6.2 Westward Expansion and Economic Development Flashcards
What was a massive change that occurred in the frontier agriculturally during the late 1800s?
The mechanization of the west
What does the mechanization of agriculture in the west mean and how it a change from before the late 1800s?
Farming was being done more by machines and not as much done by hand
What are two examples of new technologies that facilitated the mechanization of western agriculture?
The Mechanical Reaper and Combine Harvester
What are two significant effects of the mechanical reaper and Combine harvester on western agriculture?
- Production of corn and wheat doubled from 1870-1890
- Growing obsolescence of small farmers
What was an economic effect of the large increase of crop production And how did that impact small farmers?
The law of Supply-and-Demand meant that the prices of all goods would decrease significantly therefore decreasing the money small farmers could make
What factors led to a decrease of small farmers and increased troubles for small farmers? (4)
- Decreasing value of crops due to the mechanization of agriculture
- Increase of large farmers who could out produce small farmers
- Industrial trusts kept prices high on manufactured goods
- Railroad owners increased the prices of shipping goods
What was a result of the increasing troubles for small farmers?
The National Grange Movement
What people made up the National Grange Movement?
Small farmers who wanted change
What was the impact of the National Grange Movement?
They pushed many midwestern states to pass laws regulating:
- railroad rates
- Corporate practices that were hurting farmers illegally
What was the most significant Granger Law?
The Commerce Act of 1868
What was the Commerce Act of 1868?
- Required railroad rates to be reasonable just and
- Created the Interstate Commerce Commission
Why did the government support railroad building across the country?
They could see that railroads could facilitate western migration
What were some examples of acts passed in the 1860s by the government which aided western expansion
- Pacific Railroads Act
- Homestead Act
What was the Pacific Railroad Act?
Granted lots of land to railroad companies that would build a transcontinental railroad
When was the Transcontinental Railroad completed and where?
At Promontory Point in 1869
What did the Homestead Act say?
Granted potential migrants 160 acres of free land on the condition that they would farm it and settle it
Why was the Homestead Act not beneficial to settlers?
- The small farms would later be gobbled up by larger ones
- 160 acres in the Midwest was not enough to make a living
What were major causes of westward expansion In the late 1800s?
- Discovery of precious metals
- Government granting of land (Homestead Act)
- Expansion of railroads
What are some examples of the continuation of gold rushes throughout the later half of the 19th century?
- Pike’s Peak
What was the name of settlements that sprang up out of an influx of settlers searching for precious metals?
Boomtowns
What is a historical example of a boomtown and what gold rushes was it associated with?
Denver and Boulder City near Pike’s Peak
What area of the country did the boomtowns in the west mirror culturally?
The urban areas out east because of their diversity
