Native Americans, European-Americans and the U.S. Government Flashcards
What was true of Native American trade before Europeans arrived?
extensive trade networks between tribes
What was the nature of trade ties between Native Americans and Europeans?
traded metal and later guns and alcohol for furs
How were Native American tribes changed by trade contacts with Europeans?
they began to compete for European trade
Difference in view of land
tribes had common land, europeans focused on private property
Nature of early interactions
peaceful and europeans benefited but saw each other as barbaric
Explanation of what happened to numbers of indigenous peoples after 1491
population dramatically decreased
Mandans-
first winter of L&C’s trip, permanent villages, grew crops, huge trade
Shoshani-
Sacagawea’s brother was the chief, they provided horses and guides of the journey
Nez Perce-
Helped L&C find water ways, willing to help, friendly, gave goods and canoes
Key elements of the idea of Manifest Destiny
to expand territory, providence (under care of God), “great experiment”
Who coined the term Manifest Destiny and when
John O’Sullivan in 1839
Thomas Jefferson’s view of Native Americans
“noble savages”, gave choice to assimilate or move beyond Mississippi River
Andrew Jackson’s view
as hostile and inferior, forced all to move past Mississippi River
Indian Removal Act
passed by congress in 1830, Indians are forced to move from settled areas, disbanded tribal legislation and court
Supreme Court decisions in 1831 Cherokee Nation v. Georgia-
marshall refused to hear
Supreme Court decisions in 1832 Worcester v. Georgia-
marshall ruled federal gov’t (not states) had jurisdiction over tribes and had no obligation to protect their welfare
Trail of Tears
Jackson expelled all Cherokee by army , forced to walk 100s of miles
James Polk and the expansion of the U.S.
expanded the rest of the continent- Texas (1845), PNW (1846), Southwest (1848)
Indian Territory (promise)
promised a territory for Indians only, in Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma
Population change in U.S.:
1860-31mil 1870-39 mil 1880-50 mil 1890-63 mil 1900-76 mil
Development of reservations
1867 the gov’t creates reservations originally on the great plains, the Bureau of Indian Affairs managed them, then expanded to other areas
Factors that led to transformation of the West
Gold rush, transcontinental railroad, homestead act, farming/ranching, decimation od buffalo
Gold rush-
resulted in population and economic growth in California: .5 billion found in gold (19th century money), San Francisco population boomed 33,000 in one year, jobs/ companies grew (Levi Strauss jeans, laundry), Native population decreased dramatically, and white people could have Indian children slaves
Homestead Act-
1862, gov’t gave away 160 acres of land for small price to settlers, 40% success
Transcontinental Railroad
gave job opportunities for immigrants and Americans, connected east and west, made settling and living across US easier and quicker, 2 private companies encouraged by paid for Mile and earned land
Decimation of the buffalo
Settlers wanted fur and meat, farmers wanted land for farming and cattle, shot for sport, 1865: 15 million buffalo, 1875:
The General Allotment Act/Dawes Act of 1887
The aim was to undo the idea of common land, to make Indians civilized and change mentality
Indians opposed greatly, Reservations divided into plots, and individuals claim plots (or done for them), the lobby act restricted Indians for leaving reservations
results: legislation eventually removed restrictions on allotments, 1903 removed restrictions on 5 civilized tribes and they didn’t get fair value for their land
When was Citizenship for Native Americans was granted, right to vote secured?
gained citizenship in 1924, gained right to vote in 1948
Meriam Report
1928, found that: approach to education system was failing, living conditions were unhealthy and unsanitary, land was unsuitable for agriculture, natural resources were unavailable, employment opportunities unavailable, pushing assimilation was a mistake
Indian Reorganization Act of 1934
made tribes more self governing (more negotiation), returned control of land (ended Dawe’s Act privatization), funds for business development, 2 million acres of land returned to tribes, reorganized school system (promoted day school, tribal language and traditional culture)
Termination Policy
1950’s, rejected IRA, returned to assimilation, reintroduced boarding school (ended emphasis on traditional culture), gave state courts more control in tribal area, ended loan program, gave incentives to relocate into cities
American Indian Movement
founded in 1968, US refocuses on tribal sovereignty and protection of culture
Declaration of Indian Purpose,
1961 61 tribes argue to end Termination Policy
Sitting Bull
Lakota medicine man, shot by a Lakota policeman
Louisiana Purchase
With the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the United States purchased approximately 828,000,000 square miles of territory from France, thereby doubling the size of the young republic. the territory covered a lot of tribal land
Evolution of farming and ranching, consequences
technological advances increased agricultural lands - the plow and mechanical reaper, conflict between groups over different natural resources
Assumptions ‘reformers’ had regarding reservations and Native Americans
they were in need of assimilation to eliminate heritage and culture and replace it with Western/white culture and values
Characteristics of education system:
Corrupt, coed, strict rules about no Native culture, girls learned domestic “white women roles”
Results of system for students
most students did not want to be there, once they returned to tribes they did not use their skills and were sometimes not accepted back
Sand Creek, Black Kettle and Col. Chivington
1864, Black Kettle was the chief of Cheyenne Indians, Sand Creek was a massacre where Col. Chivington killed 150 innocent women and children
In what ways are Native Americans diverse?
Spiritual difference, language, nomadic and not moving, types of housing, size of tribes
What are common (shared) features of Native American cultures?
physical world is sacred and spiritual, view land as communal, trade with each other
Meaning and significance of ‘Right of Discovery’
people who found untitled land could claim it, affected native americans because they were on land and no concept of owning private land
Did all leading politicians embrace the idea?
Representative Robert Winthrop spoke against it, many differing opinion
Debate over Indian Removal Act, arguments of Jackson and Frelinghuysen
Jackson didn’t think assimilation would work and to “help” Indians to not have to assimilate. create territory beyond MI river to push indians
The Experience of the Nez Perce
thought they had a good relationship, forced on reservation and tried to escape but were brought back to reservation (“Whose Land Is It?”, “The West”)
Wounded Knee 1890
(including prior events that year on reservation) right before the US gov’t restricted the Lakota tribal land and redistributed land into private holding,
Chief Joseph
led nez perce thingy
Ghost Dance (what was it, what was its cause?)
thought that doing dance would bring power of jesus would bring him and buffalo, they’d be purified and bullets wouldn’t hurt them
