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Pike's Peak Gold Rush
At Pike's Peak Colorado, gold was discovered in 1858 and "fifty-niners" flooded to the hills to dig. Most prospectors didn't find much or any gold, but many stayed to mine silver or farm. -
Comtock Lode
The Comstock Lode of silver was discovered in Nevada shortly after Pike's Peak. The lode was extremely productive: $340 million dollars worth was unearthed. In 1864, Nevada became a state almost overnight. -
Homestead Act
The Homestead Act (1862) offered 160 acres of free land. Settlers only had to pay a small fee and improve the land, meaning build a small cabin on it. Alternately, the land could be purchased flat-out for $1.25 per acre.
Either way, the Homestead Act was a great deal. Some 500,000 settlers took up the offer and headed west. -
Congress authorizes Transcontinental Railroad
Congress commissioned the Union Pacific Railroad to push westward from Omaha, Nebraska to California. The Central Pacific Railroad started in California and pushed eastward. By 1900, four more transcontinental lines had been constructed. The Northern Pacific Railroad from Lake Superior to Puget Sound. The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe from Kansas to California. The Southern Pacific line went from New Orleans to San Francisco. The Great Northern linked Duluth, MN to Seattle. -
Morril Act
Provides public land for higher education -
Sand Creek massacre
Col. J.M. Chivington's troops circled then killed 400 Indians who thought they'd been given immunity. This was the infamous Sand Creek Massacre (1864). -
National Grange organized
In 1869, the Grange (officially the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry) was started by Oliver H. Kelley. The Grange was a national farmers' organization aimed at advancing farmers' agenda.
The initial goal was social in nature—to have "get-togethers" for isolated farmers. By 1875 it had 800,000 members.
The Grange then added helping the farmers' lot in life to their goals. Especially, the Grange wanted to get the trusts off of farmers' backs. -
Election of 1868
In the 1868 presidential election, the Republicans offered Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Although he had no political experience, the idea was that his war-hero status would carry him to victory. The Democratic party was hopelessly disorganized. They agreed on their criticism of military Reconstruction, but little else. The Democrats nominated Horatio Seymour. Seymour's popularity took a hit when he said he did not support redeeming greenback money at full value.
Consequently, Grant won, narrowly. H -
Fisk and Gold corner the gold market
Of special note were the exploits of "Jubilee" Jim Fisk and his partner Jay Gould. These two came up with, and nearly pulled off, a scheme in 1869 to corner the gold market to themselves. They tried, unsuccessfully, to get President Grant involved as well as his brother-in-law. -
Wyoming Territory grants women the right to vote
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Knights of Labor organized
The Knights of Labor began in secrecy and then came out in 1881.
It welcomed skilled and unskilled, women and blacks. The only people banned were "non producers": liquor dealers, professional gamblers, lawyers, bankers, and stockbrokers,
The Knights sought workers' cooperatives (to pool their money and resources), better working conditions, and the 8 hour workday. -
Standard Oil Company Organized
John D. Rockefeller nearly monopolized the oil industry. Rockefeller was very successful. The Standard Oil Company controlled 90-95% of the oil in the U.S. To get that large, he was ruthless in his tactics. It was said that his unofficial motto was "let us prey" (on the little companies). -
Tweed scandal in New York
In New York City, Boss Tweed ran Tammany Hall, a local political district. Boss Tweed used bribes, graft, and rigged elections to mooch money and ensure continual power for himself and his buddies. Thomas Nast was a cartoonist who relentlessly attacked Tweed's corruption. Tweed despised Nast because, although many people in Tweed's district couldn't read about the corruption, they could understand those "them damn pictures." Nast's cartoon's brought down Tweed. Samuel J. Tilden gained fame in -
Credit Mobilier Scandal
One of the worst situations was the Crédit Mobilier scandal. The company was constructing the trans-continental railroad and effectively sub-hired itself to get paid double. They also gave stock to Congressmen in order to avoid getting busted. A newspaper finally exposed the scandal, two Congressmen went down, and the Vice President of the U.S. had even taken payments. Though uninvolved, Grant's name was scarred. -
Election of 1872
The Liberal Republicans nominated Horace Greeley, editor of the New York Tribune, as their candidate.Strangely, the Democrats also endorsed Greeley since they were so eager to gain office. Greeley had lambasted the Democrats through his paper, but he was soft on allowing the South to return to the nation, which the Democrats liked. The campaigning was nasty, but colorful. Grant won 286-66 -
Panic of 1873
t was started by over-spending with borrowed money, this time in railroads and factories. Growth was too fast and over-extended what the market could sustain.
