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Goal 3 and 4 Review
Wilmot’s Proviso
 Northern Congressman David Wilmot did not want the potential
territories acquired from the Mexican War to become slave states.
 Wilmot attempted to add to a bill [hopeful law] to ban slavery in any new
territory.
 Wilmot’s Proviso riled up Southern states and caused sectionalist
arguments throughout the United States.
 Wilmot’s Proviso was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives but
later declared unconstitutional by the Dred Scott case ruling.
Popular Sovereignty
• Popular=people or citizens
• Sovereignty=self rule/self control
• Popular Sovereignty=Citizens rule/control themselves
democratically.
• Disagreements over the slavery issue were created by
Wilmot’s Proviso.
• The decision was made to allow citizens of each Western
territory to vote on and decide the slave or non-slave status of
the territory.
The Free Soil Party
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The Free Soil Party was an abolitionist leaning political party with its origins in New York .
Although most so-called Free Soilers were against slavery, most wanted the new territories
to be free from having blacks to provide exclusive farm opportunities for white farmers.
The slogan of the Free Soil Party was “Free soil, free speech, free labor and free men.”
• The party was too controversial and was never able to win the presidency.
The Compromise of 1850
• As a way of trying to heal divisions over slavery in the Western Territories between
supporters and opponents two old war hawks Henry Clay and John Calhoun
essentially led the way to a compromise.
[A] California was admitted as a free state in 1850.
[B] Utah and New Mexico would decide slave status by popular sovereignty.
[C] Strict Fugitive Slave Law was passed to return slaves who escaped to free states.
The Fugitive Slave Act
 The federal Fugitive Slave Act included as
part of the Compromise of 1850 was very
harsh.
 Northerners were required to participate as
witnesses or to help in seizures.
 Any “colored” person free or escaped had
only to be “pointed out” to be arrested.
 After a capture a federal commissioner
decided if the person would be sent South.
 Fees of $10 were paid to commissioners for
each judgment against captured persons
[incentive to deport].
 The tension and pressure created by the law
was incredible. Secret Freeman Societies
were formed to protect and hide colored
people from seizures.
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
 A former slave born in Maryland who gained her freedom by escaping as a 29 year old
woman. In 1849 she became a conductor [escape leader] on the Underground
Railroad.
 Tubman secretly traveled South more than a dozen times to lead escaped slaves to
freedom.
 The “railroad” was actually a series of clandestine [secret] routes that led to Northern
states and Canada.
 Most of the supporters were white abolitionists who risked jail and heavy fines for
harboring runaway slaves.
Harriet Beecher Stowe and Uncle Tom’s Cabin
 Harriet Stowe was raised by one of the most well known New England ministerial
families [most of the men were preachers] who were also abolitionists.
 Stowe, after hearing about the horrors connected to the Fugitive Slave Act, authored
one of the most tragic American novels ever written [sold over 300,000 copies in 1852]
called Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
 Her story about the murder of a slave at the hands of his master was one of the
leading events toward ending slavery.
 Southerners were outraged at how they were portrayed and Northerners were
outraged at the horrors of the slave system.
Gadsden Purchase
• If you remember from Goal 1 in order to create a better route for
railroads to the Southern city New Orleans…
• Territory in Arizona and New Mexico was bought from Mexico.
• The territory was given free status [no slave holding allowed].
Kansas-Nebraska Act
• An example of popular sovereignty in the Western territories was the KansasNebraska Act.
• This law gave settlers the power to decide if they wanted to allow slavery or
prohibit slavery.
• Kansas-Nebraska Act=Popular sovereignty
Bleeding Kansas
• During the 1850s many riots, fights and skirmishes took place in the Kansas
territory.
• Because the area was not regulated by the U.S. government lawlessness was able
to take place frequently [armed robberies, murders, etc.].
• Anti-slavery “free-staters” fought against slave supporters .
