1877 time machine

El Centro History Department Forward to the Late 19th Century The Magical History Tour Back to Reconstruction
1877

El Centro's Time Machine: 1877

Outline of Class Discussion

Step into El Centro's Internet Time Machine. The year is 1877...

President Ulysses and Julia Grant leave office and Rutherford B. and Lucy Hayes become the new President and First Lady. The election of 1876 was similar to the election of 2000.
About 200,000 of Longhorn Cattle will be moved from Texas to northern markets on "Long Drives" in 1877.
William "Boss" Tweed, the first city boss in the U.S., is in jail for his New York City crimes committed by his "Tweed Ring".
Marx and Engels are popular authors as socialism, communism, and other radical ideas spread.
Despite the spread of radicalism, many Americans are happy. John D. Rockefeller will make 45 million dollars this year.
Other Americans, however will continue to suffer through the Panic of 1873 with twenty percent unemployment in many cities.
Brigham Young, leader of the Mormons, dies.
On the other hand, Mark Twain is still around and a popular author although his 1876 publication, Tom Sawyer, has not quite caught the public's attention yet.
Whether political or not, joining clubs reaches fad proportions including Moose, Elks, and many woman's clubs. One new organization in 1877 will be the American Humane Association founded in Cleveland for the protection of both animals and children from abuse and neglect.
One reason for this joining phenomenon is the availability of labor saving devices and better communications such as those invented by Thomas Edison including his 1877 invention, the phonograph. But, his inventions will not be the only new developments in 1877.
George Baldwin Selden produces the first sketch of an automobile in 1877.
And, Alexander Graham Bell demonstrates his invention, the telephone, patented in 1876.
We can't overlook the teenager Chester Greenwood who invents ear muffs in 1877.
And, then there is Emile Berliner who invents the microphone.
The mysteries of space are also being revealed when the moons of mars are discovered by Asaph Hall.
There are many "firsts" in 1877 including the First Wimbledon tennis match.
And, the Metropolitan Museum of Art opens in New York City.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., the First Flag Day was celebrated with our 37 star flag that became a 38 star flag in 1877 with the addition of Colorado.
And, the first Egg Roll was held at the Whitehouse in Washington D.C. during Easter.
Another first developed at West Point when Henry O. Flipper became the first African-American to graduate from that institution.
Other African-Americans, so-called Exodusters were also trying to find a better life by going West.
With the end of Reconstruction in 1877, violence is becoming more a part of African-American experiences, but 1877 is a violent year for most Americans including Tejanos who were involved in the Salt War of El Paso or San Elarzio Salt War.
Laborers also faced violence in the Great Railway Strike of 1877, the most violent in U.S. history and the first use of U.S. troops to stop a labor action.
Meanwhile, the secretive organization of Irish coal miners, the Molly Maguires, are being tried, convicted, and executed for their alleged activities in the coal mining fields of Pennsylvania despite the fact that the only evidence was provided by a Pinkerton's spy.
Criminals also will create havoc in 1877 including Belle Starr, the "bandit queen," who moved out of Dallas in 1876.
In 1877, Billy the Kid commits his first murder during the Lincoln County War in New Mexico.
Dallas has its problems with Sam Bass who robs the Mesquite train in 1877. At the same time in 1877, Texas murderer John Wesley Hardin is arrested and convicted of murdering a sheriff.
To combat crime, cowtowns hire lawmen like Wyatt Earp

Americans seem less concerned about other forms of violence such as attacks on Chinese immigrants in California who are accused of destroying American society and threatening virtuous white women and children with their opium dens. San Francisco has already become the first government in the U.S. to outlaw drugs, specifically opium, and in 1877, becomes the first to pass a zoning law in the U.S. to restrict Chinese laundries. Violence erupts in what was referred to Kearneyism. (Another photo)

Many Americans welcome violence against Indians and celebrate the surrender of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Indians in 1877. Also that year, many Americans were happy to hear about the death of Crazy Horse who had been an American Indian leader at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876.

Texans, however, experience decreasing violence along the Mexican border with Porfirio Diaz as President since he wants to improve U.S./Mexico relations and the federal government sends troops to pursue bandits into Mexico.