The causes of the panic were the same old ones that’d caused recessions every 20 years that century: (1) over-speculation (or over-spending) and (2) too-easy credit given by the banks.
Initially, the panic was sparked when banks and businesses began to go bankrupt. The situation quickly snowballed from there. -
Comstock Law passed
Illegal to send "obscene" material through the mail -
Resumption Act passed
Grant vetoed a bill to print more money. Also, the Resumption Act was passed to actually start to (1) lower the number of greenbacks in circulation and (2) to redeem paper money at face value starting in 1879 -
Whiskey Ring
The so-called "Whiskey Ring" also looked bad for Grant. Folks stole whiskey tax money from the government. Grant's own secretary was involved and, despite him saying "Let no guilty man escape," Grant helped let the thief off the hook. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
The Battle of Little Bighorn (1876) (AKA "Custer's Last Stand") followed.
Led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, some Sioux stubbornly refused to go to the reservation.
Custer led about 400 cavalry against Crazy Horse who was labeled as a "hostile" Indian. Custer faced some 10,000 Indians, about 2,500 warriors. All 200+ or so of Custer's detachment were killed, including Custer himself, "Chief Yellow Hair." -
Bell invents Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone as a part-time hobby while teaching the deaf to speak. -
Hayes-Tilden Election Standoff
The Republicans nominated Rutherford B. Hayes. He was called the "Great Unknown", for obvious reasons.
He was neutral in the Conkling and Blained wars within the Republican party.
And, his greatest attribute, he came from Ohio, an important state in winning the race.
The Democrats nominated Samuel Tilden.
Tilden's claim-to-fame was that he'd nailed Boss Tweed.
Tilden got 184 electoral votes; he needed 185 to win.
Weeks passed and the election was at a stalemate. -
Nez Perce Indian War
The Nez Perce tribe, led by Chief Joseph, revolted when the government tried to force them onto a reservation. They bugged out over some 1,700 miles, across the Rocky Mountains, and fled for Canada.
They were caught and defeated at the Battle of Bear Paw Mountain only 40 miles from the Canada border. Chief Joseph "buried his hatchet" and gave his famous speech saying, “From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.”The Nez Perce were sent to a Kansas reservation where 40% died -
Reconstruction ends... Railroad strikes paralyze nation
As well as ending Reconstruction, 1877 was a year of other conflicts…The 4 largest railroads got together and decided to cut employee wages by 10%. The workers fought back by going on strike. This railroad shut-down crippled the nation and President Hayes called in federal troops to stop the unrest amongst the striking workers. The trouble went on several weeks but eventually ended with the workers losing on the losing side.This failed strike showed the weaknesses of the labor movement at the ti -
Compromise of 1877
With a president needed, Congress passed the Electoral Count Act that set up a commission to resolve the crisis. The Republicans had the upper hand and were heading toward victory among the disputed states. Democrats were outraged and began to filibuster to tie up the process.
The North… Got Rutherford B. Hayes elected as a Republican president. The South… Got a pledge that Hayes would removal of military occupation in the South. This did happen, thus en -
Edison invents electric light
Thomas Edison, the "Wizard of Menlo Park," came up with the light bulb along with many, many other inventions. -
Election of 1880
The Republicans nominated James A. Garfield and, as his running mate, Stalwart Chester Arthur.
Garfield was a "dark horse" candidate (a previously unknown person) but he came from the critical state of Ohio.
The Democrats nominated Gen. Winfield Scott, the Civil War hero.
Garfield won the election, -
Garlfield and Arthur
Garfield was assassinated by Charles J. Guiteau in September of 1881.
Guiteau said he was a Stalwart, like V.P. Chester Arthur, and his lawyers essentially used the insanity defense saying he didn't know right from wrong.
Regardless, he was found guilty and hanged.
As vice president, Chester Arthur became president. -
Chinese Exclusion Act
Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. It forbade the immigration of Chinese to America.
