Unit+IV

=Unit 4:=

The Far West was the land west of the Missippi River, where many Hispanics, and Native Americans were settled during the the early years after the Reconstruction period. This region was very diverse, and distinct. The Great Plains was a major attraction for many White Americans. They wanted to expand westward into that region for farming.
 * 1. What was meant by the Far West?**

A wealthy land in which hasn't been settled, and is sort of "waiting" to be settled. A place where people wanted to start anew. The Frontier isn't really a place, it is more like a concept in which any new settlement in the Far West. It was more of an idea of this unsettled, uncontrolled land of opportunity. This place was ready to be taken control of by White Americans, especially those that were living in the east. From it people can get wealth, commerce, economy, and "bold undertakings".
 * 2. The Frontier?**

The Development of the West:

 * 1.) Buffalo**: The Plain Indians were a Native American Tribe that lived in the Great Plains. Their major source of economy, and commerce was [[image:http://www.greenpacks.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/cape-buffalo.jpg width="599" height="396" align="left"]]the buffalo. They hunted the buffalo, and used almost every part of its body as food, clothing, fuel, and trade. The Buffalo was important to the development of the west because they sort of kind of influenced the idea of trade and commerce. The Natives at the time were mostly farmers, and hunters. When they started trading, they opened up the idea of commerce to the West. They made people want to hunt the Buffalo too when the prices went up. White Americans started moving into the Far West, and the frontier from then on. The Plain Indians tried to fend off white encroachment, but they didn't have a force big enough to do so. They lost their source of economy, and their way of life when the lives of the Buffalos were decimated (In 1865 there were about 15 million buffalo, but by 1875, there was about 1,000). They couldn't defeat, the Americans, and therefore had to give up their land. The Buffalo in the end, sort of sparked the idea of white encroachments into the Far West, and brought about the idea of the Frontier. Sparked migration.
 * 2.) The Railroad**: The Transcontinental Railroad or the "Pacific Railroad" was the main source of Transport to and from the West. It was key in the development of the West, because it connected itself all the way to the Atlantic Coast. They weren't cut off from the rest of the United States anymore at the time. They had dominance of transportation, and they could get faster trade with everyone.
 * 3.) The Chinese & Immigrants**: They were the biggest immigrants at the time after the Reconstruction era. Most of them were really smart, and they had great skill. They were targeted to stop Immigration because whites wanted the higher jobs. Chinese became the major source of labor for the railroad, and for every lowly labor. Developed chinatowns.

Myth vs. Reality Chart:

 * **Myth** || **Reality** ||
 * * The west was supposed to be this uninhabited and barren land
 * The Cowboy had this image of adventure, and courage. They had this Cavalier image.
 * (they were romanticized)
 * mining, and the gold rush was an important image
 * people thought they could go to the west, and they could, "get rich quick"
 * The west was a very wealthy place
 * The Frontier is a very adventurous place, that was very fun.
 * People will be able to be free, and they wouldn't be persecuted or discriminated. They would be nice and carefree.
 * Immigrants, especially like the Chinese were supposed to be a group of uneducated people
 * were keen on taking other people's jobs.
 * People were supposed to be free in the west of the evils of society.
 * They weren't supposed to be discriminated or persecuted. || * The west was actually inhabited by many different races, and types of people. These people were:
 * Natives
 * Hispanics
 * Immigrants
 * Mestizos
 * The cowboys were romanticized farmers, who were hard workers.
 * The get rich quick idea was hard to find. Many people didn't find any wealth as they raced to the west.
 * although there were quite a few lucky people who find gold.
 * The Western economy was dependent of the East, and frequently relied on economic assistance.
 * The Frontier was actually a very boring place. People were very lonely there.
 * there was not much to do as people had hoped
 * The Chinese were actually a very hardworking group of people that were very intelligent. People were jealous of their effectiveness.
 * There were usually many hardships in the west. ||

= Chapter 17: Industrial Supremacy: =
 * First Industrial --> (started in the 1820s to 1850.)
 * Second Industrial --> (started from 1880 to 1910)
 * It was of called the second Industrial Revolution, there was major growth in development, new technology, and a leading industrial country in the world.
 * money, productivity, inventions, and power all came into the U.S.
 * birth of modern capitalism --> (from 1875 -- 1910)