• Even in Congress lawmakers fought over whether to allow slavery including the
Brooks-Sumner Incident [Abolitionist Senator was severely beaten with a cane by a
South Carolina House Representative over an anti-slave speech].
Know-Nothing Party
• A political party that participated in violence against immigrants was
the Know-Nothing Party.
• The group was considered to be nativist because it wanted to
preserve American language and culture from foreign influence.
Dred Scott versus Sanford
•
Slave Dred Scott sued in court for his freedom from
his slave master.
•
He believed he should be freed because he and his
wife had been held illegally as slaves in Missouri
and Illinois where slavery was unlawful.
•
The U.S. Supreme Court did not agree with Scott
because he was considered property not a citizen
[therefore he had no legal standing to sue].
•
Abolitionists were furious with the Court’s decision
and tension between
the North and South increased.
•
He was later freed by his owner despite the court
ruling.
Republican Party
• Abraham Lincoln and several other elected officials formed a new Republican Party
based on anti-slavery and abolition reforms.
• Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States in 1860 and a major
part of his platform [set of ideas] was abolition of slavery.
• In fact the Emancipation Proclamation was issued to free all slaves in 1862.
The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
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Political debates between two candidates for U.S. Senate: Abraham Lincoln and Stephen
Douglas in 1858.
The main issue discussed was the abolition of slavery and the prohibition of slavery in the
Western territories such as Kansas and Nebraska.
Neither candidate favored slavery but Lincoln believed immediate abolition would tear the
nation apart.
Douglas supported his Freeport Doctrine which allowed popular sovereignty to decide the
slavery issue in the Western Territories.
John Brown’s Raid on Harper’s Ferry
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John Brown was an abolitionist
originally from Connecticut
[North] .
•
He absolutely hated slavery and
fought several times to abolish it
[including in Bleeding Kansas].
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In 1859 he decided to attack a
militia fort that had weapons with
20 other men [including blacks] at
Harper’s Ferry, Virginia.
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His force was defeated by nearly
100 U.S. Marines. He was
captured and put on trial for
treason.
•
He was found guilty and hanged.
•
John Wilkes Booth witnessed the
execution and was so angry he
vowed revenge against the North.
The Election of 1860
• The United States had been under a lot of stress for at least 10 years over the
slavery issue.
• The Wilmot Proviso, Bleeding Kansas, Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Harper’s Ferry
Raid were just a few issues that concerned citizens.
• Abraham Lincoln a republican from Illinois was elected the 16th president of the
United States. He soon after signed and authorized the Emancipation Proclamation
freeing slaves in 1862.
Succession, Fort Sumter and the Confederacy
• Southern states were extremely angry
with Lincoln’s proposals to end slavery.
• Seven states led by South Carolina
decided to succeed [get away from] from
the United States. After Ft. Sumter 4
more states joined the rebellion.
• South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida,
Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas,
Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee and North
Carolina formed the Confederate States
of America.
•The Confederacy had seized all
U.S. property aside from Fort
Sumter in South Carolina.
•Northerners were horrified with
Southern acts of aggression and
tried to compromise but all efforts
failed.
•The fighting began at Ft. Sumter
was started by the Confederacy.
President Lincoln reaches out to the South
• In his inauguration speech on March 4, 1861 the president said the North and
South “must not be enemies…and break our bonds of affection.”
• Before Ft. Sumter and its troops could be re-supplied by a Union warship the U.S.
commander major Robert Anderson [outgunned and outmanned] surrendered
after 33 constant hours of canon fire.
The Confederacy and Jefferson Davis
• Southern states that had not yet
seceded wanted to compromise and
seek peace with the Union.
• All compromises failed because either
some slavery would persist or no
slavery would be permitted.
• In February of 1861 an independent
new nation was created by 7 former
Southern states who were later joined
by 4 more.
• The Confederate States of America
[C.S.A.] was created.
• Jefferson Davis [former U.S. senator]
was elected President of the
Confederacy.
