I CAN COMPARE AND CONTRAST THE DIFFERENT GROUPS OF PEOPLE WHO MIGRATED TO THE WEST AND DESCRIBE THE PROBLEMS THEY EXPERIENCED.

Michael Quiñones, NBCTwww.socialstudiesguy.com

Macro Concepts Micro Concepts

Migration-mass movement of people to a new location.

 Change-transformation of an object, place or person.

 Environment-Location affected by people, animals or nature.

 Status-the rank or level of a person based on wealth.

 Conflict-problem or issue that is controversial and can cause fighting without compromise.

Citizenship-the status of having rights, freedoms and responsibilities within a country

 Ethnicity-a group a person belongs to based on family, origin and heritage [language and culture are linked].

Boomtowns-towns that emerged after the discovery of valuable natural resources such as oil, silver and gold.

Ghost towns-towns abandoned when valuable resources became scarce.

Vigilance committees-groups of armed men who attempted to keep law and order in boomtowns.

Gold was discovered by prospector (a person search for precious metal such as gold and silver) James Marshall in early 1848. At first the precious metal was found in streams and river beds using primitive search methods such as panning (using a pan to scoop and search for). Later, more advanced mechanized methods were used to quarry (break up and search) entire mountainsides for gold.

After news of Marshall’s discovery spread, thousands of men journeyed to California to strike it rich! The men who arrived west in search of gold in 1849 were called ‘49ers. Many foreign immigrants from China and South America arrived to prospect for gold but were victimized by anti-immigrant laws and violence.

Eventually over 300,000 people arrived in the region forming so-called boomtowns that developed and later expanded west such as San Francisco, California, Dodge City, Kansas and Tombstone, Arizona.

Comstock Lode 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 during 1858 spurring a silver rush in the year 1859. Prospectors who chased silver in 1859 were called the ’59ers.

News of silver deposits caused the population of Nevada to explode, ten of thousands of prospectors flooded the Nevada territory. Because the territory’s population exceeded 60,000, it was soon after admitted as a state in 1864.

The taxes on profits reaped from the silver mines were useful in funding the U.S. military effort during U.S. Civil War.

Western Economic CyclesBoom Towns Ghost Towns

These towns developed rapidly as a result of precious metal or oil discoveries.

Hotels, general stores, saloons, hardware stores and brothels open for business to serve exploding populations

It was often difficult to control crime because there were often no laws established or people willing to maintain order. Almost every man possessed a firearm.

Because nothing great lasts forever and metal mines and oil wells eventually stop producing boomtowns often collapsed.

As demand for labor, goods and services decreased people left towns vacant and moved onto new towns

Owners of businesses, mines and oil wells abandoned entire cities and counties

The newly “peopleless” towns became known as ghost towns.

On June 9, 1851 the citizens San Francisco, fed up with the out of control robberies, muggings, murders and arson related fires, as well as a city government that could not or would not control the situation, finally took matters into their own hands with the formation of the Committee of Vigilance. On June 13th the Alta newspaper printed the following statement, “WHEREAS it has become apparent to the citizens of San Francisco that there is no security for life and property, either under the regulations of society as it at present exists, or under the law as now administered; therefore the citizens, whose names are hereunto attached, do unite themselves into an association for the maintenance of the peace and good order of society, and the preservation of the lives and property of the citizens of San Francisco, and do bind ourselves, each unto the other, to do and perform every lawful act for the maintenance of law and order, and to sustain the laws when faithfully and properly administered; but we are determined that no thief, burglar, incendiary or assassin, shall escape punishment, either by the quibbles of the law, the insecurity of prisons, the carelessness or corruption of the police, or a laxity of those who pretend to administer justice.” --My Gold Rush Tales by John Putnam

To control rampant crime groups of citizens organized themselves to confront outlaws and bring them to justice.

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.

Morrill Land Grant Act

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.

Life for U.S. Settlers on the Great Plains

Life for settlers on the Great Plains was extremely harsh and challenging. During summer months temperatures were regularly greater than 100 degrees. During the winters extreme cold temperatures and severe snow storms were

frequent. 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.

Occasional swarms of grasshoppers/locusts could also destroy crops within hours.

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

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

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.

I CAN IDENTIFY INNOVATIONS IN AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY AND BUSINESS PRACTICES AND ASSESS THEIR IMPACT ON THE WEST.

Michael Quiñones, NBCTwww.socialstudiesguy.com

Macro Concepts

Change-the transformation of a person, place or thing.Transportation-the willing or forced relocation of an object to a

different area.

Micro Concepts

Industrialization-the process of people producing things using mass production and machinery.

National economy-a financial system controlled by a central government.

Vertical Integration-the complete control of all aspects/parts of a company’s business.

Horizontal Integration-the complete control of an entire type of business [ex. An oil company takes over other oil companies].

Michael Quiñones, NBCTwww.socialstudiesguy.com

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.

WindmillsWindmills 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.

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.

Michael Quiñones, NBCTwww.socialstudiesguy.com

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.

Example of farming cooperative Click on link belowMichael Quiñones, NBCTwww.socialstudiesguy.com

Gilded AgeGilded Age Time period from 1870-1910 when a small number of Americans Time period from 1870-1910 when a small number of Americans

became extremely wealthy due to their exploitation of Laissez Faire became extremely wealthy due to their exploitation of Laissez Faire policies of the U.S. Government.policies of the U.S. Government.

Railroads, The Steel industry and Oil companies controlled their Railroads, The Steel industry and Oil companies controlled their business sectors with complete control.business sectors with complete control.

Competition between businesses was limited and prices of goods Competition between businesses was limited and prices of goods were very high.were very high.

