Monday, January 2, 2012

Taking of the West Questions

1. US relations with Native Americans grew worse in the Civil War. This can be accounted for the fact that American troops had to be withdrawn from their posts in the west, which made the posts more vulnerable to Native American attacks. The Civil War also drained the US of it’s money, so it could not pay its annuity to the Indians. Many Indians, like the Sioux, starved because they had not received their payments. As a result, fighting ensued. Chief Little Crow encouraged fighting the Americans, which would last for more than a decade. As Americans kept expanding west and as Native Americans grew angry at their continuous loss of land, the two constantly clashed.

2. a. The hostility felt by Americans toward Native Americans was deeply rooted in the fact that they viewed the Indians as savages.  They didn’t view the Indians as equals. This led to various massacres and wars out in the west between the two entities. This disrespect showed up in many ways, for example, the mutilation of corpses after the Dakota Uprising.
b. The goal of the Dawes Plan was to grant landholding to Native Americans. This replaced communal landholdings which occurred in the past and assimilated Native American tribes into American society.  I disapprove of the plan because it acted as a scapegoat for the American government. The Native Americans were being offered a small amount of land and the American government ignored the cultural aspects that would be impacted

3. The government had a big role in the settling of the west. They constantly encouraged settlement of the west to the people.  They sponsored numerous railroad and canal projects to make the expansion process easier for the people. The government was a driving and controlling force for settlement, as it granted generous amounts of land to people who decided to settle. Some adventuresome individuals that aspired for gold rode this government intervention and therefore had an easier process of transporting to the west in search for gold or a better life.

4. The “New South” conformed to its rhetoric because of the many changes it experienced. King Cotton was beginning to lose ground, as it was believed to be the cause of the South’s defeat.  Tobacco, rice, and cane sugar became a popular cash crop. This diversification of crops helped the south grow less dependent on cotton, and boosted its recovery. The South began to manufacture more, using cotton mills.  Coal, iron, and limestone also drove the New South, as steel was also produced. By the 1900, Southern coal production has increased by five million tons. The South also became more industrialized with hydroelectricity and more railroads. Paper was also greatly produced because the arm climate allowed for a quick regeneration of trees.

5. Blacks improved economically and politically. Emancipation and the passage of the 13th, 14, and 15th amendments gave blacks citizenship and let them have more opportunities economically. Yet, there was little improvement socially. This racism kept on living even after the Civil War, and inspired such things like the Black Codes, the KKK, and the Jim Crow Laws. The South’s loss in the Civil War and it’s struggles in reconstruction generated a lot of bad temper, which sought blacks as a scapegoat. The harsh racism and segregation made it hard for blacks to assimilate into society, and also proved that attitudes towards blacks had not changed so much from the antebellum times.

6. This high level of competitiveness can be contributed to many things. Post-war sentiments still float in the atmosphere and lead groups of 
different regions to despise each other. There were heavy economic and social issues in the country and different parties sought different ways to fix it. Also, the presidency of Grant and his administration proved to be an utter disaster, as corruption was rampant throughout. The Panic of 1873 made the situation worse, as the treasury was lacking funds. House of Representatives switched six times between 1869 and 1891. There was also a high level of voter turnout. Yet, despite the heavy competition, none of the parties provided worthy presidents, as there was an era of forgettable presidents.  Patronage and bribery dominated politics throughout the era. Garfield’s assassination by another office seeker only made the level of tension and competition worse.

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