Carnegie found himself promoted to the bookkeeping side of the business.
An avid reader, Carnegie spent his Saturdays in the homes of wealthy citizens who were gracious enough to allow
him access to their private libraries. After becoming a telegrapher for a short while, he met the head of a railroad
company who asked his services as a personal secretary.
Millionaire Andrew Carnegie spoke against irresponsibility of the wealthy and sharply criticized ostentatious living.
During the Civil War, this man,Thomas Scott, was sent to Washington to operate transportation for the Union Army.
Carnegie spent his war days helping the soldiers get where they needed to be and by helping the wounded get to
hospitals. By this time, he had amassed a small sum of money, which he quickly invested. Soon iron and steel caught
his attention, and he was on his way to creating the largest steel company in the world.
Vertical Integration: Moving on Up
The Bessemer Process
When WILLIAM KELLY and HENRY BESSEMER perfected a process to convert iron to steel cheaply and
efficiently, the industry was soon to blossom.
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
Carnegie became a tycoon because of shrewd business tactics. Rockefeller often bought other oil companies
to eliminate competition. This is a process known as HORIZONTAL INTEGRATION. Carnegie also created a
VERTICAL COMBINATION, an idea first implemented by Gustavus Swift. He bought railroad companies and iron
mines. If he owned the rails and the mines, he could reduce his costs and produce cheaper steel.
Carnegie was a good judge of talent. His assistant, Henry Clay Frick, helped manage the CARNEGIE STEEL
COMPANY on its way to success. Carnegie also wanted productive workers. He wanted them to feel that they had
a vested interest in company prosperity so he initiated a profit-sharing plan.
All these tactics made the Carnegie Steel Company a multi-million dollar corporation. In 1901, he sold his interests
to J.P. Morgan, who paid him 500 million dollars to create U.S. Steel.
Giving Back
Retirement did not take him out of the public sphere. Before his death he donated more than $350 million dollars to
public foundations. Remembering the difficulty of finding suitable books as a youth, he helped build three thousand
libraries. He built schools such as Carnegie-Mellon University and gave his money for artistic pursuits such as
Carnegie Hall in New York.
Andrew Carnegie was also dedicated to peace initiatives throughout the world because of his passionate hatred for
war. Like Rockefeller, critics labeled him a robber baron who could have used his vast fortunes to increase the
wages of his employees. Carnegie believed that such spending was wasteful and temporary, but foundations would
last forever. Regardless, he helped build an empire that led the United States to world power status.
The New Tycoons: J. Pierpont Morgan
Pictured Above: J.P. Morgan invested in everything from Thomas Edison’s electric company to railroads and steel
companies to insurance firms.
Child of Privilege
Not all of the tycoons of the Gilded Age were rags-to-riches stories. J. PIERPONT MORGAN was born into a
family of great wealth. His father had already made a name for himself in the banking industry. With Morgan’s
family resources, he enjoyed the finest business education money could buy.
He did not scratch and claw his way to the top of any corporate ladder. His father arranged for an executive track
position at one of New York’s finest banks. Regardless of his family’s advantages, Morgan had a great mind of his
own. He set out to conquer the financial world, and conquer it he did.
Morgan the Banker
Morgan’s first business ventures were in banking. By 1860, he had already established his own foreign exchange
office. He knew the power of investment. Not content to control just the banking industry, he bought many smaller
ventures to make money.
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During the Civil War, he paid the legally allowed fee to purchase a substitute soldier and evaded military service.
Morgan made handsome profits by providing war materials. One of his enterprises sold defective rifles to the Union
army. Upon later investigations, he was declared ignorant of the poor quality of his guns and was cleared of all
charges.
After the war, he set out to corner the nation’s financial markets. When the Panic of 1873 rocked the nation’s
economy, Morgan protected himself wisely and emerged in the aftermath as the king of American finance.
Pictured Above: J.P. Morgan was one of the organizers of the World Fair held in Chicago in 1893.
Despite his label as a robber baron, Morgan felt his investments benefited America. His railroad dealings helped
consolidate many smaller, mismanaged firms, resulting in shorter trips and more dependable service. Two times
during financial panics he allowed the federal government to purchase his vast gold supplies to stop the spiral of
deflation.
He owned a bridge company and a tubing company. His most renowned purchase was in 1901, when he bought the
Carnegie Steel Company for $500 million to create U.S. Steel. Within ten years U.S. Steel was worth over a billion
dollars.
