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  • Westward Expansion - Economy

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    Eduardo Racy
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    The major industries of the Midwest in the late 19th century included railroads, mining, ranching, and farming. Railroads were crucial for connecting the West Coast to the East Coast and transporting goods like cattle and grain. They contributed to the growth of related industries such as coal and steel. Ranching began with longhorn cattle driven from Mexico and grazed freely until conflicts arose with farmers and the introduction of barbed wire fencing. Mining attracted settlers with discoveries of gold and other resources, though many mining towns became ghost towns. Farming struggled with low food prices and high costs, leading farmers to organize for political advocacy and cooperative purchasing arrangements to improve their profits.

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    Westward Expansion_ Economy

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    The major industries of the Midwest in the late 19th century included railroads, mining, ranching, and farming. Railroads were crucial for connecting the West Coast to the East Coast and transporting goods like cattle and grain. They contributed to the growth of related industries such as coal and steel. Ranching began with longhorn cattle driven from Mexico and grazed freely until conflicts arose with farmers and the introduction of barbed wire fencing. Mining attracted settlers with discoveries of gold and other resources, though many mining towns became ghost towns. Farming struggled with low food prices and high costs, leading farmers to organize for political advocacy and cooperative purchasing arrangements to improve their profits.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    3 views2 pages

    Westward Expansion - Economy

    Uploaded by

    Eduardo Racy
    The major industries of the Midwest in the late 19th century included railroads, mining, ranching, and farming. Railroads were crucial for connecting the West Coast to the East Coast and transporting goods like cattle and grain. They contributed to the growth of related industries such as coal and steel. Ranching began with longhorn cattle driven from Mexico and grazed freely until conflicts arose with farmers and the introduction of barbed wire fencing. Mining attracted settlers with discoveries of gold and other resources, though many mining towns became ghost towns. Farming struggled with low food prices and high costs, leading farmers to organize for political advocacy and cooperative purchasing arrangements to improve their profits.

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    of 2

    5 Major Industries of the MIdwest

    ● Railroad
    ● MIning
    ● Ranching

    Government did want to complete the transcontinental railroad to connect the already
    developed west coast to the east coast
    ● California gold
    ● Montana gold
    ● Idaho gems

    To help with settlement of great american desert, railroad companies where given land to build
    the railroads
    ● CHeckerboard pattern
    ● Corrupt, curves etc

    Railroad industry contributes to the creation of the coal and steel industry

    Clocks were adjusted to the shadows created by the sun


    ● In order for time accuracy for trains, time zones were created

    MOdern stockholder corporations were established


    ● Public trading
    ○ Similar to joint-stock
    ■ Being able to leave the investment

    Railroads were built by converging in the middle


    ● WEst-bound built mainly by Irish
    ○ East-bound by Chinese
    ● Discrimation, anti-catholic and anti-chinese,
    ● No one else wanted to be employed by railroad companies
    ○ Dangerous conditions
    ○ HArd work
    ○ Led to Irish and Chinese immigrants to be hired, whomst could not get jobs in
    other places

    WEstern cattle industry started by MExican cowboys


    ● Longhorn
    ● Free range, open-graze
    ● Southwest
    ● Cattle would be taken to Kansas city to be transported by railroad to Chigaco to be
    slaughtered
    ● Downfall
    ○ Overgrazing
    ○ Blizzard
    ■ 90% of cattle
    ○ Cattle Wars
    ■ 86 acres of farm land
    ■ Barbed wire fencing
    ■ Made it impossible to open-graze
    ■ Cowboys would tear down the fencing
    ● Farmers would kill the cows

    Mining industry
    ● Discovery of goods
    ○ Attracted settlers
    ● Eventually big companies would buy land for gold deposits
    ○ Future ghost towns were established to house workers

    Farming industry
    ● Less farmers, more land
    ○ Improved technology
    ■ Less need for workers
    ○ Old employs migrated to cities for jobs
    ● Loans taken out to buy farming technology
    ● Every growing season farmers take out loans
    ○ Pay back once they sell crops
    ○ Collateral would be their farm
    ● Railroads companies would charge farmers to ship goods to cities
    ● Lowered price of grain
    ● Grain elevators (silos) also cost farmers to store their goods
    ● As food prices decrease, farmers struggled to make a profit
    ○ BEtter to sell what they have at a lower price, rather than not at all
    ● To fight back
    ○ Established the Grange
    ■ Better education for farming practices
    ■ Lobbying the government
    ● Farmers’ Alliance
    ○ Established cooperatives
    ■ BUying silops together rather than use grain silos
    ○ Lower tax
    ○ Federally regulated
    ○ Silver
    ○ Federal loams
    ○ Federal crop storage
    ○ ALl to make it easier for farmers to make a profit

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