The Union’s Blockade
• To trap and apply pressure to the Confederacy President Lincoln applied a
blockade of all major Southern ports: Wilmington, Charleston and
Vicksburg.
• The blockade strategy was designed to restrict supplies to the South.
• Small boats [blockade runners] were able to outrun large Union ships to
provide supplies but much fewer supplies reached Southern ports.
Battle of Bull Run
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In order to seize a key railroad center in Manassas, Virginia President Lincoln ordered a full
scale attack to capture the rail line along the Bull Run River.
The early attack by Union troops was pushed back by Confederate troops led by General
Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.
Confederate troops were able to gain the advantage because of reinforcements from
Virginia. This was the first of a few key battles the Confederate army won.
Lincoln’s internal problems and conflicts
• Copperheads-Like the poisonous
snake of the same name this group
of democrats wanted to negotiate
with the South instead of fighting.
• Conscription-Because of a lack of
willing troops both the North and
South were forced to draft soldiers.
If a person had $300 cash or had a
willing substitute he could avoid
conscription.
• Suspension of Habeas CorpusLincoln held people in jail without
trial for indefinite time periods until
they complied with laws.
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Martial Law-Lincoln sent soldiers to
enforce order where rioting or disorder
took place and suspend civil rights such
as legal counsel and court appearances.
New Military Technologies
Reconnaissance balloons-These devices were used to track
opposing armies from high above the battlefields.
Conoidal bullets-These devices improved the ability of
soldiers to hit enemies more accurately and from longer
distances.
Ironclads-Improved the ability of navies to attack enemies
and defend themselves from attack because of protective
steel armor.
Telegraph-Allowed long distance communication between
armies and commanders.
Antietam
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The bloodiest one day battle of the Civil War.
General Lee’s confederate forces attacked the North in Maryland.
Over 6,000 men were killed and over were 16,000 wounded.
This battle was devastating for the South and invigorating for the North.
Vicksburg
• The battle of Vicksburg was a key victory for the Union because it captured control
of the Mississippi River.
• Southern trade and supply was choked and almost completely cut off.
• General Grant laid siege to the Confederate troops who were “dug in” by constant
artillery bombing.
• After 6 weeks the Confederate soldiers who were still fighting surrendered
Vicksburg to General Grant.
Gettysburg
• The “last straw” or last major stand for the Confederates who were led by General
Lee was attacking the Union army at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
• The result was a disaster for the Confederacy.
• Altogether over 51,000 men were killed or wounded [28,000 were Confederates].
• The Union was motivated by an earlier battle loss at Chickamauga, Georgia.
• The Confederacy never recovered from the loss at Gettysburg.
Sherman’s March
• Union General William Tecumseh Sherman was ordered to finish off the
Confederacy.
• To end the war Sherman marched his army from Atlanta to Savannah in Georgia
then to Raleigh, N.C.
• He destroyed rail lines, burned buildings, homes and arsenals.
• The remaining Confederacy was destroyed after Sherman’s March was done.
General Ulysses S. Grant
• Grant was, by the end of the Civil
War, the lead general of the
Union.
• He had been determined to
destroy the Southern rebellion at
the orders of President Lincoln.
• He became so popular for his
military successes that he was
later elected President of the
United States.
General Robert E. Lee
• Before the Civil War began he was so
respected within the U.S. army he was
asked to led the Union army.
• He refused the offer because he was a
Virginian and was named leader of the
Confederate Military forces.
• He took many bold risks and lost the Civil
War largely due to Northern industrial and
population strength.
• He was forced to surrender to the Union at
Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
Union Generals
• Several union generals played important roles in the Union’s battles.
• President Lincoln had to fire several of them for lack of success in battles.
• McClellan, Burnside and Hooker were all fired by Lincoln for losing too many men
or making bad decisions.
• General Sherman was most well known for being aggressive and burning Southern
towns as revenge for seceding from the Union.
