America West Flashcards
why did the mormons move west
persecution in the east
why were the mormons persecuted
religious reasons - it grew very quickly which worried people, they moved in large numbers causing tensions with existing communities
political reasons - people were angry about the financial crash and wanted someone to blame, Americans worried that Joseph Smith was planning to overthrow the us government and disrupt the economy
religious reasons - people were against polygamy, they claimed to be christians but other christians were offended by their new religion
who was the first leader of the mormons and when did he set it up
Joseph smith - 1830
when did the Mormons settle in salt lake and who was a key figure in this
bringham young
1847 - 1848
when did young become leader of the mormons and why
1844 bc smith was killed
how did the mormons solve this problem
the journey to salt lake was dangerous and there was lots of ppl to move
young organised a count of all the people and wagons they had to move so he was able to plan carefully.
the migrants were divided into small groups and each group had a leader
to avoid arguments amongst the mormons he made sure everyone knew what to do and gave them a specific job
how did the mormons solve this problem
they did not know what to expect when they got to the salt lake valley
he spoke to a number off guides to find out as much as he could about the destination so they could prepare thoroughly
how did the mormons solve this problem
life in salt lake was very hard, the land was dry and there was no trees for wood
irrigation systems were quickly organised to divert water from melting snow in the mountains
homes were made from mud brick instead of wood
how did the Mormons solve this problem
they had to be able to produce everything they needed
young declared that the church owned all the land and that everyone must work together for the good of the community. settlements were organised carefully with each one producing something under the leadership of a church elder
settlements further away from the lake had to send products back to salt lake city
how did the mormons solve this problem
the area was part of Mexico when the Mormons arrived in 1848 but was soon occupied by the American government
young declared the settlement part of a separate state called the deseret.
to begin with, it looked like American government and mormons would go to war but young eventually came to a compromise with the government and the area became part of the new territory of Utah in 1850
pull factors for moving west
freedom and indapendance
free farming land
government promotion
manifest destiny
positive stories from traders and fur-trappers
Oregon train
gold
push factors for moving west
financial crisis of 1837
overpopulation
persecution
unemployment
when did the first migrants to travel the Oregon trail by wagon reach their destination
1836
when did the governor of Illinois tell mormons to leave the state
1846
when did mormons reach salt lake valley
1847
when was gold discovered in rocky mountains
1858-1859
when was gold discovered in black hills
1874
why were pioneer trails dangerous/what was some troubles using them
fear of attacks by plains indians
crossing the Great Plains was dangerous because of extreme temperatures, storms, disease etc…
you had to have enough supplies for the journey
migrants going west:
the Donner party, 1846
they set off for California as a part of a train of almost 500 wagons and only 46/87 survived because:
arguments divided the group over whether to take a largely untested route
arguments because supplies were running out
weather
they ran out of food so resorted to cannibalism
migrants going west:
sagar party, 1844
Naomi and Henry sagar set out on the Oregon trail with their six kids.
extreme weather slowed their progress
Naomi gave birth while on the trail and never really recovered
they got sick with typhus which meant the parents died leaving the six kids as orphans
what was the gold rush and when
in 1848, gold was discovered in California leading to a gold rush in 1849. large numbers of migrants headed west.
what was the biggest pull factor for migrants moving to California.
gold
effects of the gold rush
good:
helped American economy to recover from its financial problems.
farming in California grew into a strong industry.
strengthened the image of the west and manifest destiny
bad:
problems with plains Indians due to increased use of Oregon trail.
people disobeying the law in mining camps
racism and tension because the miners were from all over the world
impact of the gold rush on plains indians
the trails the migrants used went across the black hills of Dakota which was sacred land to the indians
white settlers Brought diseases with them that the plains indians had not been exposed to before
importance of horses on the plains indians
horses for transport when following buffalo
hunting
used in warfare
measured their wealth and status based on the amount of horses they owned
the plains indians beliefs on circles
believed life was a circle from birth to death. respected circles like sun and moon. tipis were circular. tribal councils would sit in a circle as part of this spiritual belief.