Morgan’s actions marked a shift in thinking among American industrialists. He proved that it was not necessary
to be a builder to be successful. Smart investment and efficient consolidation could yield massive profits. Young
ENTREPRENEURS shifted their goals to banking in the hopes of mirroring Morgan’s success.
Trouble with the Government
For all his accomplishments, he was harshly criticized. The first decade of the twentieth century brought challenges
to Morgan from the government. His NORTHERN SECURITIES RAILROAD company was deemed illegal under
federal ANTITRUST LAW, the first such action by the national government. He was investigated by Congress for
his control of the financial markets. Even U.S. Steel was forced to relinquish its MONOPOLY.
Pictured Above: Things you don’t see everyday: A cancelled check for three million dollars from J.P. Morgan to the
Northern Pacific Syndicate.
Jaded by the criticism, Morgan moved to Europe, where he lived his final days. He was a favorite target of
intellectuals who claimed that such tycoons robbed the poor of their deserved wealth. He was a hero to enterprising
financiers across the land who dreamed of following his example. That is, of course, unless they were destroyed by
his shrewd, fierce tactics.
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
Optional Activities
• Furnish a blank map and have students research where American industrial centers were located. Have them
label where iron mines, coal mines, oil wells and the steel industry were located during the post Civil War
period (1865-1915)
• There is a video on the men mentioned in the reading entitled The Men Who Made American published by
the History Channel, that is a good resources explaining the Gilded Age.
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1.2 Standard 8.92 Lesson
8.92 Trace the evolution of federal policies toward American Indians, including movement to reservations; assimilation, boarding schools, wars with Indians (Little Big Horn and Wounded Knee), and the impact of the railroad and
settlement patterns of pioneers, Buffalo Soldiers (George Jordan), and the Dawes Act. (C,E,G,H,P,TN)
Federal policies toward American Indians
Beginning in colonial times, the American Indian had been forced off their lands. Indian leaders such as Pontiac and
Tecumseh tried to unite the Indians, and keep the white settlers at bay, but were unsuccessful. Many Indian groups
tried to get along with the white settlers and live side by side, but settlers wanted the land to themselves.
By 1840 the government had made over 200 treaties with the Indians. The power of the president to make treaties
was the the procedure used in relations with the Indians. As settlers moved westward to begin cattle ranching and
mining, many of these treaties were broken. Indian leaders such as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Geronimo tried to
fight against the government, but they were eventually forced onto Indian reservations.
WARS WITH INDIANS
Little Big Horn
The Battle of Little Bighorn, also called Custer’s Last Stand, happened in 1876 near the Little Bighorn River
in Montana. Chief Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull led Native American forces against Lieutenant Colonel George
Armstrong Custer. Ten-thousand Native American Sioux and Cheyenne tribesmen joined Crazy Horse and Sitting
Bull in mid June. The U.S. government had confined the Native Americans to their reservations. The Indians had
signed treaties with the US government, but once gold was discovered in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the US
government ignored the treaties and moved in to the region.
Pictured Above: An artist’s interpretation of the Battle of Little Big Horn
Custer was perhaps the most flamboyant and brash officer in the United States Army. He was confident that his
technologically superior troops could contain the Native American fighters. Armed with new weapons of destruction
such as the rapid-firing GATLING GUN, Custer and his soldiers felt that it was only a matter of time before the
Indians would surrender and submit to life on a smaller reservation. Custer hoped to make that happen sooner rather
than later.
His orders were to locate the Sioux encampment in the BIG HORN MOUNTAINS of Montana and trap them until
reinforcements arrived. But the prideful Custer sought to engage the Sioux on his own.
On June 25, 1876, he discovered a small Indian village on the banks of the LITTLE BIG HORN River. Custer confidently ordered his troops to attack, not realizing that he was confronting the main Sioux and Cheyenne encampment.
About three thousand Sioux warriors led by Crazy Horse descended upon Custer’s regiment, and within hours the
entire SEVENTH CAVALRY and General Custer were massacred.
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
This would be one of the greatest victories for Native Americans. Once again the US government worked to calm
the Native Americans and eventually confined the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians to a reservation.
Wounded Knee
The Battle of Wounded Knee was the last major confrontation between the US Army and the Plains Indians.
