Chapter 17: The South and the West Transformed, 1865-1900 INquiz

What change did the national census of 1890 indicate that had not previously occurred in U.S. history?

It was the first census to indicate that Americans had populated the country from coast to coast.

Identify the various strategies of voter suppression carried out through the Mississippi Plan.

Correct Answer(s) - requiring voters to reside in the state for two years, with one-year residency in the election district - requiring voters to have paid all taxes, including a specific tax for voting called a poll tax. - prohibiting voters convicted of certain crimes from casting a ballot Incorrect Answer(s) - prohibiting African Americans who passed literacy tests from voting

Identify the Dawes Severalty Act and its repercussions for Native Americans.

Considered a reform measure, this act of Congress tried to "Americanize" Native Americans living on reservations by giving each family 160 acres for farming.

Frederick Jackson Turner theorized that the West would maintain all of the characteristics that arose as a result of the frontier era.

False

Henry Woodfin Grady attributed the successful rise of the New South to the meticulous implementation of Congressional Reconstruction policies.

False

The new generation of African Americans born after the Civil War were much more submissive than their parents, fearful that any transgression would spur the resurgence of slave labor.

False

There was little to no ethnic tension among miners in boomtowns across the American West and Southwest, as the mining industry was solely concentrated on profits. As a result, a meritocracy emerged among miners.

False

Westbound settlers came from various economic and social backgrounds. Select the statement that best describes the race and ethnicity of these settlers.

Men and women of African American, Asian, European, and Hispanic descent were all part of the western settlement.

Put the events that led to the end of the frontier era in chronological order.

- The Dawes Severalty Act is created. - The first national census of the 1890s reports that the frontier era in American development is over. - Frederick Jackson Turner authors his "frontier thesis."

The 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty ensured that Plains Indians maintained some of their ancestral homeland. What contributed to the provisions of the treaty?

Chiefs from numerous Plains Indian tribes agreed to accept defined territorial borders for the Native Americans of the Plains and mountainous West, but had to allow white settlers' wagon caravans to pass through their territory on their way West.

The climate and soil conditions on the Plains made farming extremely difficult. Identify the inventions that helped to improve the productivity of Plains farmers.

Correct Answer(s) - chilled-iron "sodbuster" plow - manure spreaders - threshing machines Incorrect Answer(s) - tractor

Identify the ideas and attitudes that inspired the suppression of African American civil rights in the late-nineteenth-century South.

Correct Answer(s) - the desperation of southern white farmers who deeply resented any economic or political success among the African American community - the U.S. and European revival of the superiority of the Anglo-Saxon race Incorrect Answer(s) - the resentment of white southerners at the increased activism on the part of the Supreme Court in terms of securing racial equality at the ballot box

Identify the conditions and circumstances that made life difficult for settlers in the West.

Correct Answer(s) - the inconsistency of the commodities market - droughts - tornadoes Incorrect Answer(s) - cattle shortages due to competition with wild buffalo

Identify the industries that emerged in the New South and contributed to its diversification.

Correct Answer(s) - the textile industry - the tobacco industry - the coal industry - the logging industry Incorrect Answer(s) - the oil industry

Complete the passage describing the changes in the cotton industry between the Old and the New South.

In the pre-Civil War South, the cotton industry was primarily concerned with the cultivation of unprocessed cotton, which served as raw material for textiles mills in the northern United States and throughout Europe. The major success of the New South's effort to diversify its economy rested on the growth of its textile industry. Over the last twenty years of the nineteenth century, the number of cotton mills in the South increased by nearly 250 percent. The majority of the workers in the southern cotton mills were white women and children, as opposed to men.

In a devastated South, many white southerners began to romanticize the Old South and embrace the idea of the "Lost Cause." How did this nostalgia effect the creation of a so-called New South?

The "Lost Cause" was a view of southerners during the Civil War as righteous defenders of their homeland and culture against northern aggression.

Complete the passage below describing the historic Supreme Court decision that shaped southern race relations in late-nineteenth-century America.

The Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson was pivotal in its establishment of the practice of separate but equal facilities, legitimizing the racial segregation of almost every aspect of southern life. The case began with Homer Plessy, a man of one-eighth African descent, who chose to remain in an exclusively white rail car and was found in violation of the law. This historic ruling legally sanctioned the practice of segregation in public spaces and inspired a new wave of regulations known as the Jim Crow laws.

Complete the passage below describing the wave of targeted racial oppression that occurred across the South.

The resurgence of racial segregation and disenfranchisement was accompanied by a surge of violence against African Americans that was predominantly concentrated in the South. Southern whites took the law into their own hands, targeting black men accused of a crime and subjecting them to torture and humiliation that usually culminated in the lynching of the accused. This activity was often carried out in public as a joyful spectacle for large crowds of southern whites.

