The Challenges of the Era of Industrialization (1865-1898) Flashcards
(182 cards)
Impact of mechanical reapers and the combine harvester
Identify:
- On economy
- Effect on class division
Replaced hand-held tools to harvest crops. This expanded agricultural output and reduced the man-hours needed for agriculture, so production of corn and wheat soared.
However, the presence of machinery also made the price of corn and wheat plummet. Most small-scale farmers could not afford the large-scale mechanized operations, so went out of business, unable to compete with large farms.
Frustrations of Farmers Post-Civil War
Identify:
- 3 systematic issues affecting farmers
- Railroad companies were overcharging farmers for carrying their produce to Chicago and other destinations.
- Tight supply of currency in the US made it difficult for farmers to pay off debts and drove down commodity prices
- Banks foreclosed on farms
Greenback Party
Formed following the Panic of 1873. It advocated for issuing paper money not backed by gold or silver (as done briefly in the Civil War). This would result in higher prices for crops. The party was disbanded after receiving a million votes in the 1878 congressional elections.
Panic of 1873 & Panic of 1893 on Views on Paper Currency
People called for expanding the money supply and the issuing of paper money not backed by gold or silver. This would have benefitted farmers, who would have received higher prices.
The Grange
A farmers’ organization that pushed for state laws to protect farmers’ interest. It was founded in 1867 and led the fight in the Midwest to regulate railroad rates and make certain corporate practices illegal.
Granger Laws
Laws advocated by the Grange. These involved:
- Regulating railroad rates
- Making certain corporate practices illegal
Munn v. Illinois
1877 decision that upheld the Granger Laws, asserting it was within the government’s permissible powers to regulate private industry.
Wabash v. Illionis
1886 decision that reversed Munn v. Illinois. It ruled that individual states could not regulate railroads because they cross state lines.
Conflict in New Mexico in the 1880’s and 1890’s
Newcomers had been migrating to this area and squatting. The Homestead Act of 1862 gave these squatters a degree of legitimacy in the eyes of the federal government.
Indigenous and Hispano population lost more than 90 percent of their traditional lands and began organizing resistance.
Las Gorras Blancas
Raided settler-held land in New Mexico. They were named after the white caps they wore. Ultimately, they failed in regaining their lost land.
Las Manos Negras
The Black Hands. Raided settler-held land in New Mexico. Ultimately, they failed in regaining their lost land.
United People’s Party
Populist party formed by members of Las Gorras Blancas. It ran for New Mexico legislature in 1890, but failed to regain lands.
Pacific Railway Act of 1862
Accelerated the process of expanding railroad networks by giving companies wide swaths of land. Land grants were given directly to the corporations, rather than the states, which generated large revenue for the companies.
Western Union (Jay Gould)
Controlled the telegraph industry starting 1879.
Alexander Graham Bell
In 1876, he was granted the patent for the telephone.
Timber Culture Act
- Allowed homesteaders to receive additional lands if they agreed to plant trees on a portion of it.
Desert Land Act
- It offered discounted price for land if recipients agreed to irrigate the land.
Pacific Railroad
First transcontinental railroad at Promontory Summit, Utah (1869).
Nevada’s Comstock Lode
Discovered major silver deposits here in 1859. It led to the creation of a major boom town, Virginia city.
Pike’s Peak Country
Gold discovered here in 1858, leading to an influx of people, who established cities such as Denver City and Boulder City.
Denver City and Boulder City
Established as boomtowns following the discovery of gold at Pike’s Peak Country. These led to the rapid establishment of the Colorado Territory.
Process of Mining Operations in the West
- Prospectors hurry to the area. Most do not cash out.
- Deposits along surface are quickly found by placer mining.
- Heavy machinery too expensive for placer miners is brought in, funded by large mining firms.
- Operations traded on international markets, wage workers replace prospectors.
Foreign Miners’ License Tax
- It aimed to prevent Chinese immigrants from mining. Laws such like these pushed Chinese immigrants away from mining and toward other jobs, often doing jobs that other avoided, such as completing the first transcontinental railroad.
The People of the State of California v. George W. Hall
1854 California decision that ruled that Chinese Americans could not testify against whites, making it virtually impossible to persecute crimes of white violence against Chinese-Americans.