American West Flashcards
what was tribal warfare
- common
- aims not necessarily to kill or seize land but perform acts of bravery such as stealing horses and counting coup (getting close enough to an enemy to touch him)
what are the some features of the structure of the Native American tribes
- tribes were split into bands and each band had a chief and a council of elders
- the chief didn’t have complete control but would have earned loyalty and influence over the years by demonstrating courage and generosity
what are the Indians beliefs about land and nature
- not as something to be bought or sold
- as land belonged to everyone
- humans were part of nature not masters over it
- most tribes believed that a Great Spirit had created the world and everything in nature contained spirits which they needed to keep on their side
- ceremonies and sun dance rituals were performed to contact the spirits
what were tribes in relation to settlement
they were nomadic meaning they moved with the buffalo they were hunting
but some tribes did settle and farm the land
what were medicine men and women
spiritual leaders of tribes
what was the role of women
- did most of the work in camp
- most women practised polygamy because the dangers of hunting and warfare meant there were often more women than men in tribes
- most women owned the family tipi and its contents which gave them status
what was the role of men
hunting and fighting
why were buffalo so vital for the plains Indians
because the Plains were sparse of resources like wood and livestock for food so the Indians use every part of the buffalo
- meat for food
- skin for clothes and tents
- bones for weapons and tools
why was the did the Indians lifestyle cause conflict with white settlers
Because it was so different from their own culture so settlers failed to understand it leading to tension and conflict
when did hunting become easier
in the 16th century when the Indians began to use horses which were brought over by the Europeans
why was the permanent Indian Frontier created
- The US government wanted to settle the North American continent meaning the Indians living there had to be moved
- By the 1830’s the settlers had just moved beyond the Mississippi river attracted by the fertile land there
- population growth meant land demand increased
- Manifest Destiny
- Thomas Jefferson believed land ownership and farming would create a healthy, moral population
- Expansion promised freedom, independence and opportunity
how did the US citizens view that Native American way of life
as inferior and uncivilised
before 1830 government pursued policy of assimilating the Natives in east into white society
Tribes such as Cherokee had taken on aspects of white culture but people still didn’t see them as equal
Indian Removal Act
1830
passed under President Andrew Jackson and authorised him to grant tribes land on the Great Plains in exchange for their land in the East
Discuss two examples of tribes resisting the Indian Removal Act of 1830
The Cherokees tried to resist through legal means but they were eventually forcefully marched by US soldiers to the Plains in 1838
estimated that around 4000 out of 15000 died on the journey
The Seminoles of Florida fought US soldiers from 1835-1842 but eventually surrendered and moved West
By 1840 how many Indians had been moved onto the Plains
most of the Eastern tribes
around 70,000 to 100,000 people
what was the permanent Indian frontier
The intention was that the Native Americans would live on the Great Plains while white settlers farmed the land in the East
- the boundary between these two regions was the permanent Indian Frontier
- The plains was like one large Indian reservation
In the 1830’s to 1840 why did the white Americans call the Plains ‘The Great American Desert’
because they believed that it’s harsh climate and lack of wood made it unsuitable for settling
what began to happen in 1840
- gradually settlers moved across the Plains to the west coast
- some began to settle on the Eastern edges of the plains
- this created conflict between the settlers and Plains Indians because the Indians didn’t like the settlers moving across their land and the two groups couldn’t live together because the nomadic Indians culture clashed with the desire of the settlers to fence off and settle the land
discuss the first groups of people to travel westward
1820’s and 1830’s
- mountain men who hunted animals to sell their skins
- didn’t settle in the West but established Westward trails that settlers would later use
1830’s
- missionaries aim was to convert the Native Americans there to Christianity
1839
- larger parties like the Peoria Party
Others followed in the 1840’s - their routes became known as the Oregon and California trails
when was the great migration
1843
It saw a sudden increase in settlers
life in the east was hard and the west promised better things
what were some problems in the east that made people want to migrate west
- (economic problems) Recession in 1837 caused banks to collapse and businesses to fail. Wages and profits fell and unemployment rose
- (overpopulation) high levels of European immigration, particularly from Ireland and Germany between 1846-1854 led to overcrowded cities, fewer jobs and a lack of land for people to farm
- (disease) overcrowding and poor sanitary systems led to epidemics of yellow fever and cholera
what was the attraction of the West
- A new start with fertile and cheap land
- (government encouragement) the government passed acts which allowed settler to claim land in Oregon - they wanted people to settle in the West to strengthen the USA’s claim to land there
- (gold) gold was found at John Sutter’s sawmill in California in January 1848 and in December president Pol confirmed there was gold in that area. In 1849 there was a gold rush as tens of thousands of people ,made the journey to California hoping to make their fortune.