General Burnside
General McClellan
General Meade
General Hooker
General
Sherman
Appomattox Court house
• After General Lee realized his Confederate forces could not defeat superior Union
forces he decided surrender was necessary to avoid further slaughter.
• Grant allowed Lee to surrender and not be prosecuted for treason.
• Confederate soldiers were allowed to return home with their horses.
Election of 1864
• Because of the success of the Union during the end of the
Civil War Lincoln was re-elected.
• Lincoln was also able to push through the 13th Amendment
which officially ended slavery for all remaining slaves in the
United States.
John Wilkes Booth
• John Wilkes a very popular actor from a prominent family who was outraged by the
defeat of his beloved South.
• He along with several accomplices developed a plan to kill Lincoln and his cabinet.
• Booth snuck up behind Lincoln during a play in Washington, D.C. and shot him in
the back of the head on April 14, 1865.
• Lincoln died of the gunshot wound the next morning.
Assassination of President Lincoln 4-14-1865
Reconstruction Plans
 Lincoln’s Plan of Reconstruction-In
order to reconcile with the South Lincoln
suggested the 10 percent plan which
allowed Confederate states back into the
Union if 10 % of the voters swore allegiance
to the Union. All Southerners were granted
amnesty except high ranking members of
the Confederacy.
 Thaddeus Stevens’ Congressional Plan
of Reconstruction-Called a Radical
Republican because he and his supporters
wanted to prevent former Confederates
from regaining power. His plan forced
Southern states to accept black voting
rights by passing the 14th and 15th
Amendments .
 Johnson’s Plan of Reconstruction-Built
on Lincoln’s Plan and required [A] a loyalty
oath [B] excluded high ranking
Confederates [C] Southern states had to
ratify 13th Amendment.
Freedmen’s Bureau
• The Freedmen’s Bureau was created immediately after the end of the Civil War. It
was a federal government agency funded by tax money.
• The mission of the agency was to create homes and places for displaced slaves to
live.
• Freed slaves were given land abandoned by former Southern slave holders.
• Schools were created for freed slaves, job training and education was made
available for the newly freed slaves.
President Johnson’s Impeachment
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Tenure of Office Act-A law passed by Congress in 1866 to prevent the President of the
United States from having the power to fire government officials without the approval of the
U.S. Senate.
The law was passed despite Johnson’s veto.
Johnson fired his Secretary of War in defiance of the Tenure of Office Act [the firing was not
approved by the Senate].
An impeachment trial was held but the Senate voted not to remove the president by one
vote.
Black Codes
• As a measure of retaliation and in response to the Union’s strict reconstruction
requirements Southern states passed racist, anti-black laws.
• Freed blacks had strict restrictions placed on them in the work place, job training
and in schools.
Sharecroppers and Tenant Farmers
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Freed slaves usually had very few job skills other than farming because they had mostly
been farm hands.
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Because many free blacks did not own their own land they were forced to become
sharecroppers or tenant farmers. These jobs kept free blacks in poverty.
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Sharecroppers-farm an owner’s land and give a large share [percentage] of crops as
rental payment.
Tenant farmers-same as above but the farmer also lives on the landlord’s land.
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Jim Crow Laws
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In order to preserve the worst parts of the Southern culture [way of life] racist laws
were passed to segregate [separate] blacks and whites in public places.
• Blacks who tried to use public facilities such as water fountains, buses and schools
could be arrested and fined. Some times violators were lynched [kidnapped and
hanged without trial by angry mobs of people].
The Grandfather Clause
• In general, a Grandfather clause is
an exception that allows an old
rule that was changed to apply in
certain new circumstances.
• In the South during the late 1800s
even though the 15th Amendment
granted voting rights to all blacks
certain states passed racist voting
laws to prevent them from voting.
• Some laws stated that if your
grandfather ,who was a slave, had
not been able vote neither could
you. Even if you were a free man!
