Politics & ProgressPolitics & Progress

Chapter 19Chapter 19

Main Idea: Politics & Main Idea: Politics & ProgressProgress

► Cotton, Cotton, CattleCattle, , and Railroads and Railroads EraEra

► During the late During the late 1800s, Texas 1800s, Texas experienced a experienced a lot of lot of growthgrowth..

► Railroads Railroads expandedexpanded, , farmingfarming boomed boomed, , and and industriesindustries and populations and populations grew.grew.

Main Street Waco, Texas in late 1800s

Democrats Control State Democrats Control State PoliticsPolitics

► In 1874 In 1874 DemocratsDemocrats returned to power in returned to power in Texas and a new stateTexas and a new state constitution constitution was was written in 1876 – written in 1876 –

► This is the state’s current constitution! This is the state’s current constitution! (more than (more than 400400 amendments have since amendments have since been added).been added).

► The new Constitution created a The new Constitution created a government with limited powers. government with limited powers.

► Provisions included:Provisions included: 1) it 1) it limitedlimited the power of the the power of the governorgovernor 2) made the legislature meet every 2) made the legislature meet every 2 2

yearsyears and set and set term limits term limits on the legislatureon the legislature 3) 3) loweredlowered state employees’ salaries state employees’ salaries 4) guaranteed low4) guaranteed low taxes taxes 5) 5) reducedreduced money to be spent on money to be spent on

educationeducation

Democrats Control State Democrats Control State PoliticsPolitics

Democrats Control State Democrats Control State PoliticsPolitics

►Sometimes African Sometimes African Americans were Americans were threatenedthreatened, , denieddenied jobs jobs, or , or harmedharmed if they if they tried to take part in politics or tried to take part in politics or vote.vote.

Women Fight for Their Women Fight for Their RightsRights

►Although women in Although women in Texas made up about Texas made up about halfhalf of the population of the population by 1900, they did not by 1900, they did not have the samehave the same legal legal rights rights as men.as men.

► The The Women’s Christian Women’s Christian Temperance Union Temperance Union was was the first Texas group to the first Texas group to endorse suffrage. endorse suffrage.

Women Fight for Their Women Fight for Their RightsRights

►The women The women of Texas of Texas would not would not get the get the right to right to vote vote (nationally) (nationally) until until after after World War World War II..

Texans Demand RailroadsTexans Demand Railroads

►Before 1900 most people traveled Before 1900 most people traveled by by wagonswagons and and buggies.buggies.

►Poor transportation Poor transportation slowed slowed Texas’ development.Texas’ development.

►Farmers and Merchants could Farmers and Merchants could only market goods in nearby only market goods in nearby areas – not many opportunities to areas – not many opportunities to make make profitsprofits..

Texans Demand RailroadsTexans Demand Railroads

►Before the Civil War, only 400 Before the Civil War, only 400 miles of miles of railroadrailroad in Texas. in Texas.

►1872 – First Rail connections 1872 – First Rail connections with other with other statesstates made. made.

►TownsTowns paid railroads to build paid railroads to build tracks in their tracks in their citiescities..

Texans Demand RailroadsTexans Demand Railroads► By 1900 By 1900 10,00010,000 miles of track in Texas. miles of track in Texas.

► Travel times across the state went from Travel times across the state went from days or weeks to days or weeks to hourshours..

►New towns New towns built built near railroads. Existing near railroads. Existing towns near railroads towns near railroads grewgrew up. Towns up. Towns located away or outside of railroads located away or outside of railroads drieddried up.up.

► Towns where rail lines met became center Towns where rail lines met became center ofof business business – Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas, – Houston, Fort Worth, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio – grew into major Austin, San Antonio – grew into major cities.cities.

Texans Demand RailroadsTexans Demand Railroads

►Results of the growth of railroads:Results of the growth of railroads: Allowed raw Allowed raw materialmaterial in Texas to be in Texas to be

sent to northern sent to northern marketsmarkets Texans had fast, inexpensive, and Texans had fast, inexpensive, and

reliablereliable transportation transportation Caused the Caused the industrializationindustrialization of Texas of Texas

T&P 610 – owned by TX State Railroad

Monopolies Use Unfair Monopolies Use Unfair TacticsTactics

► In the late 1800s, large companies In the late 1800s, large companies that operated in Texas joined that operated in Texas joined together and formed together and formed trusts. trusts.