what did the plains indians think of farming
they thought it was disrespectful to then earth and their holy land
sun dance
thanks the sun for past help and guidance in future
buffalo dance
brings buffalo to them
ghost dance
invented in 1889 after battle of little big horn. spirits of the dead could be reunited with the spirits of the living and together they could defeat white settlers
scalp dance
celebrate victory in war
war dance
before going on a raid, tribes would do 4 days of rituals designed for them to enter the spirit world and ask the spirit for help
leadership in the nations
bands - smallest units of a tribe made up of extended families, led by chiefs and a council
tribes led by chiefs, chiefs advised by tribal council made up of elders
decisions made collaboratively
roles within tribes:
women
responsible for looking after families, maintaining tipis and processing parts of the buffalo. greatly respected and had special parts in ceremonies like the buffalo dance
roles within tribes:
elderly
young took care after elderly it was seen terrible to not do so.
roles within tribes:
children
excepted to behave and look after the family especially the elderly
when was the Indian removal act
1830
what was the Indian removal act
forced indians living east off Mississippi to move west so they could live separately and without government interference.
when was the Indian trade and intercourse act
1834
what was the Indian trade and intercourse act
put a permanent Indian frontier between Indian territory and eastern states. they thought the plains was useless so sent them there
fort when was the fort Laramie treaty
1851
what was the fort Laramie treaty
each of the plains tribes would be given its own territory
white settlers, travellers and railroad surveyors would be allowed to cross tribal lands safely
the American government was allowed to establish forts and roads within Indian territory
promised to protect them from white settlers
if they stuck to the treaty, they would be given $50,000 a year and food
what was one difficulty of the fort Laramie treaty for the plains indians
it was written in English so they didn’t really understand it so the tribes did not know what was expected of them.
failures of the fort Laramie treaty
payments weren’t often made
the American government did nothing to protect the plains indians from white settlers
many tribes and white settlers didn’t know about it so ignored it
what were some reasons for Indian wars between 1862 and 1867
clash of cultures
manifest destiny
broken agreements
poor conditions on the reservations
failure of fort wise treaty (1861):
moved Cheyenne onto the sand creek reservation but the land was only a 1/13 of the size of the reserve they had before.
what was the little crow war and when was it
1862:
little crow was the chief of a band of Dakota Sioux
in 1851, the tribe signed treaties agreeing to move to a reservation which was in southern Minnesota which meant they gave up 24m acres of land
land on the reservation was not good for farming and the Americans did not make promised payments, their crops failed and they began to starve
in response:
august 1862 - small Sioux hunting party killed five white settlers.
the next day, little crow attacked a town and stole food and killed around 700 white settlers
so,
america sent in a huge army and many Sioux surrendered in the battle of of wood lake on 23 September 1862.
300 Sioux sentenced to death
Cheyenne uprising
date and what happened
1863:
after fort Laramie treaty, 7 Indian nations were given a vast territory covering parts of present day Wyoming, Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas.
gold in Colorado caused a gold rush in 1858 so more white settlers moved into Indian territory.
treaty of fort wise in 1861 reduced Cheyenne lands and meant they were living in places that were bad for farming and far from buffalo herd.
in response:
many bands of Cheyenne indians were angry about giving up land
1863, because they were getting starved some Cheyenne began to steal from wagon trains and attack them
name Indian wars between 1862 - 1867
little crow war - 1862
Cheyenne uprising - 1863
sand creek massacre - 1864
red clouds war. - 1866 - 1868
fettermens trap - 1866
sand creek masacre
1864:
lead by black kettle (the chief)
Cheyenne attacked wagon trains and stole food
in response,
American army commanded by chivington and attacked their settlement at sand creek in November 1864
plains indians surrendered but still 150 of them were massacred
red cloud war
1866 - 1868
a miner called Bozeman established a Bozeman trail which connected the Oregon trail to Montana where gold had been found
this trail crossed the Cheyenne, Sioux and arapaho hunting grounds, breaking the treaty of fort Laramie. this meant there were attacks agains the travellers between these times
fettermens trap
1866
during the red clouds war, American government had established fort Phil kearny and plains indians vegan to concentrate their attacks there.
a small group of Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho hid near the fort
fettermens trap
1866
during the red clouds war, American government had established fort Phil kearny and plains indians vegan to concentrate their attacks there.
a small group of Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho hid near the fort
fettermens trap
1866
during the red clouds war, American government had established fort Phil kearny and plains indians vegan to concentrate their attacks there.
a small group of Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho hid near the fort
fettermens trap
1866
during the red clouds war, American government had established fort Phil kearny and plains indians vegan to concentrate their attacks there.