This was the first immigration restriction America passed; until this point in history, immigrants simply came to America without hindrance. -
Pendleton Act sets up Civil Service Commission
The Pendleton Act was the height of political reform. It was called the "Magna Carta of civil service reform" meaning it required merit to get jobs, not simply knowing someone in a high position. The Civil Service Commission awarded jobs based on performance rather than on how much "pull" a person had (how many buddies they had in high places). The Pendleton Act first affected only 10% of federal jobs, but it (a) stopped the worst offenses of giving jobs to buddies and (b) it set the tone for ci -
Election of 1884
The Republicans nominated James G. Blaine for president in the 1884 election.Reform-minded Republicans didn't like this choice and went over to the Democrats. They were called "Mugwumps", supposedly with "their mug on one side and their wump on the other".The Democrats nominated Grover Cleveland as their candidate.The mudslinging reached the worst level up until that point during the campaign. A popular topic was Cleveland's affair and the child it had produced some 8 years earlier.Cleveland won -
Statue of Liberty in New York
Statue of Liberty (1886) was given to the U.S. by France during the days of such anti-foreigner feelings. -
American Federation of Labor formed
The American Federation of Labor (called the "AF of L")was started by Samuel Gompers in 1886.
The AF of L was made up of small, independent unions. They were tied together by their association with the AF of L.
Gompers desire for workers was summed up simply as "more." He sought what unions always seek: better wages, shorter hours, better working conditions.
The AF of L was made up of skilled craftsmen. Unskilled workers were not included. -
Haymarket Square bombing
The "Haymarket Square Incident" occurred in Chicago in 1886. There strikers were intermingled with a handful of anarchists calling for overthrow of the government.
A bombing took place and a handful of bystanders, including police, were killed or injured. The anarchists were the likely culprit, but the public placed blame on the Knights and unions.
Eight anarchists were arrested; five were given the death sentence and the other three were given hefty sentences. They were eventually pardoned -
Wabash Case
In the Wabash case, the supreme court said that states cannot regulate interstate trade 9only congress can0. This meant that if any regulation were to be done, it would have to be by the U.S. Congress, not the local states. -
National Labor Union formed
The National Labor Union (1866) lasted 6 years and had 600,000 members—skilled, unskilled, and farmers.
Par-for-the-times, blacks and women were only slightly sought after and Chinese immigrants were excluded.
Their goals were (a) arbitration (settlement by a mediator) of worker complaints and (b) an 8 hour workday (which was granted to government workers).
The 1873 depression ruined the National Labor Union. -
Interstate Commerce Act
Congress passed the Interstate Commerce Act (1887) that outlawed rebates and pools. It also required rates to be openly published and banned charging low rates for the long haul (to big businesses that shipped large quantities) and higher rates for the short haul (to small farmers who shipped small quantities). -
American Protective Association formed (APA)
The American Protective Association (APA) gained millions of members and urged voting against Catholics. -
Dawes Severalty Act
In 1887 the Dawes Severalty Act was passed. Its overall goal was to erase tribes and set the Indians on the road to "becoming white." It was a very insulting law…
Although the Indians were truly "Native Americans" and the whites were the immigrants, the law said that Indians could become U.S. citizens after 25 years if they behaved as the U.S. government preferred (like "good white settlers").
Looking back, this policy seems absurd since a European stepping off the boat in 1887 would receive c -
election of 1888
Cleveland was up for re-election by the Democrats, Benjamin Harrison was up as the Republican.
Harrison won in a very close race in 1888. Cleveland became the first president voted out of office since Martin Van Buren. -
Thomas "Czar" Reed becomes Speaker of the House
After being out of the White House for 4 years, the Republicans were eager to assert their power in Congress.
The Republicans found their leader in Speaker of the House Thomas "Czar" Reed. Reed was a tall man, super debater, and had an acid-sarcastic tongue that cut at opponents. He ran the House of Representatives like a dictator. -
"Billion Dollar" Congress/McKinley Tariff Act
The first "Billion Dollar Congress" where the U.S. government doled out that much money for the first time.
Pensions were liberally given to veterans.
More silver was purchased.
