Chapter 17

The West: Exploiting An Empire

THE FRONTIER THESIS• A distinct part of the American experience.• Fredrick Jackson Turner’s “The Significance of the Frontier in

American History”. • 1890 the Census Bureau said the country was so settled it could

hardly have a frontier line.• Turner stated that there was plenty of room, but not only that the

frontier could develop a person. The frontier could be seen as a “safety valve”. Westward expansion explains America.

• Americans share a vast history with Europe, but the moving of societies at all stages, expanding settlements, slaughter of Indians, and the largest most complex transportation network, all made the US distinct. You cannot weigh its importance, but it is a fact that the frontier did shape and change America.

Crushing the Native Americans• 1867: A quarter of a million Native Americans call the Western half of the

country home. Either forced there, or that being their original home. By the 1880’s the will forced to reservations, by the 1890’s the spirit will be crushed.

• Life of the Plains Indians: The horse and gun would completely change the Indian way of life. Tribes switched from farming to Nomadic lifestyles of hunting buffalo. Tribes would have a warrior class and were led by a Chief and tribal council. Small reservations led to small skirmishes. Men and women would have different roles.

• Searching for an Indian Policy: Until the discovery of gold the West was of little interest to whites. It would soon become a thoroughfare for whites to make their fortune. The movement was made to confine them to stay in smaller areas to make way for the great white migration. This would cause wars and massacres. The Sioux War of 1865-1867 would lead to reservations.

Cont’d• Final Battles on the Plains: Young warriors would not be restrained and

certainly were not about to let whites onto land that they had been promised. A series of wars would end with a notable Sioux victory at Little Big Horn in 1876. The Indians were often out numbered and massacred like at Wounded Knee where over 300 men, women, and children were slaughtered in 1890. The army wanted to stop the “Ghost Dances”.

• The End of Tribal Life: The final straw was the push for assimilation. The push was to take away tribal life forever and make the Indians conform to culture. In 1887 the Dawes and Severalty Act was passed which took away communal lands and forced the tribes to break lands up into small farms. Many who left the tribe would become American citizens, the rest were left behind to become mere shadows of what they were. The buffalo were eradicated and by 1900 only about 250,000 Native Americans still remained.

Settlement of the West• Men and Women on the Overland Trail: The gold rush of 1849 gets the

movement West going. Many families left in April from St. Louis and made the 6 month push through the Rockies, leaving behind stories of heroism and garbage.

• Land for the Taking: Between 1860 and 1900 the government would give away one-half billion acres of land. Much of it was sold to states, private corporations, and individuals.

• 128 million: Railroad companies.• 48 million: Homestead Act of 1862.• The land was not suited to support much so changes had to be made: The

Timber Culture Act of 1873 gave land to those who said they would plant trees. The Desert Land Act of 1877 gave land to those who would install irrigation systems. The Newlands Act of 1902 would set aside land and money to turn the West into a “hydraulic society.” Most of the land ended up in the hands of the railroads, large ranchers, and timber companies.

Cont’d

• Territorial Government: The western territories operated much like the early colonies until statehood. Run by governors and judges and often without consent of the settlers. Western politics had a distinct character that separated them from the rest of the nation.

• The Spanish-Speaking Southwest: The Spanish would make several contributions to the Southwest, both cultural and institutional. Irrigation, stock management, cloth weaving, and laws for managing limited resources. By the 1860’s these people would slowly start to lose land holdings.

THE BONANZA WEST

• The Mining Bonanza: Starting with the Gold Rush of 1849 miners and those who provided services rushed west. Surface gold was the first to be mined and then corporations brought in heavy equipment to get the deep mines.

• The Black Hills Rush of 1874 would invade Sioux hunting grounds.• Towns would spring up very quickly around mining towns. Half of the citizens were foreign

born and this would lead to hostility. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1892 would stop immigration for ten years.

• The mining boom would fund in part the Civil War and the discovery of silver would have its effects on the American economy. The boom would leave behind raided Indian reservations and ghost towns.

• It did leave to early statehood for Nevada, Idaho, and Montana.• Gold from the Roots Up: The Cattle Bonanza: The cattle industry was also a huge part of

the West. Longhorn cattle were perfect for the area and would provide the needed meat for the growing plains. Cowboys, many African-Americans and Mexicans, would run the industry. They worked long hours, and despite popular stories there were small incidents of violence. By 1880 wheat farmers would begin to fence off the wild west. The great cattle drives would be over.

Cont’d• Sodbusters on the Plains: The Farming Bonanza: After 1870 millions of American

farmers head for the West to seek the new way of life. By 1900 more than 30% of the population was in the West.

• Many African-Americans headed to the West in order to get away from the terror of the South.

• Those who settled the West found the life to be extremely difficult. Materials were expensive causing many to live in sod houses. Extreme cold, heat, wind, and scarce ground water all lead to problems.

• New Farming Methods: Barbed Wire, and winter resistant wheat made farming possible on a smaller scale. Drought would be a constant battle however.

• Discontent on the Farm: Many farmers were angry about low prices for crops and high prices for everything else. The Grange was founded in order to provide social, cultural, and educational opportunities for Southern farmers and would soon become a political lobby. By 1890 the West is exporting large amounts of wheat and other crops.

• The Final Fling: By 1889 the last large area for Indians would be given away. On April 22 the first of the land runs would take place in Oklahoma.

Important Indian Battles:• The Massacre at Wounded Knee: The last battle between the US Army

and Native Tribes. In order to stop the “Ghost Dance”, which whites were afraid would cause another rebellion. Custer and his men wipe out over 300 Sioux men, women, and children.

• The Sand Creek Massacre: Led by Chief Black Kettle several hundred Cheyenne-Arapaho men, women, and children were killed by Chivingtons men.

• The Battle of Little Big Horn: Led by Chief Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull, a group of 2500 Sioux warriors defeated General Custer and his men. The largest army of Natives ever assembled cut down the army.

• Chief Joseph and The Nez Pierce: Trying to escape to Canada Chief Joseph and his tribe battle the perusing army at several turns. Making the famous “ I will fight no more” speech he and his tribe are sent to Oklahoma were many die of disease.