The steady decline in the price of cotton failed to incentivize farmers to stop producing the less profitable crop.

True

Put the following events in the establishment of mining communities in chronological order.

- Large groups of prospectors rush to a new strike. - Various camp followers rush to the area of the new find. - Vigilante rule is adopted, as miners implemented informal legal codes to maintain order. - Stable communities are developed, capable of law enforcement, resource management, and stable governance.

Identify the destinations of the following western settlers.

- Miners: lured by the most recent strike, traveled east from California into Utah and Nevada - Farmers: moved their families west into the Great Plains - Cowboys: originated in Texas and traveled northward, with many ending up in Utah's Great Basin

Identify the areas the following settlers typically inhabited.

- Ranchers & Farmers: This group of people inhabited the Plains. - Trappers & Miners: This group of people inhabited the hills and backcountry, and frequently moved.

Identify the experiences for women in the American West that were unique from those in the rest of the country.

Correct Answer(s) - In mining towns, the ratio of men to women was 9 to 1. - Because of the constant fight for survival, married women became more equal partners with their husbands than in the East. Incorrect Answer(s) - Women in the West had more freedom to serve on juries and manage their property without their husbands' consent.

What impact did the growth of the cattle industry have on ranchers in the West?

Correct Answer(s) - The introduction of barbed wire ended the open range, in which ranchers had used land cooperatively, and put many ranchers out of business. - The growth of railroad networks allowed cattle ranching to expand into Texas and the high plains as far as Montana. Incorrect Answer(s) - Though it significantly helped the western economy, the cattle industry created one of the worst contamination epidemics in American history. - The success of the cattle industry spurred a new wave of eastern migration, as cattle ranchers struck it rich and moved their families to the more developed cities of the East.

Frederick Jackson Turner's "frontier thesis" described the history of the United States in relation to its history of westward expansionism. What were some of the criticisms levied against his thesis?

Correct Answer(s) - Turner largely omitted the negative repercussions of westward expansion in favor of tales of "heroism, triumph, and progress." - His "frontier thesis" substantially addressed the history of only white male Christian settlers. Incorrect Answer(s) - Immediately after its publication, historians disregarded Turner's thesis as unworthy of scholarly consideration. - Many critics alleged that Turner's "frontier thesis" was too supportive of the Native American struggle against the United States.

What were some of the changes to the southern economy that were advocated by supporters of the New South?

Correct Answer(s) - the use of more efficient farming techniques and technology on southern farms - the development of an industrial sector within the southern economy - the expansion of greater economic diversity Incorrect Answer(s) - the discontinuation of cotton production in favor of a more industrial economy - the abolition of racial hierarchy between whites and blacks

In recognition of their vital role, particularly on family farms, and in order to attract more female settlers, several western states were the first to grant women the right to vote and hold political office.

True

The Indian wars were bloody conflicts between U.S. soldiers and Native Americans that raged in the West from the early 1860s to the late 1870s. Identify the following events that took place during the Indian wars.

- Red River War: This conflict between federal troops and southern Plains Indians resulted in the latter's defeat. - Report on The Condition Of The Indian Tribes: Congress decided to ask Native Americans to give up their ancestral lands and move to faraway reservations in return for peace. - Battle Of Little Bighorns: During this conflict federal troops suffered a resounding defeat to Sioux forces, but eventually prevailed in the Great Sioux War. - Sand Creek Massacre: Promised protection by the territorial governor of Colorado, 165 Native Americans were massacred by a federal militia.

Identify the key players in the crop-lien system.

- Sharecroppers: usually African Americans who worked an owner's land in return for food, board, and supplies - Small Farm Owners: often purchased supplies on credit from local merchants, promising them a share of the future crop - Share Tenants: usually poor white farmers who may have had their own supplies but needed to rent land - Large Land Owners: often scammed workers out of their fair share of crops, leaving workers with a larger debt than when they arrived

Complete the passage below describing the Battle of Little Bighorn.

As part of what would become known as the Great Sioux War in early 1874, Lieutenant Colonel Custer was ordered to return Sioux and Cheyenne warriors to their reservation and kill them if they resisted. Instead, at the Battle of Little Bighorn, Chief Crazy Horse's warriors overwhelmed and annihilated the U.S. forces. Instead of following up on their victory, the Native Americans resumed hunting and were eventually defeated and forced back on reservations by replenished federal forces sent by President Grant.

Complete the passage below describing farmers in the post-Civil War United States.