Carpetbaggers, Scalawags and the Ku Klux Klan
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Carpetbaggers were Northerners who came South to take advantage of economic
opportunities. The term was considered negative because they were hated by Southerners
who felt exploited [used and taken advantage of].
•
Scalawags were Southerners who complied with federal laws and were considered traitors
to fellow Southerners because they supported Reconstruction.
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As a reaction to federal pressure to give equal rights and freedoms to blacks a terror group
called the Ku Klux Klan formed to threaten and reverse gains made by freed blacks.
The Whiskey Ring Scandal
• Many Southerners were very suspicious of
the U.S. Government and its Republican
Party leaders.
• In 1875 a financial scandal was exposed
proving that federal government officials
were corrupt and stealing tax money
collected from federal Whiskey taxes.
• It was claimed by many Southerners that
the federal government was unworthy.
• After this scandal President Grant was no
longer as trusted or as well respected as
before.
Election of 1876 and the Compromise of 1877
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U.S. citizens were mostly fed up with the
ineptitude of President Grant and the depressed
economy.
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The alleged corruption and suspected scandals
committed by Grant’s administration had soured
American voters.
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New York Governor Samuel E. Tilden the
democratic candidate opposed former General
and Southerner Rutherford B. Hayes.
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Tilden actually won the popular vote but due to
Southern violence and pressure from railroad
companies a deal was struck to give the
presidency to Hayes in exchange for White House
patronage [jobs]. Hayes lasted one term as
president.
Solid South/Southern Democrats
• Because of hatred toward Lincoln and
Grant voters in the South rejected
Republican candidates after the Civil
War.
• Democrats could count on Southern
votes in both state and national
elections.
• Every presidential election from 1876 to
1948 went solidly Democratic.
• Extremely negative features of the Solid
South were segregation and Jim Crow
laws.
MILITARY RECONSTRUCTION
• Because there was a lot of disagreement in the U.S. Congress and still desire for
Southern rebellion Lincoln installed military rule throughout the South.
• The South was separated into 5 military districts with appointed Military governors
who controlled each region.
• Resentment, shame and hard feelings arose in the heart of many Southerners who
believed they were again being oppressed by the Union.
13TH AMENDMENT
• One week before President Lincoln was assassinated the 13th Amendment
passed the U.S. House of Representatives.
• One year later the 13th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution.
• The 13th Amendment banned, prohibited and forbade slavery within the
United States and its Western territories.
14TH AMENDMENT
• In 1868 the 14th Amendment was added to the U.S. Constitution in order to
provide equal protection to all citizens under the law.
• The intent of this law was to ban discrimination against people who at one
time were slaves and to destroy racist state laws such as the Grandfather
Clause.
• It took nearly 100 years for the full effect of 14th Amendment to take place
because of numerous court challenges.
15TH AMENDMENT
• In 1870 the 15th Amendment
prohibited voting discrimination.
• The specific language stated that
voting rights could not be
restricted based on race, color, or
previous condition of servitude.
• Voting rights could only be
restricted based on minimum age
and criminal convictions.
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1866
• This federal law banned discrimination against
all people with the exception of some same
Native-American tribes.
• The purpose of the law was to combat racism
and discrimination.
ELECTION OF 1866
• Elections throughout the United States
centered around whether to support or
reject Reconstruction.
• Radical Republicans wanted to continue
military occupation in the South.
Southern Democrats wanted to continue
Jim Crow laws.
• President Johnson wanted a lenient
Reconstruction Plan.
• The Republican party [not the radicals]
won most of the elections but military
occupation lasted only a few years
longer.
Gold Rush
 Gold was discovered by prospector James Marshall in early 1848. At first the precious metal
was found in streams and river beds using primitive methods such as panning. Later more
advanced mechanized methods were used to quarry entire mountainsides for gold.
 After news of Marshall’s discovery thousands of men journeyed to strike it rich in California.
Many foreigners from China and South America came to prospect for gold but were
victimized by anti-immigrant laws and violence.
