Federal Government and Education Flashcards
What was the belief of Manifest Destiny and its impact?
Manifest destiny – passed Pacific Railway Act in 1862 to allow companies to take materials when building railways. 1850-71 the government gained 155 mil acres.
Why were Native Americans looked down on?
Native Americans had different ways of life. Nomadic tribes followed buffalo and would use hallucinatory drugs during tribal ceremonies – seen as savages.
What was the impact of reservations?
Reservations 1871-87 – would allow Natives to be educated, end tribal customs, and separate them from buffalo. Natives wards of state with no civil rights. After 1871 no more negotiations regarding reservations, US government would continue to assimilate. In the 1880s as the government was stretched for funds meat subsidies to Sioux cut.
What was the impact of allotments?
Allotments 1887-1934 – Issued after Custer’s defeat, through the Dawes Act Natives pushed to allotments which ignored tribal nature of Native American life. Natives could gain civil rights but faced discrimination regardless – misunderstood.
How did Navajo succeed?
Navajo were a rare success story. They were granted 4 million acres of land bordered by Arizona and New Mexico in 1868 and received 15,000 sheep and goats rising to 1.7 million by 1892. The government granted 10.5 million acres as reward and by 1900 the population rose to 22,000.
What was Henry Platt’s school?
1891 – Carlisle, Pennsylvania formed in 1879 as a vocational training school by Henry Pratt – Indian children were taken from reservations and made to attend schools where they were taught the English language and to be patriotic, with Christian values instilled. Colonel Pratt created a military style boarding school.
What were key schools? What were boys and girls taught at these schools?
Key schools established in Pennsylvania (Carlisle Indian Industrial School), and Virginia (Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute) and became recognised as models of vocational training. Boys would learn carpentry and masonry and girls would learn domestic skills after 6 years at reservation schools. Punishments included beating, solitary confinement, and bread/water diets. During 8 years of education, three years were spend with white farming families.
What did Indians do when they left the schools?
On leaving education some Indians became Indian Agent interpreters or were employed in Indian agency offices – most returned to reservations.
What was the intention of schools and how were Indians treated?
The idea was ‘Kill the Indian, save the man.’ Children were taken far away from their reservations by the government against their will. In the summer children would work on farms and do domestic work to make money. Native Americans lost their language – generation gap. If children spoke their Native tongue they could be beaten, or disappeared. Sexual assault was inflicted.
