The document summarizes key events in the American West between 1865-1890. It describes the destruction of the buffalo, conflict between Native Americans and settlers over land, and massacres like Sand Creek and Wounded Knee. It also discusses the cattle industry, homesteading, railroads, agricultural colleges, economic struggles of farmers, the rise of the Populist movement and party, and their platform which called for bimetallism and financial reforms to help farmers.

1. Chapter 5 Changes in the West 1865-1890

2. Native Americans Land was communal – no one person or tribe could own land Buffalo was central to life

3. All parts of Buffalo were used

4. The buffalo were destroyed by settlers and tourists who shot them for sport

5. 1800: 65 million buffalo roamed the plains

6. By 1890, less than 1000 buffalo remained

7. Settlers Push Westward Viewed Native American land as unsettled Advanced to claim land Gold was discovered in Colorado – intensified the rush for land

8. Natives and Settlers Clash 1834 – all of Great Plains set aside as “Indian Lands” 1850s – Policy shift – native get smaller amounts of land

9. Culture Clash Sand Creek Massacre – U.S. army attacks 150 native women and children killed

10. Custer’s Last Stand Colonel Custer and infantry reach Little Big Horn Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull lead tribe Outflank and crush Custer’s troops

13. Battle of Wounded Knee December 1890- 7 th Cavalry (Custer’s old regiment) rounded up 350 Sioux and took them to Wounded Knee, SD 7 th Cavalry slaughtered 350 unarmed Natives The corpses were left to freeze

15. Assimilation

16. Dawe’s Act 1887 Attempted to assimilate natives Would break up reservations and introduce natives into American life – farming, etc By 1932 2/3rds of the land committed to Natives had been taken

17. Growing Demand for beef After the Civil war the demand for beef rose sharply Urbanization and the rise of the railroad contributed to this Chicago Union Stock Yards

18. Chisholm Trail Thousands of cattle driven from Texas to Kansas Abilene, KS – place where trail met the railroads

19. The End of the Open Range Overgrazing, bad weather, and the invention of barbed wire led to the end of the cattle drive

20. Settling on the Great Plains Homestead Act – federal land policy Gave 160 free acres to any “head of household” Had to live on and farm land for 5 years

21. Exodusters African Americans – moved from South to Kansas Took advantage of land deals

22. Oklahoma Sooners In a less than a day 2 millions acres of government land being given away was claimed by settlers Some took possession of the land before the government officially declared it open – thus Oklahoma became known as the “Sooner State”

23. Hardships Droughts, floods, fires, blizzards, locust plagues, bandits No neighbors nearby

24. Soddies Homes were built from the land itself Dug out of the sides of ravines or hills If land was flat made homes out of dirt

25. Despite these hardships, the number of people living west of the Mississippi grew from 1% of the nations population to 30% by 1900

26. Increased Technology Helped Farmers 1837- John Deere steel plow – slice through heavy soil 1847 – reaper – invented by Cyrus McCormick

27. Age of the Railroads More people moved west and the railroads were born Government gave land grants to the railroads to help it grow

28. Transcontinental Railroad Completed in 1890 with help from Chinese workers

29. FARMER EDUCATION SUPPORTED The federal government financed agricultural education The Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890 gave federal land to states to help finance agricultural colleges

30. FARMERS AND THE POPULIST MOVEMENT In the late 1800s, many farmers were struggling Crop prices were falling, debt increased Mortgages were being foreclosed by banks

31. ECONOMIC DISTRESS HITS FARMERS Between 1867 and 1887 the price of a bushel of wheat fell from $2.00 to 68 cents Railroads conspired to keep transport costs artificially high Farmers got caught in a cycle of debt

32. FARMERS ORGANIZE FOR CHANGE 1867 – Oliver Hudson Kelley started the Grange By 1870, the Grange spent most of their time fighting the railroads Soon the Grange and other Farmer Alliances numbered over 4 million members

33. POPULIST PARTY IS BORN Leaders of the farmers organization realized they needed to build a base of political power Populism – the movement of the people – was born in 1892 with the founding of the Populist, or People’s Party THIS POLITICAL CARTOON SHOWS A POPULIST CLUBBING A RAILROAD CAR

34. POPULIST REFORMS economic reforms- increase of money supply (gold and silver standard), a rise in crop prices, lower taxes, a federal loan program political reforms- direct election of senators, single terms for presidents Populists also called for an 8-hour workday and reduced immigration

35. POPULISTS MAKE GAINS In the 1892 Presidential election, the Populist candidate won almost 10% of the vote In the West, the party elected 5 senators, 3 governors and 1,500 state legislators FRED AND PHIL VOTED FOR THE PEOPLE’S PARTY

37. SILVER OR GOLD? The central issue of the 1896 Presidential campaign was which metal would be the basis of the nation’s monetary system Bimetallism (those who favored using both) vs. those that favored the Gold Standards alone

38. BRYAN AND THE “CROSS OF GOLD” Republicans favored the Gold standard and nominated William McKinley Democrats favored Bimetallism and nominated William Jennings Bryan Despite Bryan’s stirring words, “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold,” McKinley won the 1896 election BRYAN’S CROSS OF GOLD SPEECH

39. THE END OF POPULISM With McKinley’s election victory, Populism collapsed , burying the hopes of the farmer Populism left two important legacies: 1) A message that the downtrodden can organize and be heard and 2) An agenda of reforms , many of which would be enacted in the 20 th century THE PEOPLE’S PARTY WAS SHORT-LIVED BUT LEFT AN IMPORTANT LEGACY