Between the end of the Civil War and the turn of the century, both the South and the West experienced major economic shifts. The rise of bonanza farms in the West changed the nature of farming by driving numerous homestead farmers out of business. These former farmers often became wage laborers, who experienced working conditions similar to those of sharecroppers in the South.

Complete the passage below describing why Chinese people migrated to the West and the difficulties they experienced there.

Chinese immigrants, many of who settled in California to work on the railroads and in the mining industry, were often the subject of harsh discrimination and denied the rights of citizenship. They were often blamed during times of economic struggle and were officially banned from immigrating to the United States through the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

The following map traces the federal government's military confrontation with Native Americans in the West in the last half of the nineteenth century. Identify the policies that brought about these confrontations.

Correct Answer(s) - Before the Civil War, the federal government had made promises to respect agreed-upon Native American tribal boundaries, so long as Native Americans permitted white emigrants to pass through peacefully. - In 1867, Congress tried to persuade Native Americans to abandon ancestral homelands and move to federal reservations in return for peace. Incorrect Answer(s) - In 1887, Congress passed the Dawes Severalty Act that tried to force Native Americans to develop family farms on federal reservations.

Analyze this quotation from an Exoduster minister: "We had rather suffer and be free than go back to the racist South." What does it reveal about the African American western experience?

Correct Answer(s) - African Americans who migrated to Kansas from southern states experienced the hardships of frontier life. - The experiences of blacks in the South were far worse than their current circumstances in the West. Incorrect Answer(s) - Despite that it was far worse than what the slaves had endured in the South, they migrated to the West because of the promise of freedom. - The difficult choice African Americans made when they left the cities of Kansas to live on farms.

Identify the repercussions of the 1867 "Report on the Condition of the Indian Tribes."

Correct Answer(s) - It led to the establishment of an "Indian Peace Commission." - It endorsed white settlement of the West. Incorrect Answer(s) - It advocated for the implementation of the Dawes Severalty Act. - It addressed the issues causing conflict between the United States and Native Americans and brought about a temporary peace between them.

How did an economic system of sharecroppers and tenants fail to uphold Henry Grady's vision of the New South?

Correct Answer(s) - Land became extremely difficult to acquire, and a majority of southern farmers were landless and barely surviving. - The agricultural landscape of the south was far less diverse than Grady envisioned. - The South was much less industrial than Grady envisioned. Incorrect Answer(s) - The South urbanized far too quickly, differing from Grady's vision of a predominately rural South.

Long cattle drives were instrumental in the early growth of the cattle industry. What caused the decline of this method of transportation?

Correct Answer(s) - Native Americans imposed surcharges on ranchers moving cattle through their land. - Long cattle drives deteriorated the quality of the cattle. - The expansion of the railroad into Texas made long cattle drives prohibitively expensive. Incorrect Answer(s) - Many local governments banned cattle driving due to the tremendous amount of deaths that resulted from this method.

Identify the economic priorities of southern "Redeemers" in the late nineteenth century.

Correct Answer(s) - Redeemers fought for the development of a more diverse southern economy based on the expansion of railroad lines and industrial production. - Redeemers moved to decrease tax rates and reduce public expenditures. Incorrect Answer(s) - Redeemers prioritized spending on social programs that helped prepare young children for the workforce, particularly African American children. - Redeemers moved to increase public spending on education to improve the quality of the labor force.

During the late nineteenth century, what were the social and economic circumstances that advocates for a New South faced in the postwar South compared to those in the North?

Correct Answer(s) - The South was far less industrial than the North and depended on the region for goods that southern states were incapable of manufacturing themselves. - The South was far less successful than the North, both in education and per capita income. Incorrect Answer(s) - The South saw a much larger percentage of blacks migrating to cities and away from the countryside, often at a higher rate than African Americans moved in the North. - Though far less productive, the South was much wealthier than the North due to the large multigenerational plantations that continued to profit even after the war.

What were some of the reasons for the emergence of the People's party during the 1890s?

Correct Answer(s) - The belief that the U.S. government had moved away from its founding principles and no longer represented the interests of the American people spread among impoverished Americans. - Communities in the South and the West tried to gain more political power and representation at the expense of established eastern elites. Incorrect Answer(s) - Populists in the South and the West wanted to move the capital of the United States further west, as stated in the platform of the People's party. - Small farmers and wage workers in the South and the West supported government policies, but did not want to see taxes raised to implement them.

An Alabama newspaper editor stated: "Our blood boils when the educated Negro asserts himself politically." What does this quotation reveal about African American civil rights at the end of the nineteenth century?

