American West - Part 1

Question 1

what were bands?

Answer 1

• most people in bands were related to each other
• they were led by chiefs and had councils of advisers
• the survival and protection of the band was seen as more important than the people in it

Question 2

who were chiefs?

Answer 2

• they chosen because of their wisdom and skills
• chiefs and councils decided where their bands would go and what would happen to those who broke customs and traditions

Question 3

what were tribes?

Answer 3

• bands in the same tribe supported each other during crises
• tribal meetings were held annually to discuss issues
• chiefs and elders formed the tribal councils

Question 4

what were warrior societies?

Answer 4

• formed of the best warriors from each band
• members of these societies protected their bands

Question 5

what did Plains Indians think about leadership?

Answer 5

• no decision could be made until everyone at the council agreed to it
• the rest of the tribe or band did not have to agree
• chiefs and elders were often guided by the spirit world through visions

Question 5

what did Plains Indians think about leadership?

Answer 5

• no decision could be made until everyone at the council agreed to it
• the rest of the tribe or band did not have to agree
• chiefs and elders were often guided by the spirit world through visions

Question 6

what were band roles in Plains Indians society?

Answer 6

• men hunted and fought enemies
• women made clothing, fed the family and looked after their tipi
• everyone looked after children
• elders were respected for their wisdom but would be left behind to die

Question 7

what animals did the Indians need to survive?

Answer 7

• buffalos and horses

Question 8

how were bands designed for survival?

Answer 8

• they changed size depending on the amount of food available
• when food was scarce, bands would split up and spread out

Question 9

how did Indians follow a Nomadic lifestyle?

Answer 9

• the use of tipis

Question 10

what were tipis like?

Answer 10

• made of wooden poles and covered in buffalo hide

Question 11

what was the Indian belief about nature?

Answer 11

• everything in nature had a spirit and these spirits could help or harm humans
• humans were a part of nature and should work with the spirits of nature rather than try to tame and control
• they could contact the spirit world through visions and special ritual dances

Question 12

what was the Indian belief about land and property?

Answer 12

• the tribes had sacred areas e.g the Lakota Sioux had the Black Hills because they believed their tribe originally came from there
• Indian families sometimes had their own garden plots but no one owned land
• land was not one’s property and it wasn’t something you could just buy and own

Question 13

what was the Indian belief about war?

Answer 13

• their society was full of conflict, but Indians had developed ways to avoid too much killing because young men were essential
• warriors got a lot of respect
• Indian war parties would also run away if a fight turned against them

Question 14

what was the government support for western expansion?

Answer 14

• needed US citizens to go and lie in its new territories in the West
• this meant that people needed to be able to travel on trails across Indian lands
• US Army forced Indians to move away from trails

Question 15

what was the Indian Appropriations Act of 1851?

Answer 15

• white Americans wanted to use parts of the lands in the West that had been given to Indians
• reservations were the solution, the government paid Indians to give up their land
• the government hoped that the Indians would integrate into the white American way of life in reservations

Question 16

describe the timeline of government policy towards the Indians:

Answer 16

1830 - Indian Removal Act forced Indians to move west of the Mississippi River
1834 - Indian Trade and Intercourse Act sets out the frontier between the USA and Indian areas
1848 - US victory over the Mexicans
1851 - Appropriations Act

Question 17

what was wrong with the “permanent Indian Frontier”?

Answer 17

• it was meant to divide Indian areas from the eastern states and stop whites crossing over to settle in the Indian area
• it did not last a long time

Question 18

what was the Indian Removal Act?

Answer 18

• 46,000 eastern Indians had to give up their land in return for new lands west of the Mississippi River as the whites thought it was worthless

Question 19

what were US marshals?

Answer 19

• appointed by the President and were responsible for a state or territory

Question 20

what were deputy marshals?

Answer 20

• assigned to specific towns and counties in the federal territories

Question 21

what were town marshals?

Answer 21

• appointed by townspeople annually
• dealt with local outbreaks of lawlessness

Question 22

who were sheriffs?

Answer 22

• appointed in the counties for two years
• could force local people to form a posse to chase lawbreakers
• could appoint deputies

Question 23

what were aspects of lawlessness?

Answer 23

• crime (claim jumping)
• isolated communities
• racist tensions (Chinese immigrants)
• mining camps (mainly male, isolated so far from law enforcement)
• lack of law enforcement
• mass settlement
• social factors (alcohol)

Question 24

what are vigilantes?

Answer 24

• a group of people who decide to punish lawbreakers themselves , instead of relying on the justice system

Question 25

what were miner’s courts?

Answer 25

• miners set up their own courts to settle disputes over claims