a small group of Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho hid near the fort and attacked some woodcutters. this meant letterman left the fort to try and protect the woodcutters and him and his soldiers were ambused. all 82 soldiers were killed. the plains indians blocked the route so no one else could use it.
so,
a second fort Laramie treaty (1868) negotiated the abandonment of the Bozeman trail and the fort. red cloud agreed to move his tribe to.a. smaller reservation
fettermens trap
1866
during the red clouds war, American government had established fort Phil kearny and plains indians vegan to concentrate their attacks there.
a small group of Sioux, Cheyenne and Arapaho hid near the fort
consequences of Indian wars
because new gold kept being discovered white migrants kept coming over so conflict was inevitable
populations of indians fell due to famine disease and war
sand creek massacre made Indians feel like Americans couldn’t be trusted
why was there tension between the north and the south
because they had different ideas about how it should be run
long term causes of tension between the north and south
social and cultural differences:
after the American revolutionary war, people in the north started to dislike slavery as they saw it as the same oppression America faced from the British. this lead to slave states and free states.
westward expansion of America:
tension over slavery grew as federal government tried
to restrict slavery in new territories. this lead to Missouri compromise.
economic differences between north and south:
slavery was a huge part of souths agricultural south. northern business men made money by investing in plantations.
secession:
free states wanted slavery banned throughout the union but slave slates did not agree and threatened to leave secede if this happened
when did slavery arrive In america
1619
ship carried 20 African slaves were carried. they were a cheap source of labour.
when did slavery arrive In america
1619
ship carried 20 African slaves were carried. they were a cheap source of labour
list reasons why tensions grew between the north and south between 1820 and 1859
Missouri compromise - 1820
nat turners rebellion - 1831
compromise of 1850
kansas-nebraska act - 1854
John browns raid on harpers Perry 1859
Missouri compromise
1820
an agreement designed to deal with the spread of slavery into new territories of the west. triggered when Missouri applied to join the union as a slave state. a line was drawn through Louisiana and slavery would be forbidden north of the line except missouri.
nat turners rebellion
1831
nat turner was a black slave who led a slave rebellion which terrified the south. he and six other slaves killed their owners and 51 other white people.
compromise of 1850
was designed to deal with issue of slavery in territories gained by the westward expansion of the usa in the Mexican war. it included laws which made it easier for slave owners to get escaped slaves back. this allowed California to join the union as a free state and created Utah.
kansas-nebraska act 1854
as new states of Kansas and Nebraska were north of the line drawn in the Missouri compromise, they should have been free states. but this act let people in Kansas and Nebraska to decide wether or not to allow slavery. this caused the breakdown of the compromise and increased tension and violence
John browns raid on harpers Perry
1859
abolitionist John brown led an armed raid on the American military weapons store at harpers perry. this was supposed to be the first stage in a plan to set up a refuge for freed slaves in the mountains of Virginia. brown was captured and hanged. this made white southerners fear slave rebellions may get worse.
how did uncle toms cabin lead to an increase In tensions between north and south
told a story of so me southern slaves to persuade people that slavery should end. it showed people horrors of slavery and peoples opinions about slavery. increased tensions between slave states and free states
when was Lincoln made president
1860
what was the souths reaction to Lincoln becoming president
it was deeply unpopular. south Caroline seceded the union the same year. other southern states did the same and then war broke out.
short term causes of the civil war
new political parties:
1854 - new political party called republicans had formed in America. party made up of northerners who had left the Whig Party, some democrats who didn’t like slavery or manifest destiny and a few members of the strongly protestant and anti-immigration party.
president:
election of Lincoln was unpopular in south as he was anti slavery. they saw no other option other than secession.
secession of south Carolina:
was the first state to secede due to the republicans and anti-slavery winning. 7 others followed. this formed the confederate states of america
president of the confederacy:
when southern states began seceding, Davis was chosen to be president of the confederacy in 1861.
battle of fort Sumter:
1861 - first shots of the civil war were fired at fort Sumter in South Carolina. confederate forces rowed to the fort and demanded that the union forces leave. when they refused, confederate opened fire.
Lincolns promises as president
- presented himself as a man of the people
- give more land to settlers in the west and stop expansion of slavery.
describe Jefferson Davis’ viewpoints
- slavery was right and important for economy
when was Lincoln assassinated
1865
long term causes of the civil war
economic differences between the north and the south.
