American Expansion And Consolidation Flashcards
Where were the Great Plains?
Between the Mississippi River (east) and the Rocky Mountains (west) in North America
What are the Great Plains also known as?
The Great American Desert
List 3 advantages of living on the Great Plains?
- there were slow flowing rivers (source of water)
- there was prairie grass in the east (edible) and shorter grass in the west for farming
- there was lots of wildlife for food
List 2 disadvantages of living on the Great Plains?
- the climate was very extreme and brought both freezing cold and very hot
- in the summer the rivers dried up leaving no water supply
Where did the Plains Indians originally come from?
The areas in river valleys towards the east
List 4 reasons why the Indians moved on to the Plains?
Government
horses
diseases
trade goods
What is the name of the act which removed the Indians from the Mississippi River Valley?
The Indian removal act in 1830 - President Andrew Jackson
What was the Indian removal act?
A compromise that meant if the Indians moved west from the river they could have the uncultivated land which the Americans wouldn’t disturb
What was the role of horses?
Horses made it much easier to hunt and transport stored food and other belongings across the Great Plains. Indians counted their wealth in horses and so stealing horses was often a reason to raid other tribes
What was the Buffalo used for when hunted?
The Buffalo provided the Indians with: meat skins for wool, clothing, shoes and tepees sinews for thread, ropes and bowstrings bones for implements dung for fuel
Why did disease make the Indians move west?
The Europeans brought diseases which had a disastrous impact on the Indians. Indians began to flee to the plans to escape disease after many villages died
Why did trade goods make the Indians move onto the Plains?
Guns from traders change the balance of power in Indian warfare. Guns in the hands of enemies drove Indians onto the Great Plains
What type of lifestyle did the Plains Indians lead?
The Plains Indians lead an active nomadic lifestyle
What is a nomadic lifestyle?
A nomadic lifestyle is when a person moves around and does not settle in one place
Name three main Sioux Indian tribes?
Lakota, Yankton, Santee
Which way did the doorway of the Indian tipi face?
The doorway faced east (rising sun)
How was the tipi design beneficial due to the lack of wood on the Plains?
The tipi only required a few wooden poles as a frame and the rest of the structure was made from 10 to 20 Buffalo skins
Why was the tipi design efficient against strong winds?
The conical shape made it strong enough to resist strong winds
Why was the tipi design efficient due to extremes of temperature?
The bottom of the tipi could be rolled up to let airing during the summer months and weighed down by earth to keep heat in in the winter
Whose responsibility was the tipi?
It was the responsibility of the woman: they made it, owned it, put it up and moved it
How did the tipi benefit the nomadic lifestyle of the Indians?
It could be taken down and packed for transport in 10 minutes
What did Indians believe in when it came to marriage?
They married for love rather than arranged marriage. They would have to impress a woman to marry her. They also believed in Polygamy
Why did Polygamy work well for the Indians?
Polygamy worked well because there are more women than men
What was the name of the Great Spirit?
Wakan Tanka
What were the Indians beliefs on land?
The Indians believed that they came from the land and would return to the land when they died. They believe that land could not be owned or bought by any individual or even by a nation.
What was significant about high land?
Indians believed Hylande was more sacred as they were closer to the spirit world. The Black Hills were particular sacred to them as this was the place where their religion began
What was the Indians believe in circles?
The Sioux believed in the circle of nature. Circles surrounded them: circular moon, sun and horizon. Indians lived the circle of life: birth, child, adult hood, second childhood and death. Villages and the Tipi were circular in honour of this
List three dances/ceremonies the Indians believed in?
The Buffalo dance, the scalp dance, the Sundance.