PLAIN INDIANS p.271860s-1890sGoal 4: Goal 4The Great West and the Rise of the Debtor(1860-1896)The learner will evaluate the great westward movement and assess the impact of the agricultural revolution on the nation.

4-1Compare and contrast the different groups of people who migrated to the West and describe the problems they experienced.4-2Evaluate the impact that settlement in the West had upon different groups of people and the environment.

Plain Indians

Great Plains or Great American Desert Highly developed lifestyle: nomadic lifestyle

(traveling) or small villages Horse (transportation and hunting) and Buffalo

(food, clothing, weapons, artistic materials, etc) very important to survival

Communal living— small extended families, no one person dominates, common use of land

AMERICAN INTERESTS Indian Removal Act of 1830 (Jackson) treaty gave

lands to Indians California Gold Rush 1848 = settlers must go thru plains to

get to CA Homestead Act of 1862 — offers 160 acres to head of

household in exchange for a 5 year commitment Transcontinental Railroad: massacre of buffalo herds,

helps settle west Central and Union Pacific RRs— built by Irish and Chinese

immigrants….railroads met in Promontory Point, Utah in 1869 “Golden Spike”

Indian Restrictions Treaties broken Indians forced

onto reservations Gov’t payment

and supplies were not delivered as promised

White interference with way of life = uprisings

Massacre at Sandcreek (1864) John Chivington ends up attacking and killing

over 150

Fetterman’s Massacre Red Cloud (Sioux Chief) Attempted to end white

settlement on the trail Without luck--Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Red

Cloud’s warriors ambush Fetterman and his small army

Indian Wars Gold found in the Black Hills of Dakotas settlers

rush in to strike it rich Sioux try to defend area promised to them Army sends George Custer

Little Bighorn, 1876: Sitting Bull has vision, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull lead warriors as Custer and his men arrive Custer and all his men were killed within 1 hour—aka Custer’s Last Stand

Nez Perce Indians—1877

Chief Joseph leader Compared his people to white settlers as a

deer is to a grizzly bear Refused to go to reservation until captured Chased for over 1000 miles,

eventually realize they

are defeated

Chief JosephChief JosephI write these notes of my life while I am on the run. My people, I write these notes of my life while I am on the run. My people, the Nez Perce Indians, are being chased by the Army of the the Nez Perce Indians, are being chased by the Army of the United States because we will not go to a certain piece of land United States because we will not go to a certain piece of land that they have picked for use. We know that the land is useless, that they have picked for use. We know that the land is useless, that's why they are giving it to us and taking our land. We are a that's why they are giving it to us and taking our land. We are a proud people not stupid. We know that if we go, we will proud people not stupid. We know that if we go, we will probably die from starvation, settlers, or disease. My people are probably die from starvation, settlers, or disease. My people are prepared to travel to the end of the world if it meant that the prepared to travel to the end of the world if it meant that the white man would leave us alone.white man would leave us alone.I feel that my people are growing tired of running. They are I feel that my people are growing tired of running. They are starving because they cannot hunt if they are being chased and starving because they cannot hunt if they are being chased and shot on sight. I am planning a speech to my people. I am going shot on sight. I am planning a speech to my people. I am going to say to my people that we should "fight no more forever". This to say to my people that we should "fight no more forever". This sounds about right for me to say seeing as how we cannot keep sounds about right for me to say seeing as how we cannot keep running from them. I do believe that we should stop and show running from them. I do believe that we should stop and show them that we are brave enough to stand and take it and maybe them that we are brave enough to stand and take it and maybe they will not punish my people for what I told them to do. Maybe they will not punish my people for what I told them to do. Maybe I shouldn't punish myself for what has happened but I cannot I shouldn't punish myself for what has happened but I cannot help thinking that I caused many men to run to their deaths. But help thinking that I caused many men to run to their deaths. But none of this would have happened if it wasn't for the land none of this would have happened if it wasn't for the land hungry settlers and their government.hungry settlers and their government.

Affect of American Settlers = ASSIMILATION (to absorb into

the American culture) “A Century of Dishonor” by Helen Hunt Jackson

exposed broken treaties with Native Americans Some support of assimilation— give up way of life

and beliefs to become part of white culture Dawes Act (1887): 160 acres to each family, most

land eventually taken, attempt to ‘Americanize’ Native Americans

AssimilationThey came in limitless numbers,

Took without asking, ignorant of us.Justified with a cause, to save our people,

What needed saving, was what was trying to save us.Liars, thieves, incapable of trust. The white ways,Trampled our graves, and took our lives from us.The ways of our people, now replaced with theirs,

Is this necessary, they say they must.We cannot fight back, caught in a white man's trap,

Now the end has come, a new sun has risen upon us.What is done, is done, now in limited numbers.Placed in reservations without much of as fuss.

End of the Indian Lifestyle Assimilation, education to be more like whites, destruction

of the Buffalo, removal, disease, etc. Ghost Dance Movement: Sioux spiritual dance thought it

would bring back land and way of life, outlawed b/c it was seen as a threat to whites

Battle of Wounded Knee —massacre of several hundred Sioux

Sioux were rounded up, starving and cold, weapons were demanded—a shot was fired (from where is unknown) and soldier’s opened fire with deadly force, within minutes over 300 had been slaughtered.

This event ends the era of Indian wars

Review Questions

1. Which event was most significant in ending traditional Native American life on the plains?

a. The invention of barbed wire

b. The destruction of the buffalo

c. The discovery of gold

d. The building of railroads

2. What was the government’s policy toward Native American land?

a. The government wanted to restrict all Native Americans to designated areas

b. The government did not care what happened to the land

c. The government wanted to protect the buffalo, a main source of survival for the Native Americans

d. None of the above

3. What laid land aside in 160 acre parcels for the Native Americans?

a. The Homestead Act

b. The Treaty of Fort Laramie

c. The Dawes Act

d. The Morrill Act

4. What Nez Perce leader refused to go to the reservation and fled from the U.S. Army for over 1,000 miles?

a. Sitting Bull

b. Crazy Horse

c. Tippecanoe

d. Chief Joseph

5. Process of giving up one’s beliefs and traditions in order to take on “white” culture?

a. Agreement

b. Assimilation

c. Dishonor

d. Acceptance

6. Where did the Union Pacific and the Central Railroads meet in 1869 to create the first transcontinental railroad?

a. Black Hills, South Dakota

b. Portland, Oregon

c. Abilene, Texas

d. Promontory Point, Utah