 Eventually over 300,000 people came to the region forming boomtowns and settlements
that later expanded such as in San Francisco, California.
Comstock Lode
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After Gold Fever had swept the West. Henry Comstock mistakenly discovered enormous
deposits of pure silver in sticky, blue clay as he was prospecting for gold in the Nevada
territory in 1858 spurring a sliver rush in 1859. Prospectors were called the ’59ers.
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News of silver deposits caused the population of Nevada to explode and it was soon after
admitted as a state.
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The large profits reaped from the silver mines were useful in funding the U.S. Civil War.
Homestead Act
 Law passed by President Lincoln in 1862 to encourage
Western expansion.
 For $10 individuals could apply for a land grant [free
land]. Freed blacks and poor whites often took
advantage of this. Former Confederates were excluded.
 Lots of 160 acres were available if homesteaders
improved the land by developing and farming it. After 5
years homesteaders owned the property outright.
Life for U.S. Settlers on the Great Plains
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Life for settlers on the Great Plains was extremely harsh and challenging.
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During summer months temperatures were regularly greater than 100 degrees.
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During the winters extreme cold temperatures and severe snow storms were frequent.
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Timber/Lumber was very rare on the prairies so settlers built sodhouses out of tightly
packed blocks of earth and sod [grass]. The threat of destruction from fire was ever
present during the dry summer months.
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Occasional swarms of grasshoppers/locusts could also destroy crops within hours.
Morrill Land Grant Act
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In 1862 and 1890 laws were passed to grant [give/gift] land to create public
colleges.
• Most states received money to start “state colleges” such as Penn State,
Michigan State and N.C. State [there were many, many more].
• These colleges and universities expanded the existing knowledge of science
and agriculture throughout the United States.
• In general, opportunities for higher education were expanded beyond the
wealthy and elite to previously uneducated citizens.
Oklahoma Land Rush
• In 1889 thousands of Americans “rushed” to claim land in the Oklahoma territory
when the U.S. Government opened settlement there.
• Within months the population went from 100s to over 100,000.
• Many people illegally entered the area “too soon” and hid out beyond the
territory’s border to scout the best land tracts [The people were known as
Sooners].
• After Oklahoma was opened officially the best land was quickly taken by the
Sooners.
Unique Experiences of: Chinese immigrants
• Starting in the 1840s Chinese workers [sometimes called coolies]
traveled overseas to the Americas, Europe and Africa to work [mostly
men].
• The work was mostly hard, strenuous labor and for very low pay.
• In the United States the laborers built the Transcontinental Railroads.
• Jealousy and suspicion from other Americans was common because
Chinese often supplanted other workers particularly the Irish.
Unique Experiences of: Women
• Women were at least half of the population in the U.S. during the
1880s and 1890s.
• Unfortunately, because of the culture of the times, women were
often considered to be second class citizens with fewer legal rights
than men.
• The types of work women performed was often limited to domestic
work [home cleaning, sewing/textiles production and farm work].
• Single [unmarried, divorced or widowed] women sometimes engaged
in illegal or “immoral” types of work such as saloon girls in brothels
[houses of prostitution] and bar keeping.
Unique Experiences of: African-Americans
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After passage of the 13th Amendment African-Americans were free to work where they
could find employment.
Unfortunately racism and discriminatory laws [Jim Crow] prevented freed blacks from
achieving equal opportunities.
The Homestead Act allowed blacks to go West and own land.
Poor freed blacks who remained in the South often were Sharecroppers who were exploited
by landlords and remained poor.
Many Southern blacks went North during the Great Migration for job opportunities in
factories.
Unique Experiences of: Irish immigrants
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During the 1840s millions of Irish fled their homeland due to the Potato Famine.
Most of these emigrants came to the United States seeking jobs.
The earliest immigrants took jobs building the railroads.
Many riots between Irish and Chinese workers broke out over labor
competition.
• During the U.S. Civil many Irishmen protesting against conscription and
participated in anti-draft riots using extreme violence.
