Foreign Affairs: The Great Plains Wars Flashcards
What region of North America had continued conflict after the Civil War? How large was this section?
The Great Plains. The Central Part of the Continent which covers Texas up to North and South Dakota. In conflict with the Native Americans
What people of North America were the USA in conflict with after the Civil War?
In conflict with the Native Americans
How long did the Great Plains Wars last?
From the 1860s to the 1890s
What were some of the tribes the USA came in to Conflict with? (Name 2)
Sioux and Apache Tribes
What was the general aim of the US government with the Great Plains wars? Why?
To move Native Americans to Reservation lands so they could not be exploited for their resources anymore and would be out of the way
How had the Civil War prepared the USA for the Great Plains conflicts?
The US Military had grown heavily since the Civil War ended
How had the Civil War prepared the USA for the Great Plains conflicts in terms of for the Generals of the Civil War?
Generals such as William Sherman had gained experience in the Civil War
Were the Native American Tribes united? Why?
They were heavily divided as each tribe had different ideologies
What was a reason for the Native American tribes opposing each other more by the late 1800s?
They had been put in to smaller land areas meaning that they clashed more often
What is significant about Native American Tribe divisions for the Union Army?
It would make the Native Americans much easier to defeat
What happened in the Battle of Little Bighorn? What year did this occur?
The battle occurred in 1876 and the Sioux tribe were able to defeat a general and 200 soldiers
What was the impact of the Union army’s loss at Little Bighorn?
The perception of the Native Americans shifted to them being seen as more of a threat
What was a potential disadvantage to the victory of Little Bighorn for the Native Americans in terms of being seen as more of a threat to the USA? Give an example of an event showing this
It would give the Union army more of a motive to kill them. Potentially shown with the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890
What happened at the Wounded Knee Massacre? What year did this occur?
In 1890, Union soldiers were sent to negotiate with some Native Americans but ended up instead killing them as they were fearful of what the Native Americans might have done
How were railroads significant in the Great Plains Wars? Give an example of a railroad. What does this mean for the Union army?
The Transcontinental railroad could get you from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast within a week, meaning soldiers could travel very quickly
