What economic factors in the 19th century contributed to the settlement of the Great West?

Question

also, does anyone know these questions too-

1 .Compare and contrast the political and economic platforms of the Republican/Democratic/Populist Parties in the second half of the 19th century.

2.What economic factors in the 19th century contributed to the settlement of the Great West?

3.What factors made American farmers economically vulnerable in the late 19th century despite increased agricultural production in the west?

4. Evaluate the political and moral consequences of the Indian Wars for the United States.

5 Did farmers redress their economic and political grievances in the 1870s-90s?

Answer 1

.Compare and contrast the political and economic platforms of the Republican/Democratic/Populist Parties in the second half of the 19th century.
Great question. So, the populists had begun as the Farmers Alliance and suddenly, it turned into a political movement. Prices had gone down for crops, and many farmers were in debt. The populists, which represented the debtors, and the western interests, supported the free coinage of silver. This was based on the fact that there was more silver around than gold, the standard used at the time. They thought that because more silver was out there, more people would have money. This was simply faulty due to inflation...silver might have been more available but that didnt mean it was able to buy the same things gold was able to buy. They just werent worth the same amount. The populists supported William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic candidate, who is famous for his "cross of gold" speech, in which he asked the people not to crucify themselves to gold, but to embrace silver. This was for the election of 1896, known as "The Battle of The Standards". The Republican candidate was William McKinley who was backed up by the rich people, the monied interests, and the Eastern bankers. He was for the gold standard. An interesting fact is that "The Wizard of Oz" was written in this time...they wanted to see the wicked witch of the east right? east = money, gold, bad.

Well anyway, McKinley won, despite the populists' support of the Democratic Bryan.

2.What economic factors in the 19th century contributed to the settlement of the Great West?
We cant ignore the RAILROAD. Here we can thank many of the "captains of industry" like Vanderbilt for example, who was the owner of a couple of railroads.The biggest railroads met Promontory, Utah in 1869 for the first time. Railroads did not only connect people, but created new cities as well. Wherever a railroad would stop, people would create settlements. There was also the development of barbwire, that allowed people to move westward and to guard their terrains.

3.What factors made American farmers economically vulnerable in the late 19th century despite increased agricultural production in the west?
Wow, I took ap us history last year and I dont remember tha tmuch about this, I just remember that prices for crops had gone down all through the world, so it was natural that they would fall in the U.S. as well. If you have a lot of products, supply goes up, and prices go down in an economic point of view. The farmers felt that they were being cheated by railroads who charged them too much to transport their goods, and by banks who demanded that they pay their debts.

4. Evaluate the political and moral consequences of the Indian Wars for the United States.
Some points because I dont remember this very well...
the devastation of the American buffalo...please, they were pretty much exterminated. The Indians ended up in reservations where they were taught to be "normal" Americans...what else? I dont remember...sorry, but there are some points you can work with.

5 Did farmers redress their economic and political grievances in the 1870s-90s?
YES. First they formed Northwestern and Southern Farmers Alliances. These large meetings became political and they started their own party, the Populist party. I believe it was in 1892 that the populist party got together and drew up the Ocala Demands, their party platform that tried to end the dependence on banks, railroads, and gold. Mary Ellen Lease, one of the leaders always told people during the meetings "to raise less corn and more hell"...they had James Weaver, I believe, run for president in 1892 but he lost. The weakened Populist Party supported William Jennings Bryan in 1896, but he lost as well.
The 1870's-1890's marked the years when farmers tried to get their points across in the political arena.

Answer 2

E. The 14th amendment.... granting equal human rights to slaves (essentially allowing for more and more minds to invent and create) until it was used and abused by corporations in 1886 in the Santa Clara County v Southern Pacific Railroad non-legal decision which has allowed a boon in industry, to be sure, but has been the down fall of we humans as commodity instead of being seen as humans by said corporations ..... and to a certain extent.... B.