The Ghost Dance was a spiritual movement that became popular among indian tribes. The Sioux Indians had been
confined to a reservation and were discouraged about their living conditions. The Ghost Dance taught that the
indians had angered the gods and this is why they were confined to the reservation. They felt they had abandoned
their traditional ways which angered the gods.
An indian agent was alarmed by the influence of the Ghost Dance and its prediction that many whites would be
killed. The agent sent a message to Washington D.C. saying that the indians were “acting crazy”. Sitting Bull,
presumed to be a Ghost Dance supporter, was killed when an agent tried to arrest him. This act made tensions grow
among the Indians.
Once the Calvary arrived, they made the indians surrender their weapons. The indians were afraid of being attacked
if they gave up their weapons, but they did it anyway. A scuffle broke out and the Sioux Indians were defenseless so
they resorted to hand to hand combat with knives. The army began firing on the Indians, and by the time the battle
was over 146 indians were dead. This confrontation ended the Ghost Dance movement.
Impact of the railroad and settlement patterns of pioneers
After the Civil War, treaties were made with Indian tribes out West that allowed land to be made available to the
public. This allowed railroad construction to begin, which gave pioneers a way to move westward more easily.
The building of the transcontinental railroad was the main cause of the depletion of the buffalo, a much needed
resource for the Indian population to survive. All parts of the buffalo were used by the Indians for tools, food,
clothing, tepees, warm rugs, and making hunting weapons. Because of deforestation (cutting down of trees) to allow
the railroad to be built, much of the buffalo and wild game the Indians depended on, lost it’s main habitat. Trees
were also used to make railroad ties and bridges for trains to pass over. These actions caused a great amount of
environmental damage which caused the Native Americans to suffer.
• In the Great Plains hunter-gatherer groups such as the Sioux depended on buffalo herds which were decimated
by American pioneers, sometimes simply for sport.
• In the Southwest, groups with hunting and farming subsistence patterns like the Navaho and Hopi lost access
to water resources to settlers.
• In the Pacific Northwest, native fishermen groups like the Nez Perce were forced to concede their prime fishing
spots to settlers and canneries.
http://resourcesforhistoryteachers.wikispaces.com/USII.4
Buffalo Soldiers (George Jordan)
Buffalo soldiers, as the American Indians called them because their hair looked like buffalo hair, were actually
African American soldiers. George Jordan, a buffalo soldier born in 1847 in Williamson County,Tennessee, received
the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Indian Wars out west.
Buffalo soldiers were all black regiments in the US Army. Two of the regiments were the 9th and 10th Cavalry unit.
These units were the first black units to serve during peacetime in the West. Many of these soldiers were former
slaves, self-educated, sharecroppers or former Civil War veterans. Even though the regiment did not receive the best
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uniforms like other Cavalry units, the Buffalo soldier protected the frontier. They built forts, conducted surveys and
kept peace by taking care of any disturbances took place.
Dawes Act/ Assimilation/Boarding schools
The Dawes Act was signed into law in 1887 by President Grover Cleveland. The Dawes Act was meant to help
Native Americans assimilate into the white culture. The Indian Reservations were divided into smaller units and
divided among the tribe. Cleveland did not believe the government should support the people, so he wanted the
Native Americans to learn to farm instead of leaving them on the reservations where they could not earn a living.
The plan consisted of the head of each household receiving 160 acres of land. The government would hold the land
in a trust for 25 years until the family could prove they were self-sufficient farmers. If they were unsuccessful, then
the land reverted back to the government. The government could then sell it. Native American land holdings greatly
decreased because of this act.
The Dawes Act also created schools for the Native American children so they could assimilate into society. Children
were sent to boarding schools and punished if they practiced any of their Native American ways. President Franklin
Roosevelt abolished the Dawes Act in 1934.
Other sources
*Brain Pop has a lesson about Wounded Knee
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
1.3 Standard 8.93 Lesson
8.93 Explain the significance of various American Indian leaders, including: (H)
•
•
•
•
Crazy Horse
Geronimo
Sitting Bull
Chief Joseph
Crazy Horse
by Jake Herman
Is this really Crazy Horse? According to most historians, the great Sioux warrior never allowed his picture to be
taken. While no images of Crazy Horse have been universally proved as the real deal, this tin-type has been claimed
authentic by the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council.
Crazy Horse was a member of the Lakota Sioux tribe. He is known for fighting for and trying to maintain Native
American traditions.
