Topic 4 - Conflict and tension

Question 1

Name three causes of tension between white settlers and Plains Indians?

Answer 1

1- Large numbers of settlers were crossing lands that belonged to the Plains Indians
2- Miners were mining in their lands
3- The Buffalo were under threat from the white settlers

Question 2

Explain how action by the US government increased these tensions?

Answer 2

1- The US government encouraged their actions due to the belief of ‘manifest destiny’
2- The US government sought to protect the migrants

Question 3

What actions did the Plains Indians take against the White settlers?

Answer 3

• some imposed taxes on white settlers who crossed their lands
• Some attacked miners camps and wagon trains

Question 4

Why was it difficult to negotiate with the Plains Indians?

Answer 4

• The Plain Indian tribes were independent and liked to make their own decisions

Question 5

List three of the terms in the Fort Laramie treaty in 1851?

Answer 5

1. US government were to give the Plain Indians 50,000 dollars yearly for the next 10 years
2. Indian nations were to allow white settlers to pass through their land
3. Indians give up the rest of the Great Plains

Question 6

What were two consequences of the Fort Laramie treaty for the Indians?

Answer 6

1- As they had to live on reservations, it was much harder for tribes to come together as a nation
2- The Plain indians lost a lot of freedom as they were being monitored by the US government

Question 7

Did the US government follow the terms of the Fort Laramie treaty?

Answer 7

No, as:

- The US government would request more land from the Indians and would give them to the white settlers

Question 8

Why was it hard to enforce law and order in the new settlements?

Answer 8

• The new settlements were far from central governments/senior officials
• There were no prisons so crime wasnt dealt with immediately

Question 9

Give an example of how lawlessness was dealt with as a result of the problems associated with enforcing law and order?

Answer 9

Settlements took punishments into their own hands and vigilante groups were formed

Question 10

Name two of the common lawlessness problems

Answer 10

1- Widespread Gambling

2- theft

Question 11

How did local communities try to tackle lawlessness and what was a problem with this?

Answer 11

Method:

• gunslingers were hired to keep order
• ‘posses’/’vigilante committees’ were raised to find criminals

Problem:

• They werent very reliable
• Often more concerned with their own interests

Question 12

How did the government try to tackle lawlessness and what was a problem with this?

Answer 12

Method:

• Appointed lawmen such as marshals
• appointed judges

Problem:

• had a large area to govern, limiting their effectiveness
• Locals took law into their own hands as there were only a few of them (marshals/judges) and it would take a long time to get to them