Overview
This lecture covers the transformations in the South and West from 1865 to 1900, focusing on economic, social, and political changes, race relations, westward migration, and Native American experiences.
Emergence of the New South
- The "New South" promoted industrialization, diversification of agriculture, and manufacturing, led by figures like Henry Grady.
- Textile, tobacco (Duke family), steel (Birmingham), and Coca-Cola industries grew rapidly.
- Railroads unified the region but made the South economically dependent on the North.
Southern Economy and Societal Changes
- Sharecropping and the crop lien system dominated, trapping poor farmers (Black and white) in cycles of debt and poverty.
- The crop lien system required farmers to use future crops as credit, often at high interest rates.
- Cotton remained the primary crop; low prices exacerbated economic problems.
Jim Crow Laws and Disenfranchisement
- Southern states enacted laws to disenfranchise African Americans, including poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses.
- Segregation became institutionalized after Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), legalizing "separate but equal" facilities.
- African American responses ranged from activism (Ida B. Wells, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois) to migration and community organization.
Migration and Settlement of the West
- Postwar West attracted exodusters (freed slaves), white Americans, immigrants from Europe, Mexico, and Asia.
- Experiences of miners, farmers, ranchers, and women included harsh conditions, violence, and economic opportunity.
- Corporate mining gradually replaced individual prospectors; boomtowns emerged and faded quickly.
Life and Economy in the West
- The cattle industry and railroads fueled economic growth; towns like Chicago became meatpacking centers.
- Homestead Act of 1862 spurred settlement, but many settlers struggled with environmental and economic challenges.
- Women's roles expanded for survival; many became heads of households or community leaders.
Impact on Native Americans
- Federal policies forced Native Americans onto reservations (Treaty of Fort Laramie, Medicine Lodge Treaty).
- Violent conflicts (Sand Creek Massacre, Little Bighorn, Wounded Knee) led to loss of land and lives.
- Assimilation policies (boarding schools, Dawes Act) undermined tribal cultures and sovereignty.
Changes by 1900
- By 1900, both South and West had transformed: South was more industrial but still poor, West was settled but marked by exploitation and displacement.
- The closing of the frontier in 1890 and the rise of the Populist movement reflected new social and political tensions.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Crop Lien System — Credit system where crops were used as collateral for loans, trapping farmers in debt.
- Sharecropping — Farming system where tenants gave a portion of crops to landowners instead of paying rent.
- Jim Crow Laws — State laws enforcing racial segregation in the South.
- Exodusters — African American migrants who moved west after the Civil War.
- Boomtowns — Rapidly growing towns around mining sites in the West.
- Homestead Act — 1862 law granting 160 acres to settlers if they improved the land for five years.
- Dawes Act — 1887 law divided tribal land among individuals to encourage assimilation.
- Plessy v. Ferguson — 1896 Supreme Court case upholding racial segregation as "separate but equal."
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review the economic impacts of the crop lien and sharecropping systems.
- Compare Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois's approaches to advancing African American rights.
- Prepare to discuss Native American resistance and changing federal policies in the West.
- Read about the causes and outcomes of the Populist movement.