- manifest destiny
- superiority to the natives
what was manifest destiny
The belief that US citizens were destined to occupy and govern all of North America as it was seen as their God given right
why was the journey to the West difficult
- took around 5 month to do the 2000 mile journey
- had to be completed before winter so no set backs were allowed
- the journey was dangerous and as many as 10% would die on route
- mountains and rivers hard to cross with heavy wagons
- food and water shortages and diseases like typhoid and cholera
- accidents were common such as falling under wagon wheels and accidental shootings
half of the estimated 100,000 people who went to California during 1849 did so by sea and this journey also took around 5 months and had its own difficulties - crowded conditions
sickness
and storms
discuss the donner party
In 1846 the Donner Party heading for California tried a shortcut but they ended up trapped in deep snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Supplies were low and many starved to death or resorted to cannibalism and began eating each other. Of the 87 travellers less than 50 survived
discuss the Mormons journey west
- travelled around 1400 miles to Salt Lake valley
- they left because of religious persecution as many Americans disliked the Mormon practices like polygamy
- they were attacked and driven out of their Ohio homes
- fled to Missouri and onto Illinois
- Their leader Brigham Young wanted to go further West to salt lake valley to create an independent state where Mormons could live freely
- conditions in salt lake valley were dry and harsh but he believed no one else wanted to live there and it was part of Mexico not the US
- The Mormons planned to leave Illinois in the spring of 1846 but due to an increase in anti-Mormon violence they had to leave in February.
- this rushed departure meant they left supplies behind and were disorganised
- conditions were hard - it was a cold winter and deep mud
- their progress was slow so couldn’t complete the journey in 1846
- they stayed in winter quarters by Missouri river and by spring 1847 about 400 Mormons had died
- they set off again in April 1847 and organisation improved
- divided into groups led by captains under strict control of Young
- reached salt lake valley in July
what did the Mormons do on their journey
planted crops and built way stations along the trail to help and feed later travellers
what did the Mormons do in salt lake valley to improve the condition
dug irrigation ditches and built houses out of sod
what area of the plains did the government open up in 1854 when they began to see the possibility of settling on the Plains
Kansas and Nebraska
settlers didn’t have as far to travel
why was living and farming on the Plains tough
- the soil was fertile but it was covered in a thick layer of sod which was too hard for light ploughs
- there was little or no wood for building or fuel
- lack of water meant crops like maize failed and deep wells had to be dug
- wind, extremes of climate, grasshopper plagues and prairie fires often destroyed crops
why was there a lack of understanding between the settlers and plains Indians
- Plains Indians had no system of government
- settlers thought Indians warfare was cowardly and their religion was just superstition
- they had different views on land ownership
native Americans believed land was for everyone but settlers wanted to own, farm and exploit land
Horace Greeley a newspaper editor wrote in 1859 that ‘God had given this Earth to those who will subdue and cultivate it’ - settlers thought Indians nomadic lifestyle was uncivilised and that they wasted the lands
- Indians thought settlers ruined the land
why did Native Americans and settlers increasingly come into contact
- a significant number of settlers moved beyond the Permanent Indian Frontier and across the Plains to reach lands in the West from 1843
- more came with the California Gold rush of 1849
what was the consequences of the settlers and Indians coming into increasingly more contact
- the settlers disrupted the buffalo herds which the Indians relied on
- they polluted water sources bringing diseases such as cholera
as a result the Indians became more hostile
they sometimes attacked wagon trains which increased settlers’ fear and distrust
the settlers also felt threatened by the Indians inter-tribal conflict
what replaced the permanent Indian Frontier
the reservation system
what was the Indians appropriations act
1851
- allocated funds to allow reservations to be built to concentrate the Plains Indians and reduce conflict
- aimed to encourage the Indians to farm and build houses
what was the governments aim for reservations
to reduce conflict
gain land for white settlers
assimilate the Indians
what was the Fort Laramie Treaty
1851
- the first attempt to use the Indians Appropriations Act to concentrate the Plains Indians in certain areas
- it defined the territory of each tribe to minimise inter-tribal conflict
tribes agreed to remain in their territory, allow settlers to cross the Plains and allow the government to build roads and forts along the trails
in return the government promised the tribes that they would have permanent rights to their lands and the that tribes would receive $50,000 of goods for 50 years
was the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 successful, explain why or why not ?