There was a huge disparity [difference] between the rich and poor.There was a huge disparity [difference] between the rich and poor.

The decadent Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC

Captains of IndustryCaptains of Industry

So-called captains of industry were large and wealthy business owners So-called captains of industry were large and wealthy business owners who were ruthless and did everything they could to be financially who were ruthless and did everything they could to be financially successful by controlling their types of business. They were called successful by controlling their types of business. They were called captains of industry as a result of their tactics.captains of industry as a result of their tactics.

These men became very wealthy and powerful because they controlled These men became very wealthy and powerful because they controlled huge amounts of money.huge amounts of money.

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.

Money was saved by Carnegie because he did not have to use outside companies at any time to make and eventually sell his product.

•Sale•Production•Labor•Raw materials

Michael Quiñones, NBCTwww.socialstudiesguy.com

John D. RockefellerJohn 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 businessMichael Quiñones, NBCT

www.socialstudiesguy.com

RAFT paper Select one of the following options to write a first person narrative about.

[1] Joseph Glidden, the inventor of barbed wire, describing how you believe your invention will improve farmers’ businesses or you’re a cattle rancher who uses the Open Range to graze your cattle and this invention is a huge obstacle.

[2] You’re a farmer deciding whether to invest in a very expensive windmill and you are weighing the costs of the device to decide if its worth the money.

[3] You’re a railroad company executive who has invested millions of dollars on new refrigerated cars or you are a corn or pig farmer who is deciding how and why this will help you make more money.

[4] You’re Andrew Carnegie and planning to unveil your vertical integration business plan and want to explain how it will benefit your company or you’re a steel competitor of Carnegie and must find a way to stay in business now.

[5] You’re John D. Rockefeller and planning to unveil your horizontal integration business plan and want to explain how it will benefit your company or you’re an oil competitor of Rockefeller and must find a way to stay in business now.

I CAN DESCRIBE THE CAUSES AND EFFECTS OF THE FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES THAT PLAGUED THE AMERICAN FARMER AND TRACE THE RISE AND DECLINE OF POPULISM.

Michael Quiñones, NBCTwww.socialstudiesguy.com

Macro Concepts

Innovation-the method of advancing and improving the way of doing something.

Conflict-problem or issue that is controversial and can cause problems without compromise.

Micro Concepts

Inflation-rising prices of resources due to scarcity.Deflation-falling prices of resources due to oversupply.Supply and demand-amount and desire for a resource.Populism-political movement led and controlled by

citizens [mostly late 1800s farmers] to change the government.

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.

As a result of political pressure it placed on members of Congress and several lawsuits the power of railroads to charge excessive fees for freight transportation was decreased.

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.

These farmers’ groups combined forces to fight their economic enemies (e.g. railroads) by forcing them to negotiate with large numbers of farmers instead of single farmers.

U.S. Money Policies 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.

Federal 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. This ruling gave railroads more power to charge unfair transport fees.

Railroads were worried about the power of large companies (their biggest customers) demands for rebates on freight charges.

Munn vs. Illinois in 1887 the Court ruled that states could regulate businesses within their borders. This ruling gave states more power protect farmers from unfair transport fees charged by railroads.

Omaha PlatformThe 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 BryanIn 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

Assignment: Letter

Write a letter to the President of the United States or the Congress

You can be a railroad company owner

You can be a poor farmer

You must explain why the federal government should create laws to support your side.

You should be convincing and use examples from what you learned.

I CAN evaluate the impact that settlement in the West

had upon different groups of people and upon the

environment.

Michael Quiñones, NBCTwww.socialstudiesguy.com

Macro Concepts

Migration-the mass movement of people from one place to another.

 Environment-Location affected by people, animals and weather. Status-Rank or level of a person based on wealth/education. Resources-Items that can be used for benefit or making things. Conflict-Problem or issue that is controversial and can cause

problems with compromise.

Micro Concepts

Assimilation-The act of foreigners mixing/blending in with the existing population.

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.

Sand Creek Massacre

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.

Battle of Little Bighorn 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.

The Sacred Buffalo The American buffalo, sometimes

referred to as the bison, was the most important natural resource to Native-American people in the western territories.

This animal was usually peaceful but very unpredictable and subject to attack people at any minute.

Before American settlers moved west there believed to be tens of millions of buffalo.

By 1900 there were less than 1,000 wild buffalo left due to mindless slaughter by tourists on train tours.

Native Americans used every part of the animal (i.e. meat, hide, bones, horns, etc.)

Buffalo Soldiers 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.

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.

Assignment: What if? After thinking about the events you learned about involving

Western Expansion you need to think about how things could have been different [you may make things better or worse].

Select one of the events/incidents that occurred (anywhere in the slide show) and explain about how things could or should have been different. In other words, What if things happened differently?

You must complete one of the following:

[a] 8-panel cartoon strip (with relevant dialogue)[b] diary entry (one full side of a handwritten page or 200 words

12 pt Arial font)[c] speech (must be recited to the class and be 3 minutes long)[d] newspaper/magazine article (must have a news paper

name and headline and use the template on Angel or printed)[e] poster/advertisement (one full side of a handwritten page or

200 words 12 pt Arial font)[f] foldable brochure (must have three sides, use a MS Publisher

template or create it by hand)

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committee.jpg&imgrefurl=http://mygoldrushtales.com/2011/11/14/the-committee-of-vigilance-organizes/&usg=__YHU2xWCCQc8yb0HTFfdr73W0s2k=&h=461&w=600&sz=114&hl=en&start=19&zoom=1&tbnid=85u-49pSvNcq_M:&tbnh=104&tbnw=135&ei=uiK-UM7PFora8wT8lYDgDg&prev=/search%3Fq%3DVigilance%2Bcommittee%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1

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