Chapter 17 Preview:

 * Rise of Petroleum and use of natural resources, and fossil fuels such as oil to lubricate machines. (Later found out that it could be used as a fuel source).
 * Higher Education, and importance. Funded by Private Corporations to research for ideas, and new sources of technology.
 * Henry Ford: Automobile Plants (1914.)
 * Expansion of railroads. (193,000 miles by 1900)
 * **Corporation: A business that sells stock. Usually very large that are usually governed by like a board of trustees. The idea of selling stock. Whoever starts the business keeps at least 51% of the stock. Majority owner that gets to make the major decisions.**
 * Managerial Techniques: division of responsabilites.
 * "Taylorism": The idea that as more tasks are divided, the less the worker needs to be skilled, and then the worker would be unimportant.
 * Myth of the Self-Made Man: Rich people often started rich, and got richer through corruption, and the idea of "being above the law."
 * Social Darwinism
 * Immigrants were forced to cheap labor (Low Paid Poles, Greeks, and French Canadians)
 * Loss of Control in working conditions.
 * National Labor Union: Reform on Labor
 * **Andrew Carnegie:** Made his economy through the steel industry. A steel tycoon.
 * **John D. Rockerfeller:** He made his money through the oil industry. An oil tycoon. He was the wealthiest American __**EVER.**__
 * **J. Pierpont Morgan:** He was a banker, the first type of investor who got rich out of investment.
 * They took advantage of the time, and knew that their was major wealth out there that can be claimed. Huge opportunites that should be taken care of.
 * The creation of industries created the creation of unions. These unions were created as people who got together, to negotiate their wages, and negotiate opportunities. Organize better pay, and more hours. Getting even when hurt on the job.
 * Companies wanted to pay everyone cheap for more hours. There would be no compensation for sick workers, and etc. This is what made the unions step in. Companies wanted to get more profit, and they wanted to stay richer.

Henry George (Indusdtrial Supremacy):[[image:http://mises.org/images/ProgressAndPovertyBook.jpg align="left"]]
Henry George was a young unknown printer who didn't complete his education past the seventh grade. He was an unknown printer who knew nothing of politics and economy. During his life thouh, he read enough books to understand, and try to assess the rapidly changing society in a book that he published. This book called //Progress and Poverty// was rejected a couple times before it was published. The book made Henry George the third most famous man in the United States at the time behind Edison and Twain. After a culmination of years of economiv study and observation, Henry George published his famous book. //Progress and Poverty// became the best-selling nonfiction works in American Publishing history." Henry George opposed many aspects of economic, and industrial growth during the Industrial Revolution. He explained through his famous novel //Progress and Poverty// (1879) about how in modern industrial times, "the poor got poorer and the rich got richer." His beliefs were based on the idea of the distribution of wealth, and the social changes becuase of that distribution.

Taylorism:

 * the distribution of work into smaller less-skilled jobs
 * to get control over workers
 * they made workers less-skilled
 * workers had less value
 * they timed them to increase productivity
 * the overall was the increase of inequality
 * the rich got richer
 * the poor became less-skilled

The Novels of Horatio Alger:

 * It was about a nice, honest boy that delivered newspapers
 * He got an oppurtunity to become richer, and so through hard-work, he became a repectable man.
 * supposed to be Honorable
 * Rags-to-riches
 * social mobility
 * He became famous of pushing yourself, and creating opportunities of yourself. The hope of getting richer. Almost all books in America that were about getting richer, were kind of in memory of his name
 * He was known for "pluck and luck"
 * The idea of opportunity, and hope
 * These books were mostly best-sellers
 * The hope of social mobility isn't really seen as it was back then. (I kind of believe that opportunites are harder to come by these days.)