American revolutionary war
tensions between federal government and states
when was the mountain meadow massacre
1857
what was the mountain meadow massacre
mormons began to prepare for war because they thought American military were on the way to Utah to attack them. they persuaded a group of Paiute Indians to join on the attack on the baker-fancher wagon which was carrying migrants on their way to California.
the attackers lured 120 people away from the camp any pretending they would see them safely out of Utah. they murdered them. possessions were auctioned off.
what did the mormons and the American government have to work out between 1848 and and 1896
the relationship between Utah and the rest of the union
how did the Americans try to come to terms with the mormons
1848 handover of salt lake to usa
war over who owned Texas. American victory. Mexico gave large amounts of territory to usa including salt lake. this meant mormons who were not in the usa now were and old tensions resurfaced.
1850 Utah established as a territory
usa refused to allow an independent Deseret. it established Utah and appointed Bingham young as governor.
Utah war
standoff between Mormons and Americanas and an agreement was negotiated about how Utah would relate to union. mormons were pardoned in exchange for accepting authority by American government.
what are some pieces of legislation from 1865-1870 to protect the African Americans
1865 - 13th amendment
1866 - civil rights act
1868 - 14th amendment
1870 - 15th amendment
1870 - civil rights act
13th amendment
1865 - abolished slavery
14th amendment
1868 - gave equal rights and citizenship to African Americans who had been freed
civil rights act of 1866
1866 -
declared all people born in the usa were citizens and had full legal rights
15th amendment
1870 -
protected all American citizens right to vote and made it illegal to deny someone this
civil rights act of 1870
designed to reinforce the 15th amendment by bringing in federal criminal penalties for anyone trying to prevent African Americans voting or threatening them
when was the reconstruction era
1865 - 1866
during this time, the government struggled to rebuild south and to bring the southern states back into the union
presidential reconstruction
1865 - 1866
president Johnson thought southern states should govern themselves
land confiscated by union army and given to freed slaves was returned
southern states could govern themselves if they didn’t allow slavery and paid off war debts
however,
southern states used this as an opportunity to pass on black codes and there was still a lot of violence
carpetbaggers
number of northerners moved south to try and profit off the poor economic situation there. they planned to buy or rent land that used to be profitable.
they were welcomed in the beginning for investing in the region but southerners started to realise they were just there to profit off their back.
radical reconstruction
1866 - 1876
republicans congress took charge or reconstruction
passed on the reconstruction acts of 1867 and south was placed under military rule
southern states must agree with the 14th and 15th amendment before they were allowed to rejoin the union
for the first time black people made it into government positions
reconstruction act of 1867
10 southern states divided into 5 military districts.
army put in charge w/ 2 main purposes:
protect life and property, organise political situation
north wanted south to live as they did and have the same negative views about slavery and racism
readmission to the union
1870, all confederate states had been allowed to rejoin union.
impact of emancipation
destroyed plantation based economy of south
poverty for freed slaves and former white slave owners
white supremacy belief in south
financial crash of 1864 made economic problems in south worse. republicans were unpopular and democrats took over south again
situation of freed slaves
political
freedman’s bureau set up to provide help for freed slaves and poor white southerners. Johnson was against it saying it was too sympathetic to freed slaves
north made sure freed slaves had the right to vote.
radical reconstruction meant that black Americans were elected to government for the first time
situation of freed slaves
economic
freed slaves thought they were entitled to land
this land was taken from the confederates but was returned to the former owners.
white American didn’t want to sell land to black Americans. most former slaves had to rent or work on plantations for wages.
freed slaves complained their pay wasn’t good enough and white people told them it was because of bad harvest but it was actually an attempt to try and turn things back to the way they were before.
situation of freed slaves
social
violence against freed slaves was common after the war
black codes designed to restrict freedoms of freed slaves to make sure they were still going to be main source of labour in south
radical reconstruction wasn’t popular and groups like the kkk turned to violence against black people and anyone who supported them
black populations grew in the north as people went there to look for work
economic pull factors for going west
freed slaves moved west to escape economic problems in the south after civil war
homestead act 1862 - land offered to those who could never afford it
railroad companies helped people move west by offering discounted travel and accommodation
former soldiers moved to start new lives after the civil war
religious push factor for going west
migrants came from Europe after civil war looking for religious freedom
religious pull factor for going west
railroad companies had departments dedicated to encouraging European settlers to come west.