The McKinley Tariff (1890) hiked rates to roughly 48%, the highest peacetime rate ever.
The tariff was a double-edged sword: business folks loved the protection it gave, but farmers disliked the fact that manufactured goods were now more expensive. -
National Women's Suffrage Association formed
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Battle of Wounded knee
Later, the "Ghost Dance" fad swept through the Sioux nation and prompted the Battle of Wounded Knee (1890).
Wounded Knee was not a battle but a massacre. 200+ Indians were killed, essentially killed for dancing. This battle marked the end of the Indian Wars. By this time, all Indians were either on reservations or dead. -
Emergence of Populist party
Out of the Farmers' Alliance a new party was spawned—the People's Party, also known as the Populist Party. They agreed on the following:
To fight the "money trust" on Wall Street.
To nationalize railroads, telephone, and the telegraph.
To start a graduated income tax (graduated meaning steps or levels, where the tax rate is higher the more a person earns).
To start a "sub-treasury" to provide loans to farmers.
To call for the unlimited coinage of silver. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act (1890) was enacted in attempt to outlaw trusts or monopolies. The law forbade "combinations" such as…"pools" or cartels, interlocking directorates, holding companies.
The Sherman Anti-Trust Act was not effective because (a) proving combinations exist, especially with pools, can be difficult, and (b) it lacked real teeth in enforcement.
In 1914 the anti-trust movement finally gained real muscle to enforce its provisions. -
1892 Election
Old Grover" Cleveland won the election and became president again (after 4 years off) -
Depression of 1893
It was the first recession or depression during the industrial age. This completed the almost predictable, every-20-year cycle of panics during the 1800s (panics occurred during 1819, 1837, 1857, 1873, and 1893).
Nearly 8,000 U.S. businesses went out of business in 6 months. Railroads went under too and soup kitchens popped up to feed wandering hoboes. -
Wilson-Gorman Tariff
Cleveland was embarrassed again by the Wilson-Gorman Tariff.
Democrats had promised lower tariffs. The Wilson-Gorman barely changed the McKinley Tariff at all. Worse, the Wilson-Gorman law allowed for a 2% income tax on income over $4,000. The Supreme Court struck this down, but it looked like Cleveland and the government was giving in to the rich "fat-cats."
The Republicans began to benefit from Cleveland's recent actions. -
Pullman strike
The Pullman Strike in Chicago, led by Eugene Debs, was more dramatic.
Debs helped organize the workers of the Pullman Palace Car Company.
The company was hit hard by the depression and cut wages by about 1/3.
Workers went on strike, sometimes violently.
U.S. Attorney General Richard Olney called in federal troops to break up the strike. His rationale: the strike was interfering with the transit of U.S. mail.
Debs went to prison for 6 months and turned into the leading Socialist in America. -
Election of 1896
The presidential election of 1896 was an important one. It essentially asked, then answered, the question, "Will the U.S. base its money on gold, silver, or both?" McKinley won the election 1896 easily, 271 to 176 electoral votes. Bryan carried the South and West, McKinley carried the Northeast, Midwest, and far West. The election was important in that (a) gold was decided upon as America's economic basis, (b) it was a victory for business, conservatives, and middle class values (as opposed to t -
Plessy v. Ferguson legitimizes "seperate but equal" doctrine
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) stated that "separate but equal" facilities for the races were legal.
In reality, however, the races were indeed separate, but the facilities were hardly equal.
Segregation was carried out in nearly all public facilities such as schools, theaters, transportation, and restrooms. -
Dingley Tariff Act
So, Congress worked through the Dingley Tariff Bill. It eventually raised tariff rates to 46.5%, higher, but not as high as some had wanted. -
Gold Standard Act
Congress passed the Gold Standard Act (1900) saying people could trade in paper money for gold. Just knowing and trusting that meant there was no need to do that. This brought economic calm and stability. -
US Steel Corporation formed
Carnegie's U.S. Steel Corp. became dominant in steel largely because of his administrative abilities and knack for hiring excellent people.
By 1900, U.S. Steel produced 1/4 of the nation's Bessemer steel. Carnegie made $25 million, tax free. -
NAACP founded
DuBois help start the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) and called for the "talented tenth" of the black community to be given full access and equality. -
Indians granted US citizenship