He led his tribe to victory in the Battle of Little Big Horn, fighting against General George Custard, resulting in
Custard’s death. In 1877 he surrendered to the US Army and was fatally wounded after it was rumored he was going
to escape.
Geronimo
Pictured Above: Geronimo (Goyaałé), a Bedonkohe Apache; kneeling with rifle, 1887
Geronimo was an Apache Indian chief. Geronimo’s family and mother were killed by Mexican soldiers, which
caused him to join in revenge attacks in present day Arizona and New Mexico area. Once Mexico ceded over the
land gained by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Geronimo began fighting and raiding the white settlers in the new
territory. The US made it clear they would not allow this type of behavior. The Apaches were given a reservation
on which they could settle, but were eventually moved farther onto an Arizona reservation, San Carlos Reservation.
Geronimo escaped many times from the reservation, and he continued to kill Mexicans and the new settlers. Once
he surrendered, he and other indians were sent to US Army forts to live in exile. He spent his last fourteen years at
Fort Sill in Oklahoma where he would eventually die.
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Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull was born in the present day area of South Dakota. Sitting Bull fought to help the Sioux tribes survive
on the North American Great Plains. Once gold was discovered in the Black Hills of North Dakota the Sioux
encountered the white man more often. Sitting Bull was instrumental in fighting and defeating General George
Armstrong Custer in the Battle of Little Bighorn. Sitting Bull was forced to Canada and he returned to the states in
1881 and surrendered. After living as a prisoner of war at Fort Randall, South Dakota Territory for two years, he
then lived on a reservation.
In 1890, Sitting Bull was killed after he didn’t help stop the Ghost Dancing movement.
Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph, whose name means "Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain",was born in Oregon in 1840.
Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce lived in present day Oregon and Washington. His people were not violent people.
They had befriended trappers, traders and explorers. They refused to sign treaties and give up their homeland. When
three young warriors massacred a band of white settlers, Chief Joseph feared there would be retaliation by the US
Army. He led his people to Canada. Only 40 miles away from Canada, his tribe was surrounded by the Army and
forced to relocate on a reservation in Washington state.
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
1.4 Standard 8.94 Lesson
8.94 Explain the impact of the Homestead Act. (E,H,P)
Life on the Farm
Pictured Above: This little house on the prairie is constructed of sod walls and a dirt roof. It is one of the few pioneer
dwellings still standing in the Badlands today.
A homestead at last! Many eastern families who longed for the opportunity to own and farm a plot of land of their
own were able to realize their dreams when Congress passed the HOMESTEAD ACT in 1862, which opened up land
in the western United States. That landmark piece of legislation provided 160 acres free to any family, including
freed slaves, who lived on the land for five years and made improvements. The same amount could be obtained
instantly for the paltry sum of $1.25 per acre after only six months’ residence. Eventually, 1.6 million individual
claims would be approved.
Combined with the completed transcontinental railroad, it was now possible for an easterner yearning for the open
space of the West to make it happen. Unfortunately, the lives they found were fraught with hardship.
Money Problems
There were tremendous economic difficulties associated with Western farm life. First and foremost was overproduction. Because the amount of land under cultivation increased dramatically and new farming techniques produced
greater and greater yields, the food market became so flooded with goods that prices fell sharply. While this might
be great for the consumer, the farmer had to grow a tremendous amount of food to recoup enough profits to survive
the winter.
Pictured Above: This 1924 Hart Parr model 20-C, is the only running tractor of its kind known to exist.
New machinery and fertilizer was needed to farm on a large scale. Often farmers borrowed money to purchase this
equipment, leaving themselves hopelessly in debt when the harvest came. The high tariff forced them to pay higher
prices for household goods for their families, while the goods they themselves sold were unprotected.
The railroads also fleeced the small farmer. Farmers were often charged higher rates to ship their goods a short
distance than a manufacturer would pay to transport wares a great distance.
A Harsh and Isolating Environment
The woes faced by farmers transcended economics. Nature was unkind in many parts of the Great Plains. Blistering
summers and cruel winters were commonplace. Frequent drought spells made farming even more difficult. Insect
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blights raged through some regions, eating further into the farmers’ profits.
Farmers lacked political power. Washington was a long way from the Great Plains, and politicians seemed to turn
deaf ears to the farmers’ cries. Social problems were also prevalent. With each neighbor on 160-acre plots of land,
communication was difficult and loneliness was widespread.
