1 / 18

The Fight for the West

The Fight for the West. Native Americans and their role in western expansion. Stage Set for Conflict. Plains Indians thrived due to abundance of buffalo – used for food, clothing, shelter They led a nomadic lifestyle (they followed the food)

aaron
Download Presentation

The Fight for the West

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. The Fight for the West Native Americans and their role in western expansion

  2. Stage Set for Conflict • Plains Indians thrived due to abundance of buffalo – used for food, clothing, shelter • They led a nomadic lifestyle (they followed the food) • They did not believe land should be bought or sold • US govt. and most white settlers disagreed – land should be divided and claimed, often backed out of deals with Natives

  3. Buffalo • Used in over 52 ways by Plains Indians • Examples – food, shelter, weapons, clothing, bowls, shoes, dolls, rattles, glue • Destroying buffalo = destroying a way of life

  4. Destruction of Buffalo • 60 million buffalo in 1800, less than 1,000 remained by 1894 • Settlers and railroads reduced grazing land and cut off migration routes • Livestock brought disease to buffalo • Purposely destroyed to force Indians onto reservations • Also hunted for sport and profit • Forced Natives onto reservations

  5. The Ghost Dance • Natives turned to religion to cope with struggle • Ghost Danceperformed for 5 nights • Belief that it would lead to the departure of the White man and the return of the buffalo • caused more harm than good • it scared whites, government took action

  6. Sand Creek Massacre – 1864 • Indian raids caused much ill-will between the settlers and tribes in Colorado territory • Black Kettle (Cheyenne leader) and his tribe offered amnesty • Indians believed they were protected, came into a camp, flew a white flag of peace • Col. John Chivington and troops killed and mutilated about 200 of the Indians, 2/3 were women and children.

  7. Battle of the Little Bighorn - 1876 • raids continued against settlers who moved onto Sioux land in Montana territory • Sioux refused to return to reservations • Sioux leader, Sitting Bull, had a vision of a win over US soldiers. • This insulted Lt. Colonel George Custer. • Custer led his troops into poorly planned attack • his troops were severely outnumbered and quickly killed by the Sioux

  8. short lived victory for the Natives • government determined to end Native American resistance

  9. The Wounded Knee Massacre • Sitting Bull was killed by Indian Agency police due to his support of the Ghost Dance (1890) • Sioux tribe surrendered and were taken to Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota • A gun went off (conflicting stories) • U.S soldiers massacred Sioux men, women and children • ended a long and bloody conflict between the army and the Plains Indians

  10. Sitting Bull

  11. Resistance in the Northwest • Nez Perce moved onto a shrinking reservation • Chief Joseph tried to lead his tribe into Canada • stopped before he could get there and moved back Resistance in the Southwest • Geronimo and others fled a reservation in AZ to lead raids on settlements • He was eventually caught and sent to an internment camp in FL • marked the end of armed resistance in the Southwest

  12. Geronimo

  13. Government Policy • 1850s- 1870s – put Natives onto reservations and keep them separated • policy changed in the 1870s • Natives were forced to get rid of all traditional cultures and adopt the culture of white America. • “kill the Indian and save the man” • Americanization (this is an important term) • Bureau of Indian Affairs established

  14. These boys have been Americanized – they look like, talk like, and dress like a real American

  15. Dawes Act • Dawes Act of 1887 • split up reservations among individuals in the Native American tribes • promised them citizenship • gave them the less productive land and sold off the best • little support given to the Natives in regards to tools and supplies

  16. In the End • Tribes across America are decimated • The young are taken from their parents • After resisting for decades, Natives give up and settle on reservations • The West becomes a part of the U.S and it remains so today • Today, tribes struggle with poverty, addiction, etc.

More Related