America West Plains Indians and early migration west Flashcards
What was the purpose of the warrior brotherhoods?
surpervised hunting, protected the band and carried out raids.
How was a decision made in Plains Indian society?
Everyone in the council had to agree to it.
Why would bands sometimes split up?
When food was scarce and they would spread out so that there was more chance of everyone getting enough to eat.
Which areas were often particularly sacred to a Plains Indian?
Usually high land e.g. the Black Hills were scared to the Lakota Sioux.
What was counting coup?
Landing a blow on an enemy with a coup stick and getting away without being injured.
What was the Indian Removal Act?
Forced Indians in the eastern states to move west of the Mississippi River.
When was the Indian Removal Act passed?
1830
What was the Indian Trade and Intercourse Act?
It set out the frontier (Permanent Indian Frontier) between the USA and Indian Territory.
What territory became part of the USA in 1845?
Texas
What territory became part of the USA in 1846?
Oregon
What happened as a result of the successful US war against Mexico?
California
How many Indians were forced to leave the eastern states in the “trail of Tears”?
46,000
What happened in the eastern states in 1937?
A financial crisis which led to banks and businesses collapsing and high unemployment rates.
What happened in 1848 that encouraged people to travel to California?
Californian Gold Rush
What action did the US government take in 1841 to encourage settlers to move west?
It funded expedition maps of the Oregon Trail and published a guide book for migrants.
What was meant by the phrase “manifest destiny”?
that it was God’s will that white Americans should settle over all of America.
What was so attractive about Oregon and California?
Initially, free land, fertile soil, good climate for farming and gold.
What was the name used by many Americans to describe the Great Plains in the 1830s?
The Great American Desert.
Approximately, how long was the journey along the Oregon Trail?
2,000 miles
From which town did most pioneers start their journey along the Oregon Trail?
Independence, Missouri.
What was the Sioux name for the Great Spirit?
Waken Tanka
What is meant by the word polygamy?
A man having more than one wife.
Where did the Plains Indians spend the winter months?
In a sheltered valley, living in lodges.
What was the role of the medicine man in Plains Indian society?
To contact the spirit world, to remove bad spirits and to provide herbal remedies.
What was the sun dance?
A festival to initiate a young man into a the warrior brotherhood.
What was the travois?
A structure to help the Indians to transport their belongings, dragged by horses.
What were “vision quests”?
A means of contacting the spirit world.
Approximately, how many migrants used the Oregon Trails to move west?
Nearly 500,000
