Episodes Around: 18900430

  1. American Tobacco Company Established
    date January 1, 1890 to December 31, 1890map DURHAM, North Carolinatags Economy

    In the several years preceding 1890, brothers Ben and Buck Duke initiated several reforms of their tobacco manufacturing business. The brothers' company W. Duke and Sons experienced great success after the innovations. Then in response to concern about other manufacturers, in 1890, the Dukes joined four of their tobacco competitors to the form the American Tobacco Company. The American Tobacco...

  2. Missouri Farmer Sells Butter in East Because Interstate Railroad Growth
    date January 1, 1890 to December 31, 1890map KNOX, Missouritags Economy, Migration/Transportation

    J.H. Hill, a Missouri creamery owner, produced 43,500 pounds of butter in 1890. He sold all of his butter in the eastern market. Increasing railroad building and growing connections with places like Edina, Missouri made possible the sale of agricultural products across the country. While some like Hill thrived because of this more open trade, others opposed the expansion of markets. They believed...

  3. Debate over McKinley Tariff
    date January, 1890 to May, 1890map Washington City, District of Columbiatags Agriculture, Economy

    Republican Congressman William McKinley from Ohio introduced his plan for the tariff in the Spring of 1890. The legislation set the tariff rate at fifty percent, the highest in United States history. Congressman McKinley and its supporters designed the tariff to protect agriculture. However, the group forwarding the interests of the farmers, the Farmers' Alliance, called for the removal of...

  4. Debate over Sherman Anti-Trust Act and Sherman Silver Purchase Act
    date January, 1890 to June, 1890map Washington City, District of Columbiatags Agriculture, Economy

    The Sherman Anti-Trust Act represented the first action by the federal government to curb business monopolies. The Act declared the illegality of any contract or combination between business entities that resulted in restraining trade. The Act also granted government attorneys and district courts the authority to investigate these trusts. The Farmers' Alliance actively supported government...

  5. Farmers' Alliance Leaders in Tennessee Work to Influence Democratic Party before State Governor's Election
    date January 1, 1890 to July 15, 1890map DAVIDSON, Tennesseetags Agriculture

    After its establishment in July 1889, membership of the Farmers' Alliance grew rapidly and reached over 100,000 people in 1890. The Alliance widely proclaimed their goal to influence the Democratic Party. Throughout the year the Alliance engaged in a publicity campaign to sway Party actions and nominations. Newspapers played an important part in this publicity campaign. The Nashville Banner...

  6. Diversity in the Houston Saturday Evening Market
    date 1890map HARRIS, Texastags Arts/Leisure, Economy, Migration/Transportation, Race-Relations

    As the sun lay low in the evening sky, the Saturday market in Houston sprang to life with a diverse and vivid collection of venders and products. Lee Hardy described how the area was full of venders alone representing every nationality, Americans being far in the minority. Open from 5 PM to 10 PM in the summer, here German traders, who had often traveled more than twenty miles to be present, set...

  7. Texas Homestead Law and the Economic Depression of the 1890s
    date 1890 to 1891map BEXAR, Texastags Government, Race-Relations, Women

    From her ranch in Texas, Jane Maverick wrote that the early 1890s were sad years for families throughout the nation as the country was undergoing an economic depression. The depression started in the North, Maverick reflected, and worked its way down the coast, finally hitting Texas. Prior to this time, the country was undergoing a post-war boom and Maverick explained ...there had been a perfect...

  8. A Long Awaited Education
    date 1890map ALBEMARLE, Virginiatags African-Americans, Education, Race-Relations

    A sense of pride and accomplishment overwhelmed Benjamin Franklin Yancey towards the end of the 1890s. He had finally achieved a dream that he believed would change the lives of generations of young African Americans. Yancey had overcome the obstacles of racist sentiments and segregation that were a widespread aspect of life in Albemarle County, Virginia.

    Benjamin Franklin Yancey...

  9. Ice Famine Narrowly Averted
    date March 13, 1890 to 1890map COPIAH, Mississippitags Arts/Leisure, Church/Religious-Activity, Health/Death, Economy, Urban-Life/Boosterism

    On March 13, 1890, the Jackson Weekly Clarion Ledger relayed word from Chicago that the cold weather of the past ten days has been a God-send to the ice men... The Michigan fields are being heavily drawn upon, while the crop in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin is eminently encouraging, thus relieving fears of an ice shortage. This was especially good news for Mr. Beasly of Crystal Springs, Mississippi,...

  10. Another Train Wreck
    date April 30, 1890map AUGUSTA, Virginiatags Arts/Leisure, Crime/Violence, Health/Death, Economy, Migration/Transportation, Urban-Life/Boosterism, Women

    Rather than going to bed early Sunday night after a long day of church and family time, the city of Staunton spent the evening putting out a fire, only to then have a serious train wreck in the early hours of Monday, April 28, 1890. The No. 2 train on the C&O line from Cincinnati had cars derail after losing air power to the brakes. The train picked up even more speed because there is a descent...