Transcontinental Railroad and its Construction
• Train tracks were built across the entire United States connecting West to
East and North to South.
• Construction took place from the 1860s to 1910s.
• The work was very dangerous due to terrain ,[cliffs, valleys and mountains]
weather [extreme heat and cold] and types of equipment used [dynamite].
• Irish and Chinese immigrants were early laborers who roughed the harsh
conditions for low wages.
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One of the most disgraceful events in U.S. military history.
Cheyenne and Arapaho Nation peoples were mostly friendly with U.S. citizens near their territories.
In 1864 the U.S. Civil War was still being fought and Union armies were always on high alert to possible
threats.
The Cheyenne Chief, Black Kettle, approached the U.S. Army post, Fort Lyon, in Colorado for a meeting and
was told to wait.
U.S. Army Colonel Chivington may have misunderstood the situation or felt threatened by the Chief.
The end result was the slaughter and mutilation by the U.S. Army of over 100 Native Americans including
women and children.
Sand Creek Massacre
Battle of Little Bighorn
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One of the most embarrassing defeats in U.S. Military
history.
During a patrol Lt. Colonel George Custer encountered a
massive camp of Lakota and Cheyenne people.
Custer launched an attack in three separate directions
underestimating the Natives.
Custer and all of his troops but one were killed as a result of
the leadership of Lakota Chief Sitting Bull.
Buffalo Soldiers
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One of the first all black army units in the United States.
The 10th Cavalry Regiment was formed in 1866 to fight in the U.S. Civil War.
The soldiers received their nickname from the Native tribes they fought.
According to historians it was because of both their dark skin and dark curly hair
that similar to the buffalo. Also the ferocity with which they fought.
Wounded Knee Massacre
• The U.S. Government had banned the Ghost Dance for all Native tribes.
• The Ghost Dance was when Natives led by a Chief or spiritual leader would
call the spirits to help them.
• The U.S. Government believed the dance threatened peace with the natives.
• On December 29, 1890 at Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota over 150
Sioux were killed by U.S. Army troops after they tried to disarm the Sioux
during a ceremony.
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Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce
Chief Joseph was the leader of the Nez Perce Nation
located in what is now Oregon.
U.S. Forces attempted to remove the Nez Perce Nation
to a reservation in Idaho.
His people refused and fought the U.S. Army.
Under Joseph’s leadership the Nez Perce were able to
resist by using effective military tactics such as baited
ambushes.
Eventually the Nez Perce fled to Canada to avoid U.S.
Forces but later returned and accepted life on the
reservation.
Reservation System and the Dawes Act
• In 1891 Senator Henry Dawes led the passage of the Dawes Act [a.k.a. the Dawes
Severalty Act].
• To solve the Indian Problem land was reserved [set aside] to remove them from
their ancestral lands.
• Vast areas called reservations were created at different locations in order to make
room for American settlers on ancestral “Indian” lands. “Indians” were required
to live on these new reservations.
Frederick Jackson Turner and Helen Hunt Jackson
• Two American authors who chronicled [wrote about] the effects of Western
expansion were Frederick Jackson Turner and Helen Hunt Jackson.
• Turner explained that settlement of the Western Frontier was important but
would eventually lead to overseas expansion.
• Jackson wrote a book called A Century of Dishonor that criticized the injustice and
mistreatment of Native-Americans by the United States.
The Grange
• A united group of American farmers who
came together to fight for their rights and
defend their economic interests. This
group of farmers called itself the Grange.
• Farmers believed they were being
exploited by railroads.
• Railroads were charging huge fees to
transport farmers’ crops and livestock.
• The Grange wanted the U.S. Government
to step in regulate the railroads.
Farmers’ Alliances
Several other farmers’ groups came together in different regions:
Southern Alliance-Farmers from the Southern part of the U.S. who
grew/raised tobacco, hogs and cotton.