Farm life proved monotonous compared with the bustling cities of the East. Although rural families were now able to
purchase MAIL-ORDER PRODUCTS through catalogs such as SEARS AND ROEBUCK’S and MONTGOMERY
WARD , there was simply no comparison with what the Eastern market could provide.
These conditions could not last. Out of this social and economic unrest, farmers began to organize and make demands
that would rock the Eastern establishment.
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
1.5 Standard 8.95 Lesson
8.95 Analyze how significant inventors and their inventions, including barbed wire, the six shooter, windmills, sod
housing, and the steel plow changed life in the West. (C,E,H,P)
BARBED WIRE
As Americans moved westward to the new frontier and the cattle industry increased, the traditional fencing materials
became scarce and expensive. Barbed wire, first invented in 1867 by Lucien B. Smith of Ohio, replaced these
previous materials. In 1873 Joseph F. Glidden made modifications to barbed wire and is credited with the invention
as we know it today. Barbed wire helped out the cattle rancher greatly by give them a cheaper and easier way to
contain cattle.
TABLE 1.1:
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/barbwir
e.htm
Pictured Above: Barbed wire fencing
SIX SHOOTER
The six shooter was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. The Colt revolver, a many pistols are known by, gets its name
from its inventor. The pistol held 6 bullets in a revolver that would move after pulling the hammer back to full cock.
This would allow the gun to be shot multiple times without reloading. This pistol was used in the Texas border
conflicts and on both sides during the Civil War. Many cowboys and ranchers also used the six shooter.
WINDMILLS
Windmills have been around for a long time and date back until sixth to eighth centuries A.D. Windmills have been
improved over time. Daniel Halladay is credited with inventing a windmill that could pull water from hundreds of
feet below ground. Halladay’s factory is still in business today and is located in Illinois. Windmills were used by
ranchers and farmers on the new western frontier. The first windmills were wooden.
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Pictured Above: Halladay’s original wind engine patent
Read more if you would like to know more about windmills: http://www.ehow.com/info_8164355_his
tory-windmills-american-west.html#ixzz2wXzwXaH8
SOD HOUSING
As settlers moved westward there was not enough trees to build all the houses needed. On the prairie there were no
trees, but there was a thick layer of grass, called sod, growing on the ground. The earlier settlers had moved to the
areas with wooded rivers and streams. They were able to use the trees to build homes and fires. For the later settlers,
lumber was too expensive to buy to build homes. Settlers would cut the sod in bricks and use them to construct
houses. The sod would keep the houses cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Pictured Above: Sod house on the Great Plains
STEEL PLOW
The steel plow was invented by blacksmith John Deere in 1837. Most plows at the time were made of wood or iron.
The heavy sod in the Great Plains was tough and many plows broke. The soil would also stick to the plows and
farmers would continually have to clean the mud off of the blades. John Deere’s invention of the steel plow made
farming much easier because it was much stronger and lighter than previous plows.
Pictured Above: John Deere’s steel plow. The shape and steel blade made turning the earth in the Great Plain’s soil
much easier.
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
1.6 Standard 8.96 Lesson
8.96 Trace the expansion and development of the Transcontinental Railroad, including the Golden Spike event
(1869), and the role that Chinese immigrant laborers (Central Pacific track) and Irish immigrant laborers (Union
Pacific track) played in its construction. (C,E,G,P)
Binding the Nation by Rail
Pictured Above: The transcontinental railway was completed with a jubilant celebration on May 10, 1869, when the
rails connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads were joined at Promontory, Utah.
The LOCOMOTIVE was not an invention of the GILDED AGE. Indeed Americans had traveled by rail in the
decades that preceded the Civil War. But such travel was risky.
Painting above: Taken from this photograph when rails connecting the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads
were joined at Promontory, Utah.
Pictured Above: This mural in El Paso County, TX, honors the thousands of Chinese workers who helped build the
Southern Pacific Railroad and other transcontinental railroad systems.
Passengers often sat in the same room as a wood burner and had to be watchful of wayward sparks landing on their
clothing. Braking systems were not always trustworthy. Several engines even exploded while trying to reach a
destination.
Traveling also represented a tremendous investment in time. Rail passengers often had to change trains frequently
because the width between tracks varied from company to company. Such a journey could be uncomfortable, boring,
and dangerous.
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Give Me a Brake ...
