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Overview of Westward Expansion Factors

May 8, 2025

Heimler's History: Unit 6 Review - Settlement of the West (1877-1898)

Overview

  • Time period covered: 1865 to 1898
  • Focus: Economics of westward expansion
  • Main goal: Explain causes and effects of the settlement of the West from 1877 to 1898

Mechanization of Agriculture

  • Shift from manual labor to machine-based farming
    • Key Machines: Mechanical reaper and combine harvester
    • Effects:
      1. Increased crop production (e.g., corn and wheat production doubled between 1870-1900)
      2. Small farmers displaced due to inability to compete with larger, mechanized farms
      3. Glut in crop market leading to lower prices, harming small farmers

Economic Challenges for Farmers

  • High Costs:
    • Industrial trusts kept prices high on manufactured goods
    • Farmers reliant on railroads faced high shipping costs
  • Resulted in economic difficulties for all farmers

Farmer Resistance: National Grange Movement

  • Established in 1868
  • Aimed to unite farmers for socialization, education, and political action
  • Key Legislation:
    • Granger Laws: Regulated railroad rates and corporate practices
    • Commerce Act of 1886: Required reasonable railroad rates and established the Interstate Commerce Commission

Expansion of Railroads

  • Federal support for westward migration
  • Pacific Railroads Acts:
    • Land grants to railroad companies
    • Completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869
    • Facilitated mass migration westward

Homestead Act of 1862

  • Offered 160 acres of land to settlers under the condition of farming it
  • Challenges:
    • Mechanization led to small farms being absorbed
    • 160 acres often insufficient to sustain a farm

Discovery and Extraction of Precious Metals

  • Continued interest in gold and silver from as early as 1848
  • Examples:
    • 1869: Gold discovery in Pike's Peak led to 100,000 migrants to Kansas and Nebraska territories
    • Boomtowns arose, such as Denver City and Boulder City
  • Resulted in ethnically diverse settlements

Conclusion

  • Understanding these dynamics is essential for a comprehensive grasp of Unit 6 topic 2 of the AP U.S. History curriculum.
  • Importance for achieving academic success (A in class, 5 on exam).
  • Encouragement to subscribe for more educational content.

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