Other world violence does not concern Americans who basically will ignore fighting in South Africa between Dutch Boers & Zulus as Europe partitions Africa. The British use this as an opportunity to take over although neither the Dutch nor the Zulus wanted that outcome. This is about the time of European partitioning of Africa that had also created the Belgian Congo in 1876.

And, who cares if the Russo-Turkish War ends with the creation of the sovereign nation of Serbia?

There is a lighter side to 1877. Women's fashions were changing. Meanwhile, bicycling becomes a fad despite the awkwardness of the contraption. And, you might see these dances.

In Texas, dancing was controversial among some who preferred the popular Sacred Harp music.

Other 1877 Links:

1877 - Wikipedia
1877 - About.com
Political Graveyard: Politicians Who Were Born or Died in 1877
Georgia Constitution of 1877
Philadelphia Timeline: 1877
Snow Storm at Mt. Shasta by John Muir
Louisiana Timeline - 1877
Queen Victoria was proclaimed queen-empress of India.
Cornelius Vanderbilt railroad and shipping millionaire died.
The Washington Post was founded.
The Papers of W.E.B. DuBois, 1877-1965
Reconstruction, 1866-1877
The ballet "Swan Lake" debuts (by Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky)
The First Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show was held
First cantilever bridge built (Kentucky)
Frederick Douglass appointed marshall of Washington D.C.
First human cannonball act performed (London)
Catcher's Mask first used in baseball.

Outline of Class Discussion

I. Our semester is defined by the catalog as 1877 to the present
A. Occasionally we will have to back-up to understand the events
of the late 19th century
B. But let's set the mood by stepping back into time - to 1877
C. Step into my time machine - be sure to tell me what you see, too

II. In 1877...
A. Ullyses S. Grant left the presidency and Rutherford B. Hayes was
inaugurated with First Lady Lucy Hayes.

1. Porfirio Diaz was President of Mexico

B. 200,000 Texas longhorn went to Dodge City, Kansas, on
"Long Drives"

C. First city boss in U.S., William "Boss" Tweed, was in jail in NYC
for stealing millions

D. Socialism & other radical ideas were gaining support

E. Joining clubs, groups and organizations reached fad proportions

1. Included women's clubs, Elks, Moose, Knights of Columbus,
Masonic Lodges
2. American Humane Society founded in 1877 in Cleveland

F. Also in 1877, the leader of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young,
died

G. For reading you might choose The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
by Mark Twain, published 1876, while the hit tune of the day
was "Frankie and Johnnie" and popular dances included
the waltz, polka and galop

H. Thomas invented the phonograph while George Baldwin Selden
drew the first sketch of an automobile, and the first public
telephone was installed in the U.S; Chesterm Greenwood
invented ear muffs, and Emile Berliner the microphone;
moons of Mars were discovered

I. The first Wimbleton held in England

J. First flag day celebrated in U.S. - 37 star flag - and first Egg Roll at
the Whitehouse

K. Metropolitan Museum of Art opened in NYC and the first department
stores opened by John Wanamaker in Philadelphia

L. Many African-Americans head West as Exodusters while Henry O.
Flippen became the first African-American to graduate from West
Point.

M. Violence erupted in New Mexico's Lincoln County, in El Paso's Salt
War, between labor and management during Great Railway Strike
of 1877 and the Molly Maguire murder trial, and in racial conflicts
especially in the South against African-Americans and in the West
against the Chinese.

N. Wars against Indians continued, too, but the Nez Perce and their
leader Chief Joseph surrendered

O. Wyatt Earp was lawman in Dodge City

P. Billy the Kid committed his first known murder and Sam Bass robbed
the Mesquite train.

Q. Porfirio Diaz was President of Mexico

R. In Eastern Europe, the Russo-Turkish War ended with creation of
the sovereign nation of Serbia

S. In Africa, European partitioning had begun, the Belgian
Congo created in 1876 while in South Africa the Dutch
Boers (i.e. "farmers" in Dutch) battled the Zulu people
for control

T. Meanwhile, John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil made $45
million profit while at the same time most Americans
were still suffering through the Panic of 1873 known
as the "Long Depression" - 20% unemployment,
wages declining, lasted to 1878

U. First zoning law passed in U.S. - regulate Chinese laundries in
San Francisco

10. But in other ways, Dallas and Texas stuck in the past

To Lecture 2: The South

Page created by: Wanda Downing Jones, El Centro College