Colored farmers-Mostly sharecroppers and tenant farmers who grew
cotton, tobacco and corn in the South.
Money Policy
• To strengthen the U.S. economy several monetary policies were attempted.
• Greenbacks-During the U.S. Civil War with the lack of gold the Union [and
Confederacy] issued paper currency that promised to pay the face value [$5, $10,
$50, etc] with “to the bearer on demand.” The government was asking people to
trust it to pay gold later on.
• Gold Standard-This policy forced the U.S. government to issue only the amount of
paper money the U.S. had in gold reserves in the U.S. Treasury.
• Bimetallism-This policy allowed the U.S. government to issue paper money based
on gold and silver reserves.
Railroad Court Cases
•
Two landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases were influenced by the pressure exerted on the U.S.
Government by the Grange.
•
Wabash vs. Illinois in 1886 the Court ruled that individual states could not interfere with
interstate commerce related to railroads. The Interstate Commerce Act was passed soon
after this decision in order to control trade between states.
•
Munn vs. Illinois in 1887 the Court ruled that states could regulate businesses within
their borders.
Omaha Platform
• The set of ideas [platform] adopted by the Populist
party.
• The main objective of the Populist Party was for the
U.S. government to own all the railroads and
telegraphs.
William Jennings Bryan
In 1896 at the Democratic National Convention William Jennings
Bryan was a candidate for the presidential nomination as a democrat.
He represented the state of Nebraska which had thousands of farmers.
In a famous speech criticizing the gold standard Bryan believed that
bimetallism [gold and silver supported currency] would make more money
available for cash poor farmers.
Recording of speech
Text of speech
Andrew Carnegie
•
Andrew Carnegie was a steel magnate who owned the
largest steel company in the United States: U.S. Steel
Corporation.
•
Carnegie created a business strategy called vertical
integration.
•
Vertical integration was strategy that combined
separate elements of Carnegie’s business under one
organization. The efficiency could not be matched and
competitors were eliminated.
•Sale
•Production
•Labor
•Raw materials
•
Money was saved by Carnegie because he did not
have to use outside companies at any time to
make and eventually sell his product.
John D. Rockefeller
John D. Rockefeller was an oil baron who
monopolized the oil industry.
His pricing model and trust strategy eventually drove
his competitors out of business.
He combined his operations with willing competitors
and reduced his prices below cost [losing money
temporarily].
When all competition was eliminated he raised oil
prices to whatever he wanted. Customers had no
other options and had to pay whatever he
charged.
Horizontal integration was used by Rockefeller to
dominate an entire industry by allying with
selected competitors into trusts. His dominant
business spread out and took over competing
businesses.
Dominant
business
Competing
business
Competing
business
Competing
business
Refrigerated Railroad Cars
• Railroad companies invented a refrigerated car in order to preserve crops
from spoiling.
• Railroads were able to charge more for the freight and earn more money.
• Farmers were able to earn more money because their crops did not perish
and as a result saved in order to be sold.
Barbed Wire
• On the Western Frontier cattle ranchers used barbed wire to
contain and fence in their livestock to prevent them from
being stolen from cattle rustlers [cow thieves].
• Border and property disputes occurred because there was less
open free range for cattle grazing.
• The invention of barbed wire was developed by Joseph
Glidden as a way to improve fence strength of the existing
types of fence wire.
Windmills
Windmills were used to harness
the power of the wind for
electricity and farm
machinery.
The energy generated by the
technology was free [after the
cost of purchase] and
renewable.
Also, no pollution was created as
a result of using windmills. It
allowed farmers to be energy
independent.
Farmers’ Cooperatives
• In order to create more opportunities for poor farmers to succeed
despite large odds against them cooperatives were founded.
• The purpose of a cooperative was to pool [gather/combine] resources
such as land, cash and equipment.
• Farmers could borrow money from the cooperatives to buy seed,
fertilizer or workers.
Click on link below
Example of farming cooperative