The Great West And

The Great West and

the Agricultural Revolution

(1865-1896)

Chapter 26

1. Between 1850 and 1890, analyze (Give Details) the six reasons for the

decimation of the Plains Indians’ cultures. (treaty system, reservation system, disease, wars, buffalo, federal legislation) * You can introduce any of the factoids

from #2 if and when you feel it’s appropriate

2. Define the following and include a statement of its impact on history.

Buffalo Soldiers –

Sand Creek Chivingston Massacre – (1864) –

Sitting Bull –

George Custer –

Battle of Little Bighorn –

Chief Joseph –

Geronimo –

firewater –

“Buffalo Bill Cody” –

Century of Dishonor –(1881)

Dawes Severalty Act (1887) –

3. What were the major gold and silver discoveries of the late 19th century and what

were their impacts on the economic/political structures of the day?

4. What was the “Long Drive” and what economic and cultural value did it hold in

American history?

5. What killed the “Long Drive” and brought to an end the “heyday” of the cowboy?

6. Homestead Act (1862) – What was it, why was it significant and how was it

corrupted?

7. Who were the “sodbusters”?

8. Where and why was “dry farming” needed and what was its inherent problem?

9. What eventually solved the problems of lack of water in the Midwest?

** What was Frederick Jackson Turner’s thesis in his “The Significance of the

Frontier in American History”?

10. What was the “safety valve” theory in regards to the West and how true was it?

11. As farming became mechanized, what was the vicious economic cycle farmers

were perpetually caught in?

12. State five obstacles farmers had to contend with to make a living?

13. Farmer Organizations – Define the purpose and “success” of the following

Grangers (National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry) / Oliver Kelly –

Greenback Labor Party (James Weaver) –

Farmer’s Alliance

Populist Party – People’s Party

Mary Lease –

Coin’s Financial School –

** Using the elements provided at the end of the question, explain why these revolutionary agrarian groups were unable to succeed in changing the government’s policies. (Wabash case, Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890, McKinley Tariff and Democratic platform of 1896, labor’s desire, Hanna’s slush fund)

14. “Coxey’s Army”- (1894)What grievances did they have and what did they want

the Federal Government to do about it? Were they successful?

15. Pullman Strike (1894) – What were the demands of the American Railway

Union and what was Cleveland’s response? What was the significance of the

outcome to the labor movement in the late 19th century?

16. Identify: Eugene V. Debs, Richard Olney

- Debs –

- Olney –

17. Who were the candidates for both parties and what were their respective

platforms?

18. Who was Marcus Alonzo Hanna and how did he help to “engineer” McKinley’s

election?

19. What was the significance of the outcome of the election of 1896?

20. What eventually ended the currency distresses at the end of the 19th century so

that by 1900 silver coinage had lost its luster and farmer/laborer had mild

inflation?