political pull factors for going west
homestead act 1862
manifest destiny being promoted
railroad companies given land for two miles either side of each track which was then offered to settlers.
government encouraged publicity campaigns about how life in west was attractive and would make people rich
government policy of moving indians onto reservations gave people more confidence that they’d be safe
how was the kkk a push factor for going west
increasing violence from groups like them made life in the south dangerous for freed slaves
homesteaders problem:
lack of timber
explanation?
solution?
explanations:
nothing to build houses with
northing to make fences with to contain animals and to protect crops
nothing to use for cooking and heating
solutions:
‘sod’ houses made of blocks of earth
1874 - barbed wire invented
women collected dried buffalo and cattle dung which was used for fuel
homesteaders problem:
lack of water
explanation?
solution?
explanation:
low rainfall and few rivers or lakes
solution:
drills developed to find water underground. pumps then built to bring to surface
homesteaders problem:
hard, arid land
explanation?
solution?
explanations:
soil was heavy and difficult to break. work had to be done by hand as ploughs often broke
low rainfall prevented crops growing
solutions:
stronger machinery from eastern factories
dry farming.
migrants from Russia grew red wheat which thrived on plains
homesteaders problem:
natural disasters like pests ect..
explanation?
solution?
explanations:
pests like grasshoppers could destroy a whole seasons crop. fire spread quickly
solutions:
no solutions. homesteaders could be made bankrupt
homesteaders problem:
land holdings too small
explanation?
solution?
explanations:
160 acres allocated didn’t support average family
solutions:
timber culture act 1873 - homesteaders had another 160 acres of land if they promised to plant trees on half of it.
desert land act 1877 - settlers buy 640 acres more
homesteaders problem:
disease and lack of medical care
explanation?
solution?
explanations:
sod houses were hard to keep clean and had no sanitation
solutions:
women cared for the sick and used their own remedies.
homesteaders problem:
lack of education
explanation?
solution?
explanations:
homesteaders too far away from schools
solutions:
women taught the young. schools developed when single female teachers arrived.
homesteaders problem:
isolations
explanation?
solution?
explanation:
life on plains was lonely and tough
solutions:
railroads let people get much needed supplies and machinery
resolving the ‘Indian problem’
1865 - attitudes had changed towards indians. previously the government agreed the plains could be put on one big reservation and be left alone but now they created a reservation system where they split up the large tribes and forced them to live on smaller ones
medicine lodge treaties
1867:
ended the idea of One Big Reservation. indians moved to smaller reservations in Oklahoma
any indians living outside the reservations would be forced onto reservation by violence if necessary
plains indians expected to give up traditional ways and assimilate with white Americans
boarding schools for Indian children to teach them how to farm
fort Laramie treaty 2
1868:
American government agreed to close Bozeman trail and abandon its forts across the west
red cloud and Sioux realised they couldn’t neat the American government in the long term and agreed to move to small reservations
American promised to supply reservation with food and medicine
why did American government policy towards indians change after 1865
they were seen as a big threat
railroad companies wanted to build on their land and much larger numbers of white settlers were coming to the plains and they felt threatened by them.
American government wanted to break up the big reservation to smaller ones to make room for settlers.
exterminators attitudes towards indians
white Americans who thought the government shouldn’t be making treaties with the Indians but exterminate them - kill them. angry that plains indians were attacking white settlers and the American military.
anger drew stronger during Indian wars of 1875-85
humanitarians attitudes towards indians
didn’t wanna fight them, move them onto reservations. fighting them would make things worse as it would mean the indians would have to fight back harder.
they accused exterminators like Custer of deliberately provoking them to violent conflict
why did the plains indians constantly have to try to adapt
because attitudes towards them were so contrasting and constantly changed. opinions were divided; some wanted them exterminated, some wanted to leave them alone.
they had to try and ‘adapt’ to this in order to survive.
how did the plains indians try and adapt
they realised they couldn’t beat the American government.
agreed to conditions of treaties like medicine lodge but conditions was too poor and many diseases.
so, many of them like red cloud agreed to humiliation conditions like sending their kids to boarding school to be more ‘american’
Indians appropriations act
1871
indian nations no longer an independent power
took away need for government to try and make treaties with them.
