Struggle of the Plains Flashcards
What was agreed between the Plains Indians and the US Government in the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851?
The US government agreed that large areas of land should belong to Native American tribes ‘for all time’ (eg the Sioux were given the Black Hills of Dakota)
The US government agreed to prevent settlers taking land that belonged to the Indians
The Treaty imposed boarders on each tribe so they knew where their land began and ended- aimed to try to prevent in-fighting between the tribes
The Indians agreed to stop fighting amongst themselves (or they would be fined) and not to attack travellers on the Oregon Trail
Why did the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie fail?
The Indians did not know what they were signing up to- language issues- and some tribal leaders didn’t even show up to the negotiations
The US government did not stop settlers taking Indian land
New routes across Indian land sprung up when gold was found in Colorado and Montana- the government did not prevent this
The Indians continued fighting between the tribes
Why did white Americans continue to travel to the Plains in the 1850s?
In 1858 gold was discovered in the Rocky Mountains and the Colorado Gold Rush began.
From 1854 onwards many settlers began to settle on the plains of Kansas and Nebraska.
Transport links began to develop such as the mail coaches. People began to search for the best routes to build railroads.
What were the key events in the Sand Creek Massacre?
There had been conflict between the Cheyenne and the US forces during the US Civil War.
Chief Black Kettle negotiated a peace and were told to camp near Sand Creek, flying a US flag and they would be left in peace.
Despite doing this, Colonel Chivington and his men (many of them drunk) attacked the camp in Nov 1864, murdering men, women and children, scalping and mutilating their bodies.
The US government promised compensation to the victims but after the Civil War ended (and now the government had time to focus on the Indian “problem”)- they refused to pay them. This led to the US army being at war with the Cheyenne for 4 years!
The Cheyenne ended up on a reservation half the size of the one they were promised
Why did the US lose the Battle of the Little Bighorn?
Custer did not follow orders- attacked too early, split him troops etc
The leadership of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.
The lack of communication between Custer and his other generals.
Why did the numbers of buffalo reduce so rapidly between 1840 and 1885?
More settlers moving west, settling on the Plains, destroyed the buffalo’s natural habitat and killed buffalo who competed with their cattle for grazing.
The cattle brought by the settlers spread new diseases to the buffalo.
Buffalo hunters who came in to kill buffalo for meat and use their hide for leather goods.
How did the Reservation system destroy the Indian way of life?
Territory/Land as reservations gradually became smaller.
Children were no longer taught to hunt. They were taught how to live like white Americans.
The Indian religion was banned .
What was the Dawes Act? (Also called the Dawes Allotment Act)
The Dawes Act broke up the communal land on the reservations into individual, privately owned land. Roughly 160 acres per family. This was designed to stop Indians living in tribes
What was the Ghost Dance?
An Indian medicine man named Wovoka said he had a vision that told him to get all Indians to do the Ghost Dance. If they did this all the buffalo and dead Indians would return.
What happened at Wounded Knee?
In December 29, 1890, the US 7th Cavalry Regiment surrounded an encampment of Sioux Indians near Wounded Knee Creek.
While attempting to disarm the Sioux, a shot was fired and a scuffle broke out.
The US army soldiers opened fire on the Sioux, massacring hundreds of men, women, and children.
This was the last major conflict in the struggle for the Plains.
What tactics did the US Army use to defeat the Indians on the Great Plains?
Built forts in the West.
Use of ‘Total War’ destruction of food, shelter, clothing, animals etc..
Winter campaigns as Indians didn’t like to fight in winter.
Reservations split up into smaller ones
Weapons and horses removed
