Tim Cantrell

1
Grant Adm.-West
LCC

• Tim Cantrell

2
Grant Administration-1869-77

• Reconstruction was the main issue. The other
  issues were
• Money Gold- The rich favored a gold only
  system of money. Silver-Debtors and middle class
  wanted more silver coins to decrease the value of
  money. Paper-Many wanted to keep the paper money
  in circulation and back it with gold or silver.

3
Money, Contd

• Resumption Act of 1875-Led to Uniform value of
  money. As of 1 Jan. 1879, the Treasury
  guaranteed payment for paper in gold. Gold,
  silver, and paper had uniform values, since the
  price of silver was tied to the price of gold by
  the
• Bland-Allison Act, 1877- The government would
  resume buying silver and make it into coins at
  16-1 ratio.

4
Grant Adm.Contd

• Civil Service Reform, promised, but nothing done.
• Tariff-Minor decreases before 1872 Election but
  raised again after the Election.
• Scandals-Gold-Jim Fisk and Jay Gould cornered the
  gold market for a while. Gold went up to 200
  oz. Briefly. Grants Brother-in Law made a lot
  of money along with Fisk and Gould.Belknap-Cabinet

5
Grant Scandals Contd

• Member sold Trading Post rights on Indian
  Reservations for cash.Whiskey Ring-Another Grant
  Adm. Official got caught bootlegging in St.
  Louis.Credit Mobilier-Many Government officials,
  including the Vice-President took free stock in
  return for political favors to this construction
  company which built railroads in the West.

6
Conclusion

• Grant was a great General but one of Americas
  poorest presidents. He ended up living in NYC in
  his latter days against his will, but the rich
  people who paid his expenses insisted that he
  live there and be buried there as a condition for
  helping him financially. He finished his Civil
  War Memoirs a few days before he died. This book
  made his wife rich, but he died poor.

7
The West-Chapter 16

• Area Defined-The area between Kansas and
  California
• Indians-Pueblos-SW tribes. They were farmers and
  lived in one place all the time. Plains
  Indians-Apaches, Commanches, and Souix. These
  were the nomadic hunters who lived off the wild
  game, especially the buffalo. Hispanics-Many were
  native to

8
The West, Contd

• the area. Many of the Hispanics of the SW today
  have been there longer than the White people.
  Chinese-There were many Chinese living in the
  West. They worked for the railroad companies.
  Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prohibited further
  immigration.
• Homestead Act of 1862-Gave 160 Acres to each
  family if they would live on the land for 5 years
  and make improvements. This

9
The West, Contd

• This act led to the creation of many territories
  which became states later in the century.The last
  three states admitted in the lower 48 were
  OK-1907, AZ NM-1912
• Waves of SettlementMiners-49ers, Pikes Peak,
  1854, Nevada, 1859, Idaho and Montana, 1860s,
  SD, 1870s, Alaska,1890s. Some actually got
  rich, and some made money selling goods. After
  the

10
The West, Contd

• Mines played out, many became permanent
  residents. Other areas became ghost towns.
  Cattle Kingdom-Reasons for growth Refrigerator
  Car, Red Meat Lovers, Plentiful supply of grass,
  Disappearance of the buffalo. Robert Dykstra
  Cattle Towns Reasons for Decline_Flooded Market,
  Rustling, Cattle-Sheep Wars, Farmers

11
The West, Contd

• Farmer-Fenced the land with barbed wire, invented
  by Joseph Glidden. Problems Dry, Railroad
  monopolies. Homestead Act had to be expanded to
  640 acres in some areas. Lots of land plowed up
  that should not have been. Led to Dust Bowl of
  the 1930s.

12
Conclusion

• By 1890, the Frontier had disappeared.
• Turner Thesis Authored by historian Frederick
  Jackson Turner-It said the West was 1.
  responsible for the development of the uniquely
  American Person. 2. Important to the development
  of democracy. 3. An outlet for depression (safety
  valve theory)
• The myth and the reality of the West

13
The west, Contd

• Indian Wars-Souix War of 1875-76-Sitting Bull and
  Crazy Horse led the revolt to keep the White
  people from taking their land in the Black Hills
  of SD. Most famous Battle was at Little Big
  Horn, 1876, known as Custers Last Stand. Both
  Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were killed later on
  the Reservation by White Police.

14
The West, Contd

• Apache War-1875-1885-The early leader was Chief
  Cochise. He died in 1874 and his successor was
  Geronimo. Geronimo was finally captured in 1886
  and exiled to Florida.
• Ghost Dance War-1890-Battle of Wounded Knee.
  Last major battle. Massacre-Mass burial.

15
The West, Contd

• Legislation for the Indian-Dawes Act, 1887-This
  was the Indian Homestead Act to encourage him to
  move off the Reservation. If the Indian occupied
  the land for 25 years, he got citizenship and
  ownership of the land Education
  Act,1891-Elementary Education guaranteed for the
  Indians. Citizenship Act of
  1924-Citizenship for Ind.