- No because neither side kept the treaty
- not all tribes agreed with it and some didn’t even know it existed
- the government didn’t allow existing treaties to prevent settlement it was in favour of - it simply negotiated new ones
- for example thousands of people encroached on Cheyenne land in Colorado during the Pike’s peaks gold rush
- the government then negotiated the Fort Wise Treaty reducing Cheyenne land to make room for white settlers while the Cheyenne were moved to poor quality land on the Sand Creek Reservation
- Some Cheyenne later claimed that they didn’t understand the terms of the treaty when they signed it
- The US government didn’t keep it’s side either as it couldn’t ensure settlers kept to the agreement
- In 1852 they also reduced yearly payments from 50 to 10 years
what was the impact of the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851
- settlement increased in California and Oregon
- restricting the Native Americans to their reservations and the building of forts and roads in their territory threatened their way of life
- broken promises increased resentment among the Native Americans towards government and settlers
what is the significance of the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851
- it marked the end of the permanent Indian Frontier, the Native Americans could no longer live freely on the Plains
- It paved the way for further treaties in the 1850’s and 60’s which resulted in tribes losing land. E.g in 1853 treaties were made with tribes in Kansas and Nebraska when these areas began to be settled, these tribes lost nearly 7 million acres of land
- Native Americans had been given the Great Plains when they were considered uninhabitable. This changed when settlers decided they wanted the land
where was their also tension in North America
between the settlers themselves - law and order was a big problem in early settlements
when was the California Gold Rush
1849
Give some SPED about the California Gold Rush of 1849
- people came from all over the world including from China, Mexico, South America and other parts of North America
- the non-Native American population rose from around 14,000 to about 225,000 between 1848 and 1852
- gold seekers who came to California during 1849 were known as the forty-niners
why was society unstructured
the rapid migration of mostly male gold seekers and quick development of mining towns meant society was unstructured because there was no stable families or communities
why was keeping order such a problem
- tensions grew in 1849 as rivers and streams where miners panned for gold became crowded and gold grew scarce
- people known as ‘claimjumpers’ stole other people’s claims to profitable land
- violence took over in the absence of law, many miners had weapons and would have felt more free to use them in such a lawless place
- criminals and professional gamblers were also attracted by the promise of wealth in California
- Disagreements sometimes resulted in shooting and murder
- living and working conditions were poor. There was little hygiene, disease was commonplace and nutrition among miners was poor
- miners who couldn’t find gold worked for mining companies in dangerous conditions for low wages
- when not working people turned to drinking and gambling which often led to trouble in mining towns
- there was frequent racial conflict. White Americans considered themselves to be superior and more entitled to the gold especially when it began to grow scarce
what was introduced in 1850
A Foreign Miner Tax was introduced. when some foreign miners revolted, a vigilante army fired on them. there were assaults and beatings and many foreign miners were driven out
why did people take law and order into their own hands
- congress didn’t establish a government in California until it became a state in 1850 (The US only acquired California by treaty from Mexico in 1848)
- some army units were stationed there before this date but they did not enforce law
- The US didn’t have a national law regulating mining claims until 1866 so miners made their own laws.
how did the people take law and order into their own hands
- They created mining districts, elected representatives and settled disputed over mining claims
- claims officers patrolled mining areas to enforce the laws. Justice wasn’t always fair though as claims from foreigners were often ignored
- Many areas relied on vigilante justice - miners taking the law into their own hands
- they held unofficial trials and handed out swift punishments such as hanging. There were no prisons and no right to appeal, this sort of justice was rarely fair
- mining areas were often remote so it was difficult to enforce the law
- even after California became a state the law enforcers didn’t have the means to police these areas effectively
law enforcement officials were often unable to cope in area with high levels of lawlessness, what happened in 1851
a group of citizens in San Francisco took matters into their own hands by forming a vigilance committee - they targeted gangs who were accused of starting fires in the city and sentenced them to death, deportation and whipping
when was the civil war between the Northern and Southern states of the USA
between 1861-1865
what did the government do after the civil war
encourage more settlers to move onto the plains
what was the cause of the civil war
- Westward expansion
- The Northern and Southern states were very different and disagreed mostly about slavery
- The South used slave labour to grow cotton on plantations, whereas the North had abolished slavery
- As the USA expanded Westward, the North and South disagreed over whether new territories should become free states or slave states. Both felt threatened by the spread of the opposing labour system
- the South feared that if there were more free states than slave states, then the North would gain political power and would abolish slavery in all states
- As a result the southern states left the USA (seceded) in 1860 to form a new country - the Confederate State of America
- The North under President Abraham Lincoln wanted the states to stay united - this is the difference which resulted in the civil war. The North eventually won the war and abolished slavery.
what was the period after the war known as
1865-1877 is known as the reconstruction when the US was being rebuilt
the country had to be reunited and the South had to be physically rebuilt after the devastation of the war
how did the civil war impact Westward expansion
Before the war, southerners in congress opposed acts which encouraged non-slave owning settlers to move into new areas. When the South seceded the North was able to pass the homestead act of 1862 and the pacific railroad act of 1862
what was the homestead act
1862
- gave each settler 160 acres of free land if they farmed it for 5 years
- this opened up 2.5 million acres for settlement and was open to everyone including immigrants, freed slaves and single women
- between 1862 and 1900 it had been estimated that 600,000 people claimed land under the act
- the condition of farming the land for 5 years was meant to discourage speculators - those aiming to make a short-term profit on rising land prices rather than settling and living on the land.
- however the act was still affected by speculators and corruption
why was the homestead act of 1862 important
it opened up land ownership to ordinary people
although there were problems, it helped to establish settlement on the plains
what was the Pacific Railroad Act
1862
- the government wanted to build a railway from east to west as they believed it would make migration into unsettled land easier and create national unity by connecting them
- the Pacific Railroad Act approved the construction of the First Transcontinental Railroad and work was completed in 1869
- the railroad further encouraged settlement west
- the government gave the railways land which the railways sold to settlers cheaply to fund railway building
- promotional potters exaggerated claims about the good life on the Plains
- economic development was made easier because the West was now linked with markets in the East
- People could be transported more easily as well as supplies which aided settlement such as building materials and machinery
