America moves West

Plain Indians land holdings

Close to the Civil War Native Americans inhabited nearly half the United States.

By 1880 most of the population would be pushed onto reservations.

This is their story

Life of the plains Indians

Tribes consist of: Sioux, Cheyenne, Crow, and ArapahoNomadic and warlike culture. Reliant on riding horses and hunting buffaloUsed mostly bow and arrows

Sand Creek Massacre

1859 conflicts consist between gold miners and NativesChief Black Kettle lead a group to settle in the sand creek.

They were attacked and killed by the Colorado militiaThe tribes were forced to give up the land afterward.

Fetter man Massacre

Sioux reaction to the Bozeman Trail which connected miner towns going through Sioux territory.Attacked and killed General Fetter man and 82 soldiers.

Native American Reform

Debate started on how to handle the Natives

Northerners- Christian view, educate and civilize the natives.

Westerners- Saw Natives as dangerousWanted firm control and swift punishment of natives

Result

The government chose two areas in present day Oklahoma to keep the Natives and set-up reservations

The land was hard to farm and the Natives were supervised by the military.

Native Response

Comanche's rampaged through Texas

Until put down by the African American Calvary known as the Buffalo soldiers.

OH that Custard…….

Native leader Rain in the face teamed with medicine man sitting bull to continue rebellion

George Custard racked down the band. Full of pride Custard charged in with 250 soldiers to fight 2500 Native Americans.

Eventually the U.S. Army would crush the band after Custards death.

Assimilation

Native children wee sent to schools to learn to farm and fix machines.

Banned tribal clothing and customs.

Dawes Severity Act

Divided tribal land into small plots for families

Forced the plains Indians to become farmers

Weakening them and leaving them impoverished.

Buffalo!

As the buffalo population was ravaged by the settlers the end of the plains Indians was sealed.

Land Grabs

The other reason people moved west was the hope of land promised by the government.

The government owned around 1 billion acres of land.

Between 1862 and 1890 they gave away 48 million acres

100 million acres were sold to private companies128 million were given out to Railroad companies

Problems

Though this land was given out many few people could meet the terms of service.

Those who took the land had to provide 10 dollars and cultivate the land for five years.

Most farmers could not commit for more then two years or not make the farm self sustaining.

National Reclamation Act

Set aside proceeds from public land sales to finance irrigation projects in the arid states.

Territorial Governments

Washington set-up Governors and judges for the new areas.

Their job was to set a budget and oversea activities.

Developing farms in the West

Farmers faced many problems in the new dry climate

Joesph E. Glidde developed barbed wire to prove cheap effective fencing material

Dry farms are developed for better farmingBonanza farming: Farms that used technology to

usually funded by outside capital