Post on 18-Jan-2018
Section 1Cultures Clash on the Prairie
The cattle industry booms in the late 1800s, as the culture of the Plains Indians declines
Government policy
►Early 1800's –
►Indian Removal: All tribes east of the Mississippi forced to move to Indian Territory in modern-day Oklahoma.
►Mid 1800's - U.S. Gov changes policy to Containment
► Reservations -special areas used by a specific group - Indians agreed to live on reservations based on the
promise that the land would be theirs forever (signed Treaties with the U.S. Gov.)
- They were also promised food, money and other help
Clash of culture
►Indians and settlers looked at the world differently►Settlers felt that the resources were their to be used
- Large scale hunting, mining, and farming►Plains Indians used only the resources they needed for their actual
needs - They saw the white settlers as being greedy and destructive
Plains Wars: 1860’s-1880’s►By 1860's - Treaties were being
broken by both sides►Settlers continued to pass through
areas where they were not allowed►Groups of Indians raided white
settlements and wagon trains►1864 - Sand Creek Massacre
- Colorado militia attacked Cheyenne and Arapaho at Sand Creek - Indians thought they were under the protection of a nearby government outpost - Over 100 Indians were slaughtered (including women and children)
Plains Wars: 1860’s-1880’s►1866 - Chief Red Cloud (Sioux:)
defeated Captain W.J. Fetterman and 80 U.S. army soldiers• Led them into a trap
and killed them
Battle of LittleBig Horn►Little Bighorn (most famous battle
of the Indian wars)►The Black Hills of South Dakota had
been set aside for the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne►1874 - U.S. Army exploring party
found gold- Settlers went looking for gold
- Gov. tried to buy the Black Hills (Sioux considered land sacred) - 1875 and 1876 - Sioux warrior left their reservations and united under the leadership of two Sioux chiefs (Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse)
Battle of LittleBig Horn►June 25, 1876 - George Armstrong
Custer and several hundred army soldiers found a Sioux camp near the Little Bighorn River- Custer gained fame fighting in Civil War - Admirers considered him a daring brilliant officer - Critics considered him a dangerous showoff►Custer had orders to attack any Indians
he came into contact with►When he attacked he was actually
stepping into a trap►Custer and all of his men were killed
- Became known as "Custer's Last Stand"
Battle of LittleBig Horn►People in the East were shocked by the news of the Battle
of Little Bighorn- U.S. Gov. sent 1000's of troops to fight the Indians►The Battle of Little Bighorn was the last Indian Victory in
the Indian Wars - 1876 - U.S. Army defeated the Sioux
- Sitting Bull and his followers escaped to Canada►Crazy Horse was arrested
- He was fatally stabbed as he was being arrested - Not sure if guard or another Indian stabbed him
Chief Joseph
►Led the Nez Perce people►Nez Perce lived in northwest (Oregon
and Idaho) - Fished for salmon, gathered food, and hunted►Chief Joseph refused to sell land to
government►1877 - Gov. ordered the Nez Perce
people to move to a reservation - They fled and tried to evade the army►Captured about 40 miles south of
Canada - Chief Joseph made speech - Said that he would fight no more
Southwest Indians
►Navajo were forced to move to reservations in the east
- March called "The Long Walk"►Reservation was a failure - Navajo allowed to return home►Mid 1870's - Apache were forced to
move away from their traditional territory
- Geronimo - led his people off the reservation
- Evaded the army many times due to their knowledge of southern Arizona- 1886 - Geronimo captured and forced to live far away from his people
Indians way of life destroyed
►Whites killed buffalo►Indians depended on buffalo►Indians were unable to survive without
the buffalo►Many Indians turned to the Ghost
Dance Religion- It taught that the spirits of the dead Indians would return to help the Indians reclaim their land►Many whites were fearful of this
movement- Asked the army for help
- Cavalry rounded up Sioux men on the Pine Ridge Reservation- Place called wounded knee
Indians way of life destroyed
►Wounded Knee Massacre- 300 men, women, and children Sioux were killed
- Considered to be the last battle of the Indian Wars
Assimilation
►Conditions grew worse as more Indians were forced on to reservations►Reformers began calling for changes►Many white though that only solution was to make the Indians
become more like the whites- Assimilation - to adopt the culture of the people around you
Assimilation
►Dawes Act (1887) - intended to make Indians give up their traditions and accept White customs- Reservation lands were divided up in farm plots for families and individuals (40 to 160 acres)- Any remaining land was sold to white settlers
- Profits used to pay for Indian schools- Indians who accepted the plots of land could become citizens for the 1st time
►Dawes Act failed- Many western Indians didn't want to settle down as farmers
- Lacked tools and training - Many sold their plots to white settlers cheap►End 1800's - situation of the American Indians was tragic
- Lost land, people, and culture- 20th century U.S. government finally realizes importance of Indian way of life