Western Civilization

Words: 874
Pages: 4
Open Document
Western civilizations during the post Civil War era went through numerous developments and challenges from political, economical, and social aspects. Several factors have contributed to this. The rise of railroads, the government involvement, and the challenges faced by Native Americans are among the major developments and challenges which shaped the western civilization. The rise of the Great Plains socially affected life on the Western Civilization. The Great Plains are vast grasslands through the west central US. Various Indian cultures settled in the Great Plains region. Many settlers were forced to change their way of life accordingly. A large amount of the Indians became buffalo hunters to take advantage of the guns and horses. Buffalo …show more content…
The Homestead Act of 1862 was one of the more significant developments. The Homestead Act allowed the head of each household to gain 160 acres offered by the government. This went on the prove the governments support for settlement. Over 600,000 families gained the 160 acres of land in a span of 40 years. Another major development was the Battle of Wounded Knee which occurred in 1890. This massacre left about 150 Native Americans dead. It is often referred to as the Massacre of Wounded Knee, it’s also known as the final clash between the Sioux and federal troops. This was known as the end of the clashes, but it also had massacred numerous Native Americans. The Populist Party, or the People’s Party was a new political party which had risen in 1892. The main goal of the Populist Party Platform was to increase the money supply. The Populists had numerous ideas to achieve their goal. Some ideas included graduated income taxes, introducing a federal loan program, popular vote of the Senators, term limits, secret ballot, 8 hour workdays, and immigration restrictions. The Populist Party was eventually incorporated by the Democratic Party. Graduated income tax is when the wealthy upper class pay more tax and lower class pays less tax. These were several ideas that the Populist Party had to accomplish their …show more content…
The Panic of 1893 was one of the most important challenges faced. The Panic of 1893 ultimately caused many railroads to go bankrupt, it caused stocks and silver prices to fall as well as wages, investments and consumer purchases to also fall as a result, several banks and businesses were closed. This led the country falling into a depression with a high unemployment rate of 20%. An economic development was bimetallism. Bimetallism was when silver and gold were both used as a basis for currency, it allowed for more money to be in circulation.This led to higher prices (inflation). It made it easier to pay loans off. The populists favored this. The banks and creditors, however, favored gold standard. Gold standard was when only gold was used as a basis for money. Less money was in circulation (deflation). The transcontinental railroad was the first railroad to cross country borders. It greatly affected the economy when it became more expensive to transport animals and crop for farmers. Railroads became huge, and land grants were given to lay tracks. This greatly affected the
Show More

Related Documents: Western Civilization

Western Civilization DBQ

city of Constantinople. By withstanding constant years under siege by the Arabs, the Byzantine Empire helped shaped and preserve the uniqueness of Western Civilization. As stated by John Julius Norwich in Document A, “The Byzantines…[withstood] five years of siege by [the Arabs] hitherto considered irresistible, and in doing so… saved Western civilization. Had the [Arabs] captured Constantinople in the seventh century… all Europe- and America-…

Words 348 - Pages 2

Western Civilization Advantages

Western civilization is said to be defined by www.dictionary.com as “the modern culture of Europe and North America; also, the study of this culture, ” (Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon). Western civilization refers to a particular place in the world where history took place and the events that happened there. There are many reasons why the history that happened within Western Civilization is beneficial to students learning and understanding of the rest of the world. In order to understand and…

Words 1411 - Pages 6

Notes On Western Civilization

Western Civilization II Site Map First, print out these instructions and place them with your other course material. Look at the buttons along the left side of the Announcement page. Inside Start Here there is the Site Map, and you are reading it. The Announcements page automatically comes up with the banner and course name. Check these announcements every 48 hours. Inside Instructor Contact you have information on contacting me and our Chair for History, Dr. Allen Jones. Inside Syllabus…

Words 334 - Pages 2

Western Civilization Essay

Western Civilization: Beginnings to Present Although Western culture has been defined by both Christian and secular values across the course of time, the West’s primary goal is to achieve economic supremacy, using Christian and secular philosophies, as well as colonization and technological innovation as means to achieve this goal. Of the features that define western culture, the most unique is democracy. Originating in ancient Athens, democracy created a sense of pride in one’s government which…

Words 1417 - Pages 6

western civilization Essay

03/11/2013 A) The Agriculture Revolution was substantial to the development of Western Civilization. The greatest changes occurred during the Neolithic Revolution. Civilians began establishing in one general area to farm and herd animals, rather than migrating from land to land. The culture was changing and evolving in more of a group and city rather than a “hunter-gather”. Therefore, the development of civilizations grew because the people remained in that general area to harvest and maintain their…

Words 1297 - Pages 6

Western Civilizations: The Crusades

The Crusades were a very important occurrence to the Western Civilizations. The crusades were a series of holy wars called by popes with the promise of indulgences for those who fought in them and directed against external and internal enemies of Christendom for the recovery of Christian property or in defense of the Church or Christian people. The flow of traffic from Europe to the Holy Land led to the rise of trade and ideas. While Europe came out of the Dark Ages, the East was on the rise with…

Words 1853 - Pages 8

Western Civilization Essay

“Traveling Back in Time” As I travel in my time machine back in time to Egypt, Rome, and England I stop and hover over a few areas and stop and take a closer look at others. My first stop is Egypt during the Middle Kingdom. The Egyptians are calling the Middle Kingdom the Golden Age which seem to be an indication of stability. The Pharaoh is now being called the shepherd of his people and is providing the public welfare. Egypt is embracing on a period of expansion and they are building a fortress…

Words 512 - Pages 3

Greek Influence On Western Civilization

made many contributions to western civilization. The ancient Greeks have made contributions to our fine arts, medicine, and philosophies. The Greek culture has made a major impression on the way people live today. One way that ancient Greece affected western civilization is through the magnificent artist and works of art, created in Greece and by Greek Artist. Ancient Greek philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle have made contributions to western civilization as well. Socrates questioned…

Words 360 - Pages 2

Columbus And Western Civilization Summary

An Analysis of the Ruling Class’s Control of History in Howard Zinn’s "Columbus and Western Civilization" and George Orwell’s 1984 This historical study will define the ruling class’s control of history that is defined in Howard Zinn’s "Columbus and Western Civilization" and George Orwell’s 1984. Zinn’s historical commentary on Columbus Day defines the underlying power of an elitist Eurocentric view of the discovery of America, which had become a national holiday in the United States. Zinn (1997)…

Words 1179 - Pages 5

Western Civilization Essay

Jessica Turner Debate over the Black Athena 1/29/13\ The Black Athena is the theory of how the Greek Alphabet came to be. Historians and Archeologists as well as linguists believe that it was adopted from the Egyptians and the Phoenicians. The Greek alphabet was formed during the 17th and 16th centuries B.C. The Greek alphabet consists of twenty – six letters, which is what we use today. The Greek alphabet consists of different letters and symbols. Jessica Turner They Have a Master called…

Words 495 - Pages 2