America moves West

Plain Indians land holdings

Close to the Civil War Native Americans inhabited nearly half the United States. There were near 1 billion natives

By 1880 most of the population would be pushed onto small 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 militia they were slaughtered as black kettle surrendered.The tribes were forced to give up the land afterward.

Fetter man Massacre

Gold settlers continued to move into the territory.Sioux reaction by creating the Sioux war in 1865 due to 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 after the Fetterman Masscre

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.

Assimilation

On reservations Native children were sent to schools to learn to farm and fix machines. As well as teaching Christianity.

Banned tribal clothing and customs war paint as well as being forced to speak English. All in attempt to erase Native culture and make them ore white.

Dawes Severity ActDivided tribal land into small plots for families, Natives would own the land but would become farmers. Any left over land would be sold to white framers. (Most of the better farming land was sold to farmers. To receive the Land Natives would have to choose to leave their tribe, it would also make the U.S. citizens if they accepted the deal for land. The government claimed ownership of the land for 25 years to keep out white speculators.Speculators would find ways to circumvent the law and still buy parts of the land. The law weakended as it broke up the tribes. Natives and lef tthem impoverished.

Battle of the little big horn

A young Band of Sioux tribal leaders still refused to move into reservations.

Native leader Rain in the face teamed with medicine man Sitting Bull to continue rebellion against the Federal government.

George Custard tracked down the band. Full of pride Custard charged in with 250 soldiers to fight 2500 Native Americans.C ustard before his attack thought he had trapped the group.

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

Ghost Dance

Some Natives till tried to fight this.

Many tired natives in the black hills began what was known as the ghost dance. The dance song and customs were meant to bring revolutionary spirit that would rid Natives of the white man. The military broke up the Ghost Dance killing Sitting Bull

Wounded Knee Massacre

The remainder of the Ghost Dance were marched to military camp.

One day a shot was fired believed to be by Native American. The Military turned a new invention the Machine gun on the remaining tribe tearing apart human being and tepees.200 men women and children were killed.

America begins it’s move

The original movement west was started by the California Gold rush of 1849.

It consisted of mostly wagon trains that hoped to make to California before snow fall. Men normally hunted while women made improvements to clothing to deal with the changes in weather.

Exodusters

African Americans moved from the East and the South heading for the west.

Mostly seeking better opportunities in life.

There was far less discrimination for African Americans, due to the mixed culture out west and people earning their keep through work.Most African Americans worked as cowboys or farmers.

Homestead Act of 1862

In a push to try and get people to settle west the U.S. government passed the Homestead act of 1862

It gave 160 acres of land to anyone who would pay registry fee of ten dollars as well as cultivate the land for five years. There is a mass migration from Europe in the hope of getting this landIt also took two years for a farm to sustain itself. Also most of the land bought by settlers was hard to farm. It was not like the land of the Louisiana purchase.

Reaction

Timber Culture Act of 1873 : Settlers could gain 160 acres more land if they planted trees. Desert land act of 1877: one could gain 640acres if they irrigated land.Timber stone Act of 1878: took unlivable land and lowered the price to buy it. Many companies sent fake speculators to buy this land in the thought there could be high profit.

National Reclamation Act

Eventually the U.S. Government began to fund efforts to build an irrigation networks for these farms with the National Reclamation Act.

The government would help educate framers along with the grange program as well as fund technology advances like:Barb wire to protect farm propertyLarge threshers and bailersWell construction and irrigation projects

Bonanza Farms

As farming became more developed by the government private industries also began to invest in western farmers.

Bonanza farms were the names of farmers that were sponsored by companies, who helped provide investments in technology to make the farms more successful.The two parties would then split he profits. Would farm only one or two products to be sold in the east scared of many small farmers.

Progression in the west

Originally gold mining brought setters out west.Mining was done by companies normally consisting of 4 to 5 peoplePlace mining: Mining that requires very little skill or money just a shovel and pan was replaced when large corporations came in. Eventually larger mining groups took over like the Anaconda Copper company.

Ranching

Moving herds of cattle across many miles became another important aspect of western farming. As more farmers settled into the west cattle drives became less frequent due to farmers stetting up barb wire fences.

The government takes action again

After the civil war Greenback after the war left many farmers in poverty using silver exchange to keep thriving.

The department of agriculture sent Oliver Kelley to investigate the farming area.

Started the grange program to help with farming and education.

This idea worked until the country fell into a recession.

Farmers alliance

The alliance forms as Granges collapse

The plan was to build large groups of farms to try and force down the price of goods, and obtain loans.The Alliance was a joining of statewide and regional farmers. Based around policies like government ownership of the railroad, more circulation of money, government farming programs in each state.

Rise of the people

As farming plans begin to fail a number of farmers formed the People’s party.(populist party)

The party existed to elect members of congress that would support farmers.Many were concerned that this group would hurt the democrat party. Considered the evolution of the farming movement from sponsored programs on the grange, to organization of farmers, to a political group that fully supported farmers.

Turner’s Thesis

Turner a historian believed that American’s were forced to adapt an innovate as they move westward. The thesis also explained how western expansion helped ingrain these characteristics into the fabric of America society.

This mean that western Americans were focused on self improvement, supported democracy, ans socially mobile.