US History and Government
Mar 26, 2015
US History and Government
AIM: How did the conflict between the railroads and the farmers result in change in economic policy and government intervention? Do Now: How were the Plains Indians affected by the white settlers?
Homework: Advances in the Great Plains
What is Laissez Faire?
What does transcontinental mean?
Settlement of the frontier would Agricultural production would What do you need to build tracks?
Steel industry would What else do you need to build a railroad?
Employment would Where would they get cheap labor from?
Immigration would Why do you think time zones are created?
Time tables for the trains
Effects on crop production: Settlement on the frontier would cause
crop production to Railroads would cause crop production
to The invention of new machines would
cause crop production to
Long Haul/Short Haul Charge more for short trips than long trips
▪ More companies on the long trip so had to get customers to use them, less companies on the short trip, so could charge more
What is a rebate? (When companies say “Send your receipt in for a $100 rebate.”)
Rebates – lower rates for companies rather than farmers
Higher Rates
How do you think farmers felt about this?
“Hayseed Like Me”What do you think they did?
National Granger – Organization of Farmers – pressured states to pass legislation that regulated the railroads (Granger Laws)
What do you think the Railroads said? Granger Laws are unconstitutional! RR’s are private property and cannot be
regulated!
Supreme Court rules that private property is not entirely private if it affects public interest
Government may regulate business
Outlawed rebatesPublished ratesReasonable and just rates for RR’s