During the Gilded Age and the rise of Robber Barons, a growing criticism developed especially amongst farmers. Farmers had become dependent on railroads, but most towns only had one railroad run through it. With only one option, railroads could charge any rate and could even charge different rates to different customers. This issue would be … Continue reading Class Notes →

In 1903, two brothers from Ohio traveled to Kitty Hawk, NC to try something that seemed impossible. They flew a plane 120 feet in twelve seconds. It was not a long time or distance, but for the first time man flew.

When the Civil War began the basic structure of the infantry was as follows: I. 3 to 5 regiments formed a Brigade A. Commanded by a Brigade General II. 2 to 5 brigades made a division A. Commanded by a Major General III. 2 or more divisions made a Corps A. Commanded by a Lt. … Continue reading Class Notes →

As the nation moved into the 1880s it began to shift its Indian policy. In an effort to reform its years of mistreatment of natives, the new Progressive movements decided that instead of separating Indians it should help them by trying to make them more like themselves. The new idea was to education native children … Continue reading Class Notes →

There are many reasons why the South lost the Civil War, but none more than population. The north had 22 million people while the south had only 5 ½ million. The south mobilized 70% of their manpower. The south also lost about half that population to death and permanent injury. By the end of the … Continue reading Class Notes →

Before the 1850s the United States was divided in half with the western half set aside for Native Americans. However, around the mid-1850s Americans began to move west into these lands causing conflict. To settle the conflicts the government decided it was best to isolate Natives on to their own land where they would be … Continue reading Class Notes →

We tend to follow the myth that surrounds the cowboy as a loner and western ranchers as rugged individuals. While there is certainly some truth to that, the cow drives of legend were actually started by eastern entrepreneurs who saw a simple problem of supply and demand, terms we don’t tend to associate with cow … Continue reading Class Notes →

In 1858 the upstart Abraham Lincoln ran against incumbent Stephen Douglas for senator of Illinois. Both were champion orators and the two held a series of debates across the nation. The most important debate was held in Freeport, IL. At Freeport, Lincoln asked Douglas how he could support the idea of popular sovereignty (the idea … Continue reading Class Notes →

One law that helped build the west was the Homestead Act. In order to build towns, they needed population and money and the Homestead Act did both. It brought in new people and those people had to pay property taxes. Homestead basically gave anyone 160 acres of land. You were expected to develop the land, … Continue reading Class Notes →

One area in which the 19th Century was superior to us was in compromises. Whereas today compromise means do what I want, in the 19th Century, especially with Henry Clay there were gains for both sides. A good example of this was the 1850 Compromise. When California had the population required for statehood it opened … Continue reading Class Notes →