Correct Answer(s) - This quotation embodies the "Negrophobia" that spurred a major systematic suppression of African American civil rights in the South. - This quotation reflects the resentment of white southerners toward any economic or political improvements in the black community. Incorrect Answer(s) - This quotation reflects the distinction made by white southerners who allowed black enfranchisement but would not tolerate the election of African Americans into public office. - This quotation reflects the resentment of southern journalists who were replaced by a wave of newly educated and politically active African Americans.

As large-scale corporations became more involved in mining operations in the West, many former prospectors became wage laborers for the companies. In turn, these miners formed unions to represent their interests. Which of the following responsibilities were the unions'?

Correct Answer(s) - to defend miners in cases of on-the-job injury - to negotiate with mining companies to address the issue of low wages Incorrect Answer(s) - to learn the grievances of workers and strike backdoor deals with management to ignore specific issues - to recruit unskilled immigrants to replace workers who didn't cooperate

Complete the passage below describing the nature of mining in the late nineteenth century.

Early mining efforts in the second half of the nineteenth century often began as individual endeavors. Miners generally worked long hours and long workweeks, only taking Sundays off. They lived in small tent camps or shacks they built themselves, though at successful mining towns developed with modern amenities. Lone miners usually panned for gold in riverbeds. Beyond that, further mining required large-scale investment and sophisticated mining techniques. These limitations transformed the mining industry from one in which individual miners hoped to "strike it rich" to a big business enterprise with many prospectors working as wage laborers.

Henry Woodfin Grady, a southern journalist, was an advocate for the New South. He noted that there had been an Old South "of slavery and secession—that South is dead. There is now a New South of union and freedom—that South, thank God, is living, breathing, and growing every hour." What does Grady advocate in this statement?

Grady advocates for a southern economy that is no longer based exclusively on plantations and a social world that is not dominated by the elite of a plantation aristocracy.

Complete the passage below describing the Ghost Dance Movement in the late nineteenth century.

In 1888, a Native American named Wovoka claimed to have visited the spirit world and announced that a deliverer would be coming to help Indians restore their native lands. To hasten this development, he urged Native Americans to perform a ceremonial dance that would make them bulletproof in battles with white soldiers. By 1890, this ceremonial Ghost Dance had spread to Lakota Sioux in South Dakota. The dance frightened white authorities in the area, who banned it, leading to tension in which nervous soldiers fired into peaceful crowds of Native Americans. This gunfire resulted in the Battle of Wounded Knee, in which over 200 Indians died.

Complete the passage below describing the crop-lien system in the South and the various problems it created for the region.

The crop-lien system was an extremely destructive and inefficient enterprise that severely damaged the land and deteriorated the soil. Poor farmers were prohibited from sustaining themselves by growing their own vegetables, as landowners forced an exclusively "cash crop" harvest. Moreover, most farmers didn't feel a strong tie to the land they worked and were not invested in sustaining the soil or the equipment they used, as both belonged to someone else.

Complete the passage below describing the various problems that plagued the postwar South.

The postwar South experienced various social and economic problems that launched the region into extreme poverty. Obtaining land became extremely difficult and most southern farmers simply sought to survive. Many southern communities lacked access to cash and developed barter economies where farmers could secure credit to purchase food and supplies in exchange for a portion of or lien on their crops. Another major issue for the region was the high rate of illiteracy that plagued both whites and blacks. Although white illiteracy was one fifth that of blacks, this problem was nonetheless reflected in the annual income of white southerners, which was half that of non-southerners.

In addition to the miners who journeyed to the West to work in mines, such as the Comstock Lode, a crew of peddlers, saloon keepers, prostitutes, and gamblers followed to take advantage of the miners' earnings.

True

The invention of barbed wire fundamentally changed ranching in the West by triggering "range wars" that drove smaller ranchers out of business.

True

Identify the various developments in the West that altered perceptions of the frontier and convinced Americans of the region's profitability after the Civil War.

Correct Answer(s) - the completion of the transcontinental railroad's expansion into the West - the breakdown of Native American defiance - the western cattle boom that engrossed the region - the discovery of vital minerals, such as gold and silver Incorrect Answer(s) - the success Native Americans demonstrated in producing wheat in the Great Plains

What impact did the extension of rail lines have on the farmers and ranchers of the West?

It transformed the region by allowing large shipments of western cattle and grains to be transported over long distances and sold in the East.

Complete the passage below describing the last Native American military resistance.

The final obstacle to manifest destiny was the Native Americans in the West. The Blackfeet and Crows were forced out of their territory in Montana. The Modocs briefly resisted settler encroachment in northern California and southern Oregon. The Utes were forced to abandon their ancestral homeland in Colorado. This was the fate of many Native American tribes in the American West that resisted the expropriation of their land.