Indian affairs now under control of the American government.
general William t sherman
civil war leader who was stationed in the west at the end of the civil war to protect railroad workers. he was an exterminator. was part of the team who negotiated fort Laramie treaty and used it to try and get harder treatment for indains
extermination of the buffalo
Americans killed buffalo so Indians could no longer rely on them for food, clothes ect..
little big horn
1876 - 7th cavalry lead by Custer was defeated by indians. this battle was a result of growing tensions over gold found in Sioux hunting grounds.
background to the battle of little big horn
1873 - building of northern pacific railroad approached Sioux hunting grounds in Dakota. tensions were already high as they resisted attempts by government to put them onto reservations
thousands of prospectors went to black hills as more gold had been discovered.
Sioux warriors attacked them. government tried to buy black hills from Indians. they refused
bands of Sioux warriors led by sitting bull and crazy horse continued to attack the prospectors.
1875 - government announcement Indians had broken fort Laramie treaty so Indians instructed to return to reservations
indians given 60 days to go back. grant announced any Indians outside the reservations could be attacked.
1876 - 10,000 indians reached camp and little big horn river. there were 3000 warriors with rifles
general Sheridan sent to try and defeat them. American armies gathered at Yellowstone river
Custer lead 7th cavalry, ignored instructions to march around wolf mountains. he was killed
why was Custer defeated at battle of little big horn
he was ordered to scout out the situation and wait for reinforcements but he divided his 600 men into 3 groups to attack on all sides. his men were outnumbered
he was given incomplete info from his commanders so he didn’t know how many men he would be fighting with
he was arrogant and expected the indians to run away but instead they fought back.
consequences of the battle of little big horn
public opinion changed and now there’s no support for trying to make peace w/ Indians.
people saw them as a threat
government policy now focused on destroying them.
changes of government policy towards the plains Indians after battle of little big horn
treaties which had been made with the indians were ignored after the battle.
indians moved onto smaller reservations.
military made great efforts to try keep indians on their reservations.
dawes act
1877
split up reservations into allotments (small units of land)
allotments given individual tribesmen
changed legal status of Indians from tribe members to Americans like everyone else
indians who accepted the land were made citizens
state funded boarding schools where Indian children forced to go to become more american
reservation life before 1877
overcrowding
not enough food and disease spread
culture:
expected to give up traditional cultural practicies
smaller reservations:
too small for nomadic way of life
religon:
Christian missionaries tried to persuade the plains indians to give up their spiritual ways and become christians.
conflict:
reservations often contained different bands and tribes who had been at war with each other before being moved to the reservation.
poor land:
indians given land that Americans didn’t want
impact of the dawnes act
they had to farm like homesteaders but didn’t have the necessary tools and land to small. families starved
what was the ghost dance movement
1890 - indian named wovoka claimed to have a vision that Indians had angered the great spirit as they abandoned their traditional way of life which is why they were defeated.
if they danced the ghost dance and rejected American ways, the great spirit would bring back to life all dead indians to defeat Americans.
the dance worried the Americanas
wounded knee
1889 - ghost dance ghost dance spiritual movement began
15 December 1890 - police tried to arrest chief sitting bull as he thought he was a ghost dancer ab to lead a rebellion. sitting bull refused to go quietly so was shot dead. this angered followers
29 December 1890 - American army 7th cavalry caught up with these followers at wounded knee creek and demanded them to surrender but they refused and as a result of all the tension, a fight broke out between them.
170-300 indians slaughtered.
reactions to wounded knee
white Americans relieved the ghost dance had ended
press immediately praised the Americans for defeating the indians.
wounded knee confirmed public opinion that indians were savages and should be killed.
when was the frontier declared closed
1890
Oklahoma land rush
1899 - American government offered 2 million acres of land which previously belonged to indians to white settlers. canon fired at noon and settlers had to race to get a pot of land.
facts leading to the defeat of the indians
battle of little big horn hardened attitudes toward the indians and made the Americans more determined to defeat them.
reservation system destroyed their way of life. indians didn’t have the skills to live the American way and starvation was widespread.
cultural clashes like the belief of manifest destiny meant Americans thought they were superior to indians.
American government had access to money and technology so their weapons were much better than the indians. they also had better communication systems.
