Ch. 10.1-10.2 Flashcards
lode
rich vein of gold or silver
vigilante
self appointed law enforcers
transcontinental railroad
a railroad that stretches across a continent from coast to coast
subsidy
financial aid
gauge
widths
network
system of connected lines
consolidate
combine
rebate
discounts
pool
several railroad companies that agreed to divide up the business in an area
cattle drive
the herding and moving of cattle (usually to railroad lines)
vaquero
skilled riders who herded cattle on ranches in mexico, california and the southwest
cowtown
a settlement that grew up at the end of a cattle trail
sod house
house made of thickly-rooted prairie grass
sodbuster
a farmer or farm worker who plows the land
cooperative
working together to a goal
wholesale
the selling of goods in large quantities to be retailed to others
inflation
a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money
morrill acts
acts that provided public land for agricultural colleges
comstock lode
henry comstock became a partner in a gold mine in nevada that was rich in gold and silver- reffered to as “lodge”
what was the richest silver mine in the world
lodge in nevada `
boomtowns
towns that sprang up around mines- ceter of food, clothing, and other supplies; hotels, stores, and restuarants replaced tents as towns grew
ghost towns
old boomtowns that became deserted once the mines dried up
what did the railroads allow and bring to the west
they allowed quick economic growth of the west and brought economic growth and new settlement to the west
where was the union pacific railroad
started nebraska and headed west
where was the central pacific railroad
started in california and headed east
what did the union pacific railroad do
forever changed the west
how did seattle and los angeles grow so quickly
they developed where the railroads met
how were 8 of the states created
railroads led to the growth of territories
what did early trains make people do and why
only allowed people to travel short distances before they had to change trains because the trains used different gauges for thier tracks
what new network allowed for more transportation throughout the nation
made gauges match those in the north
george westinghouse
developed the loocomotive air brake
george pullman
developed sleeping cars
sleeping cars
trains with beds
cornelius vanderbuilt
used ruthless tactics to buy up railroads; once owned 4500 mile of track
what did railroads offer to make more profits
secret rebates to wealthy customers
why were small railroad companies running out of business and who suffered the hardest
railroad companies set up pools and raised their prices; farmers suffered the hardest
what led to the populist movement; what happened when laws were passed for the populist movement
farmers suffering; law officials were bribed
what jobs did railroads create
lumberjacks, miners, and steelworkers laid down tracks, built bridges, carved tunnels, and built many stations
what developed when railriads were built
organizations
where did railroads bring settlement
all parts of the nation
what did railroads make america
an industrial nation
longhorn
large herds of cattle
what had an increase in demand after the civil war, who did this help and how did it help them
the demand for beef increased which helped ranchers to use longhorn for commercial purposes
how did the chisholm trail become one of the most well known trails
cattle drivers
cowhands
helped to move cattle
who were cowhands
former confederate soldiers, mexican americans, and african americans
what did vaqueros do
teach cowhands to tame cattle
what were challenges cowhands faced
prairie dogs rattlesnakes thunderstorms moving rivers grass fires cattle thieves stampedes
how were cowhands paid
in food, housing, and were paid $1 a day
where did cattle drives end
cow towns or railroad lines
why were dance halls, saloons, hotels, and restaurants placed down strategically and why were most supplies brought to these locations
cowhands spent their money here
what did cattle kingdom lead to
high profits
what did farmers fence in their land with and why
they used barbed wire to close off the open range so sheepherders would not take their cattle
what did texas fever do
killed many cattle
homestead act
160 acres of land given to head of the household, they could not serve in confederacy, paid a small fee, and improved the land for 5 years
who suffered from the homestead act
farmers
where did mexicanos settle
in the west
what did the oklahoma land rush lead to
boomers and sooners
what was the difference between boomers and sooners
boomers arrived illegally to take the land while sooners had not
what houses were used on the plains
sod houses instead of wooden houses
what plow made farming easier
steel plow
windmills
used to pump wells
what was the weather like on the plains
hot summers and cold, snowy winters
what did women on the plains do
preserved food for winters and often made materials
how were many hurt in the 1890s
economically
what were homesteaders
self sufficient
why did farmers work together in a cooperative and what did they buy in a wholesale at lower prices
to reduce shipping rates and raise profits, they bought supplies in a wholesale in lower prices
what was the national grange (and the farmers alliance) used for
political power
what did farmer and labor unions create in 1892
populists
what did the populist party demand and support
they demanded better working conditions like an 8 hour workday and pushed for silver to be put into circulation- bankers opposed it because inflation would occur; they supported the gold standard
who were the people running in the election of 1896
-william jennings bryan: a democrat who supported the populist agenda -william mckinley: a republican who supported the gold standard
who won the election of 1896
william mckinley
