Monday -
- Indians didn't like the railroad as it took up a lot of land as long as with farmers
- The government gave railroad land grants because they also wanted to move west and they wanted us to expand our territory
- Middle and southern states gained thousands of railroads throughout 40 years
How did railroads and the Homestead Act help settle the Great Plains?
- Gave 160 acres of land to people and freed slaves
- Land speculators "stole" much of the land that that was set aside for the Homestead Act
- People were able to travel
What challenges did settlers/farmers face on the Great Plains?
- Difficult to find food
- Bad weather
- Hard to communicate
- Grasshopper Plagues (ate the crops)
- Hard work
- Native Americans were still living on the plains
- Lack of trees
- Railroad prices / Debt (High prices. Farmers mortgaged their farms to buy more seed and supplies)
- Locusts covered 1/3 of the United States. They were extinct as of 1902.
How did settlers/farmer solve some of these problems?
- Lived in Soddy's (Houses made of dirt. Warm in the winter and cool in the summer.)
- Used tools
Tuesday -
Describe what the Grange was and their purpose
- Organization in the US that encouraged families to work together to promote the social, economic and political well-being of farmers
- Started after Civil War and still around today
- Series of laws past in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois
- Designed to fight back against the railroad abuses (like the prices)
- Wanted to be charged a fair amount
Describe what the Interstate Commerce Act did
- Allowed the US government to supervise railroads
- Required railroad rates to be "fair and just"
- Failed to help farmers at first because long legal process and resistance from the railroads
Describe who the Populists were and what they believed in?
- Help farmers out of debt
- Give people a greater voice in government
- Increase money supply in circulation - Silverites=currency be redeemable in silver as well as gold
- Graduated income tax=higher income=higher taxes
- Direct election of Senators instead of chose by the legislators
- Single terms for President/Vice President
- Secret Ballot - so you can't discriminate
- 8 hour work day
- Restrictions of immigration
William James Brian - Cross of Gold - Nebraska Congressman
Wednesday - No School
Thursday - Restrictions on immigration: because they were taking our jobs, land ; Review Day
Friday - Test Day
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