The Novels of Louisa May Alcott:

 * They were mostly novels about opportunies, but were more so directed to women
 * emphasized the idea of women's rights
 * women could do better, they should work on getting more rights
 * once that happened, then they can get more opportunities
 * Book of //Little Women// should that women could be much much more

Second Industrial Revolution Bubble:
media type="custom" key="7914169"

Political Landscapes focused on economic politics. This landscape was very inconsistent. There is party loyalty in this era. Parties were never in total control over long periods of time. Parties also had the regional effect where people of the same region generally voted for the same party.
 * Political Landscape:** Political Parties and what they control. Who is running for office (the individuals, the groups, the elections, and the platforms.) It is basically what is going on with politics. Politics were and still are usually chaotic. Involved merit based jobs.

Grover Cleveland won the election of 1884 because of religious controversy.
 * Election of 1884: (Republican:** James G. Blaine) vs. **(Democrat:** Grover Cleveland**)**


 * Election of 1886: (Republican:** Benjamin Harrison) vs. **(Democrat:** Grover Cleveland) Grover Cleveland wanted tariff reductions because he believed that Congress was getting an economic surplus that helped them pass bad laws. Harrison won the election because of his opposition to it. (Supported by Congress).


 * Election of 1892: (Republican:** Benjamin Harrison) vs. **(Democrat:** Grover Cleveland) Grover Cleveland is victorious again over Harrison by applying with the same exact platform. The Democrats won seats in both houses of Congress. The populist party (People's Party) emerged in this era.


 * Election of 1896: (Republican:** William Mckinley) vs. **(Democrat:** William Jennings Bryan) Bryan the democrat becomes the youngest ever nominee. The republican party is victorious in this situation because od the little support for the democrats. The People's Party died out. They gambled by allying with the Democrats so they will not become "extinct." The Democrats lost and thus marked the end of the Democratic Party. Birth of Modern Campain.

The tariff issue hurt the republicans on the expulsion of it. (Tax made on imports to protect American businesses.)
 * The goal of the political party is to win elections and seats. That would enact their agenda. The Populist party (People's Party). It grew from the alliance movement of Farmers. Farmers and regular people wanted more say in their government. They quickly won key seats in the government and were somewhat successful.**
 * Pushed for the direct election of senators. They challenged the lasseiz-faire economy. They wanted the government to take over the railroad industry and the interstate commerce.**
 * Economic Debate over Free currency:** Many people supported the "free silver" policy and making currency from it.

=Imperialism: = -Imperialism is about industrial countries taking over and dominating under develope/pre-industrial countries.
 * Imperialism can be through economic or political influence:
 * placing influence into a country
 * spreading democracy
 * exertion
 * The other is territorial expansion:
 * taking complete control over another country
 * The idea of empire building

- All the colonozing nations including the United States of America had motivations for taking control of other nations.
 * Increase land (thus bring more power)
 * Increase resources
 * "Make other nations a Democracy, in which the country would have less conflict in government and with the US (they would become allies)"
 * "civilize the people"
 * <span style="color: #5005eb; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">American views of greed
 * <span style="color: #5005eb; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive;">political/economic reasons


 * -Examples of the imperial republic for the United states of America are as follows:
 * Vietnam - Political
 * Korea
 * Hawaii - territorial expansion
 * Alaska - territorial expansion (sort of)
 * Iraq - economic/political
 * Afghanistan - economic/political
 * Samoa
 * China - political/economic
 * Philippines
 * Venezuela - exertion of political influence

=﻿Spanish American War:=
 * Spain and US fight for territories.
 * Fight in Cuba:
 * Jose Maurti (a Cuban rebel) led a rebellion
 * Destroyed the U.S. Sugar plantations hoping to invoke US involvement
 * jailed for four months
 * was a great strategy
 * Newspapers made the war a big thing. They embelished it.
 * idea of "yellow journalism": exaggerated + sensationalized newspaper articles to gain a boost in their economy.
 * African American soldiers were also called buffalo soldiers.
 * US helped Cuba gain their independence (Imperialism)
 * Went to Puerto Rico. They took over it annexation. (Imperialism)
 * Phillipines and Guam after the war. (Imperialism)
 * Made a truce in the capital of Spain.
 * It was called the "The Splendid Little War" by John Hays.

Who:

 * The war was fought between the Spanish and some territories in its Empire:
 * Cuba
 * Cuban Rebels and Jose Maurti
 * Phillippines
 * Puerto Rico
 * Guam
 * Involvement of the United States (became formally known as the Spanish-American War)
 * President McKinley
 * Theodore Roosevelt and the "Rough Riders"
 * Buffalo Soldiers.