After the Civil War many rail problems were solved. GEORGE WESTINGHOUSE invented the air brake and trains
could stop more reliably as a result. Railroad firms agreed on a standard width between tracks to reduce transfers.
The PULLMAN CAR COMPANY produced sleeper cars and dining cars to make travel more comfortable.
The Transcontinental Railroad
Pictured ABove: Map of Transcontinental Railroad Lines, 1880s
Soon after the railroad made its appearance in the U.S. in the 1830s, Americans dreamed of linking the Atlantic and
Pacific Oceans by rail. A TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROAD would allow for settlement of the west, open new
markets for eastern manufacturers, and bring relief to overcrowded eastern cities.
Some even believed that it was divinely intended that Americans should control the whole of the continental U.S. In
1845, a Democratic journalist named JOHN L. O’SULLIVAN coined the phrase "MANIFEST DESTINY."
Manifest Destiny
"... the right of our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence
has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty and federaltive development of self government
entrusted to us....
Steaming locomotives would hasten western settlement, spread democratic values, and increase the size of the United
States (Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico etc., were not yet states, only TERRITORIES). Western SETTLEMENT
was a paramount national interest. As such, the federal government awarded the contract to link the coasts by rail to
two companies, the UNION PACIFIC and the CENTRAL PACIFIC.
I’ve Been Working on the Railroad
Union Pacific workers, many of whom were Irish and Chinese immigrants, started at Omaha, Nebraska, and
hammered their way westward. From Sacramento, California, the Central Pacific made its way eastward with the
assistance of thousands of Chinese immigrants.
Those working on the railroad gave their sweat and sometimes their lives blasting through the often unforgiving
terrain. Other dangers that workers faced were disease, searing summer heat, freezing temperatures in the mountains,
Native American raids and the lawlessness and violence of pioneer towns.
Pictured Above: Many immigrants worked on the Transcontinental Railroad
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
The Golden Spike
The government declared that the two lines would merge at PROMONTORY SUMMIT near Ogden, Utah. On May
10, 1869, LELAND STANFORD, representing the Central Pacific Railroad, was provided the honor to hammer a
golden spike into the ground that marked the completion of the coast-to-coast line. Celebrations erupted across the
land. Even the Liberty Bell tolled once again to commemorate the occasion.
Soon, other transcontinental lines were constructed and travel across the continent became worlds simpler, less
expensive, and much faster, than by the old Conestoga wagon.
Pictured Above: The Golden Spike: Does it really symbolize the completion of the transcontinental railroad
On the Right Track
The engineering achievement was monumental. The costs of the operation to railroads were enormous. Tens of
thousands of workers had to be paid, sheltered, and fed. Tons of steel and wood were required.
However, the economic incentives to railroads were enormous. The government offered generous loans to companies
who were willing to assume the risk. The greatest reward was land. For each mile of track laid by the Central and
Union Pacific Railroads, the companies received 640 acres of public land. In other rail projects, state governments
often kicked in additional acres for a growing number of rail companies.
The Interstate Commerce Commission
All in all, the railroads received nearly 200 million acres of land from the U.S. government for fulfilling contracts.
Directors of some railroads made fortunes. Foremost among the RAILROAD TYCOONS were CORNELIUS
VANDERBILT, JAMES J. HILL, and JAY GOULD.
But freight railroad abuses grew rampant. Money lined the pockets of greedy public officials who awarded generous
terms to the railroads. Railroad companies set their own shipping rates.
Sometimes it was more expensive for a small farmer to ship goods to a nearby town than to a faraway city. Because
the companies kept their rates secret, one farmer could be charged more than another for the same freight transport.
To reduce competition, railroad companies established pools. These were informal arrangements between companies
to keep rates above a certain level. Consequently, the public suffered. Finally, in 1887, Congress responded to public
outcry by creating the INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION to watch over the rail industry. This was the
nation’s first REGULATORY AGENCY. Due to inconcise wording in its enabling legislation, the ICC was largely
ignored until the early 20th century.
But the public also reaped great benefits. Eastern businessmen could now sell their goods to California citizens.
As a result of improved transportation all Americans had access to more goods at a cheaper price. The westward
movement was greatly accelerated. Those seeking a new start in life could much more easily "go west.".
No industrial revolution can occur without a transport web. The nation was now bound together by this enormous
network and its citizens were ready to reap the rewards.