► These trusts: These trusts: Prevented other companies from selling Prevented other companies from selling

the same the same productproduct or service; or service; Reduced or eliminated Reduced or eliminated competitioncompetition Could hold a Could hold a monopoly monopoly on a business, on a business,

which allowed them to pay very which allowed them to pay very lowlow prices for materials they bought and prices for materials they bought and charge very charge very highhigh prices for the goods prices for the goods they soldthey sold

Overall, companies formed trusts to Overall, companies formed trusts to ensure their business partners would ensure their business partners would have have controlcontrol over an over an industryindustry..

Cycle of DebtCycle of Debt

►Farmers worried about shrinking Farmers worried about shrinking profitsprofits received from their crops. received from their crops.

►Farmers found themselves in a Farmers found themselves in a cyclecycle of of debtdebt they could not get they could not get out of.out of.

Cycle of DebtCycle of Debt1.1. CottonCotton prices fell during 1875 and prices fell during 1875 and

remained low through 1900. remained low through 1900.

2.2. To offset the drop in prices, farmers To offset the drop in prices, farmers borrowed extra money to buy more land, borrowed extra money to buy more land, equipment, seed, and other supplies to equipment, seed, and other supplies to produce more crops = produce more crops = overproductionoverproduction..

3.3. This overproduction This overproduction droppeddropped the price of the price of cotton even more.cotton even more.

4.4. With lower crop prices and increased debts With lower crop prices and increased debts from land/equipment/seed purchases, from land/equipment/seed purchases, many farmers could not get out of the many farmers could not get out of the cycle of debt. They must cycle of debt. They must produceproduce more more and more and more cropscrops to try to pay debts and to try to pay debts and make profits.make profits.

Cycle of Debt

Cotton prices drop

Cotton prices drop

Overproduction

Overproduction

New Laws Prohibits TrustsNew Laws Prohibits Trusts► 1889 - TX legislature passed 1889 - TX legislature passed antitrust antitrust

laws laws stopping companies from joining stopping companies from joining together to fix prices or limit production.together to fix prices or limit production.

►Main reason for antitrust laws - unfair Main reason for antitrust laws - unfair business practices by business practices by railroadsrailroads..

Governor Hogg Regulates Governor Hogg Regulates the Railroadsthe Railroads

►At the request of At the request of Governor James Governor James S. Hogg S. Hogg in 1891, the legislature in 1891, the legislature createdcreated the the Texas Railroad Texas Railroad CommissionCommission, a state agency to , a state agency to regulate railroads operatingregulate railroads operating in in Texas.Texas.

►Soon, many railroads ceased Soon, many railroads ceased unfair practices, such as unfair practices, such as fixingfixing prices and prices and chargingcharging more for more for short hauls than for long hauls.short hauls than for long hauls.

Governor Hogg Regulates Governor Hogg Regulates the Railroadsthe Railroads

►Since then, the Railroad Since then, the Railroad Commission has been expanded to Commission has been expanded to regulate other industries, regulate other industries, particularly the particularly the oil industryoil industry..

►Governor Hogg is remembered as Governor Hogg is remembered as one of Texas’s most one of Texas’s most important important governors, in part, because of his governors, in part, because of his establishment of the Texas Railroad establishment of the Texas Railroad Commission. Commission.

Advancements in Agricultural Advancements in Agricultural IndustriesIndustries

►Barbed Wire Barbed Wire – fencing that prevented cattle – fencing that prevented cattle and other animals from destroying cropsand other animals from destroying crops

►WindmillsWindmills – allowed cattle, sheep, goats, and – allowed cattle, sheep, goats, and crops to be watered on a farmer’s land, they crops to be watered on a farmer’s land, they did not have to be near a river or water sourcedid not have to be near a river or water source

► IrrigationIrrigation – is an artificial application of water – is an artificial application of water to the soil; usually used to assist the growing to the soil; usually used to assist the growing of crops in dry areas and during period of of crops in dry areas and during period of inadequate rainfallinadequate rainfall