What:

 * The Spanish American war was an Imperial War.
 * The war was fought over Spanish territories in the Spanish Empire.
 * Imperial influence and territorial expansion were key figures in this battle.
 * Cuba and Phillipines revolted against Spain and decided to seek intervention after what happened with the USS Maine.
 * The U.S, looking for a chance to increase its territory and its Imperial Republic intervened in both cases.
 * The US uses this opportunity to help both territories. The effect was drastic for both nations.
 * The US didn't get Cuba, but placed Imperial Influence (somewhat) in the territory.

When:

 * On April 21st, the United States declared War. They begane a blockade of Havanna and Cuba.[[image:http://www.emersonkent.com/images/spanish_american_war.jpg width="640" height="431" align="right"]]

Where:

 * They were fought in Spanish "territory":
 * Cuba
 * Phillippines
 * Guam
 * Puerto Rico

Why:

 * Cuba and the Phillipines were under stress, and under unfair rule. They were colonized by the Spanish, and so declared a rebellion.
 * The sinking of the Maine, and the destruction of the US sugar cane plantations forced the United States to react (not that they didn't want to, but they have seen this as a chance to gain their own Imperial Republic).
 * The US drastically influenced the outcome of the war by gaining Guam, Phillipinnes, and also annexing Puerto Rico.

What is your thesis of United States History, 1781 to 1915?

 * My thesis:** During 1781 to 1915, the History of the United States was marked by a time of enormous change, that grew from a rural, and harsh era of a new world empire, into a politically, economically, and culturally reformed nation of power.


 * Paul's Thesis**: As the United States began its ilustrious history it began with a chaotic time of growth and advancement economically, culturally, and politically in power.


 * Peter's Thesis**: From 1782 to 1915 America has been demonstrating their power by making reformers in its economy, culture and political structure.


 * Group Thesis:** During 1781 to 1915, the History of the United States was marked by a time of enormous change and advancement, that grew from a rural, and harsh nation into a politically, economically, and culturally reformed world power.
 * Major Wars: Civil Wars, Mexican American War, Spanish American War
 * Settlement issues
 * Louisiana Purchase, Imperialism, Annexation of new territory
 * removal of slavery, two party system, democracy
 * immigration
 * Capitalism: new economy, lasseiz faire

=Themes: A recurring message or Main Idea. A development; a theme is consistently important.=

Religion:
The religion of the United States was genereally marked by Christianity from overseas, and also by the Native American Religions. With the arrival of Europeans came the Christian belief, and the Christian faith.
 * The Native American Religions have been in North America for generations.
 * The Natives of the land supported a polytheistic religious ideology or with many gods.
 * They also believed in sacrifice (some of them like the Incas).
 * They had their own religious status, until persecution. Europeans traveled to North America to spread enlightenment. They built missionaries, and colonized the Natives. Some were brutally forced to worship the new faith.
 * Christianity was split into different types, and different groups had different guidelines or so rules in their religion to follow. Some types of Christianity are:
 * Roman Catholic
 * Catholic
 * Protestant
 * Quaker
 * Mormon
 * Presbytarian
 * Puritan
 * Each of these types of Christianity had their own history of arrival into the US. The Christian religion, and its groups arrived to the US for different reasons through religious freedom, through persecution, through economic interest by its people.
 * Harsh life to Native Americans came from the arrival of the Europeans. Persecution, colonization, and being forced to follow this religion.
 * Some Natives ixed their culture with the Christian religion.
 * Missionaries set up: African Slaves were also forced to follow this religion upon arriving into the US.
 * They also mixed their culture with the Christian faith. They created this idea of singing their religion. Had good voices as well.
 * The creation of a new nation set up this country as one with Christian faith (at least it is generally known that way)
 * Religious tolerance started at this point. There wasn't much until the US became a separate nation and the creation of the Bill of Rights ( stating religious freedom).
 * At this point immigrants were arriving, sparking more religions. Jewish immigrants, the Chinese and Buddhish immigrants, Muslim immigrants, Indian immigrants, and so on.