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
1.7 Standard 8.97 and 8.98 Lesson
8.97 Examine the development and life of the iconic American cowboy, including his skills, clothes and daily life
and work. (C,H)
8.98 Explain the concepts of the Open Range, Long Drive and cow towns in the development of the American
ranching industry. (E,G,H)
The Ways of the Cowboy
Pictured Above: Courtesy of Grant-Kohrs National Historic Site - For a dollar a day and "found" (board and room,
where it existed), a young man worked long hours–occasionally risking life and limb–to tend the cattle of another.
Mining was not the only bonanza to be found in the West. Millions could be made in the CATTLE INDUSTRY. A
calf bought for $5 in Southern Texas might sell for $60 in Chicago. The problem was, of course, getting the cattle
to market.
In 1867, JOSEPH MCCOY tracked a path known as the CHISHOLM TRAIL from Texas to Abilene, Kansas. The
Texas cowboys drove the cattle the entire distance —1500 miles. Along the way, the cattle enjoyed all the grass they
wanted, at no cost to the RANCHERS. At Abilene and other railhead towns such as Dodge City and Ellsworth, the
cattle would be sold and the cowboys would return to Texas.
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Pictured Above: Trails of the cattle drives
No vision of the American West is complete without the cowboy. The imagery is quintessentially American, but
many myths cloud the truth about what life was like on the long drive.
Myth vs. Reality
Americans did not invent cattle raising. This tradition was learned from the vaquero , a Mexican cowboy. The
vaqueros taught the tricks of the trade to the Texans, who realized the potential for great profits.
The typical COWBOY wore a hat with a wide brim to provide protection from the unforgiving sunlight. Cattle
kicked up clouds of dust on the drive, so the cowboy donned a bandanna over the lower half of his face. CHAPS, or
leggings, and high boots were worn as protection from briars and cactus needles.
Contrary to legend, the typical cowboy was not a skilled marksman. The lariat, not the gun, was how the cattle
drover showed his mastery. About a quarter of all cowboys were African Americans, and even more were at least
partially Mexican. Some cowboys were Civil War soldiers who wanted to start a fresh life. To avoid additional strain
on the horses, cowboys were usually smaller than according to legend.
The lone cowboy is an American myth. Cattle were always driven by a group of DROVERS. The cattle were branded
so the owner could distinguish his STEER from the rest. Several times per DRIVE, cowboys conducted a roundup
where the cattle would be sorted and counted again.
Work was very difficult. The workdays lasted fifteen hours, much of which was spent in the saddle. Occasionally,
shots were fired by hostile Indians or farmers. Cattle RUSTLERS sometimes stole their steers.
One of the greatest fears was the STAMPEDE, which could result in lost or dead cattle or cowboys. One method of
containing a stampede was to get the cattle to run in a circle, where the steer would eventually tire.
Upon reaching Abilene, the cattle were sold. Then it was time to let loose. Abilene had twenty-five saloons open all
hours to service incoming riders of the long drive.
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Chapter 1. Westward Expansion after the Civil War (1865-1890)
Twilight of the Cowboy
The heyday of the long drive was short. By the early 1870s, rail lines reached Texas so the cattle could be shipped
directly to the slaughterhouses. Ranchers then began to allow cattle to graze on the open range near rail heads. But
even this did not last. The invention of BARBED WIRE by JOSEPH GLIDDEN ruined the OPEN RANGE. Now
farmers could cheaply mark their territory to keep the unwanted steers off their lands. Overproduction caused prices
to fall, leading many ranchers out of business.
Finally, the winter of 1886-87 was one of the worst in American history. Cattle died by the thousands as temperatures
reached fifty below zero in some parts of the West. The era of the open range was over.
Pictured Above: American cowboys
Spanish and Mexican culture had a great affect on the development of the “cowboy”. Much of the way the cowboy
dresses, the spurs, saddles and hat, comes from the Mexican vaqueros, the predecessor to the cowboy.
Here are some "cowboy" terms that have direct Spanish origin:
•
•
•
•
Lariat: From la reata (the rope)
Lasso: From lazo (rope)
Ranch: From rancho (land for raising cattle)
Rodeo: From rodear (circling the herd)
http://resourcesforhistoryteachers.wikispaces.com/USII.4
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1.8 Westward Expansion Interactive Map Link
Westward expansion interactive map link
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/asset/akh10_int_expansion/
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