The White People Arrived and what happened next

2 Who were they? In 1492 Columbus set sail and, rather fortunately, discovered America. He was the first of many. To Central America came the Spanish looking for gold and other treasures.

3 Who were they? To the north came the French who were mainly interested in trading for furs and other valuable things. To the east coast came the British looking for land to settle on.

4 Who were they? Millions more came from Europe looking for land they could own, or a place where they practice their religion in peace without anyone else giving them trouble, or to make their fortune in this new land of opportunity.

5 So … America was a rich country. There was fertile land, plentiful animals and minerals like gold were found in great quantities. This led to the taking over of the land by the more powerful white men. They had some big advantages. They outnumbered the Native Americans many times over. They had more effective and powerful weapons and a fierce determination to take what they wanted.

6 To begin with …. To begin with the whites settled close to the coast. However, gradually they started to move further inland. The first white people to do this were known as pioneers. They traveled into the wilderness and began to make the land their own. This westward expansion led to more and more conflict with the Native Americans who felt their land and way of life was being threatened.

7 Then On the Great Plains the white men drove off the buffalo and began to fence off the land to make cattle ranches of their own. They raised huge numbers of cattle and the men they employed to look after them became known as cowboys. Others moved to the Plains and set up homesteads. On these farms, the homesteaders (farmers) ploughed up the Plains and grew crops. They also protected their land with fences. The Native Americans believed that the land belonged to everyone and they didn’t understand the idea of fences.

8 Then even more came The railway companies set out to connect the east coast of America with the west coast. This again brought them into conflict with the Native Americans. The buffalo were a nuisance and a danger to the trains so the railway companies hired men to shoot and slaughter the buffalo in their millions. Soon their numbers dwindled and the Native Americans’ whole way of life was seriously threatened. Mining towns, cattle stations and railroad junctions all began springing up but life was very different from the east coast. This part of America became known as the Wild West because it had not really yet been tamed and there was often little law and order. Outlaws, like William Bonney (better known as “Billy the Kid”), became famous and so did the lawmen sent out west to track them down.

9 The Plains Wars As more and more white men poured onto the Plains and threatened the Native Americans way of life, it was inevitable that war would break out between the Native Americans and the whites. These are some of the important events which happened:

10 Battle at the Little Bighorn

11 The Laramie Agreement In late 1875, Sioux and Cheyenne Native Americans were angered at the whites travelling into their sacred lands in the Black Hills. Gold had seen many miners entering the sacred land

12 Promises Broken The US Government had promised Red Cloud that white settlers would not be allowed to settle here. This was part of the Fort Laramie Treaty. The Sioux gathered with Sitting Bull to fight for their lands.

13 So … To force the large native army back to the reservations, General Philip Sheridan was sent to defeat the Sioux. In June 1876 US armies, led by the generals Alfred Terry and John Gibbon, met at the Yellowstone river. Gibbon was set to march up the Little Bighorn river, and Lt Colonel George Custer was ordered to march round the Wolf mountains, as part of a two- pronged attack on the Sioux camp.

14 CUSTER However, Lt. Colonel George Custer and the Seventh Cavalry marched his men through (not round) the Wolf mountains, to arrive at the Sioux camp first. He covered great distance to be first, and his men were tired out

15 Out Numbered Spotting the Sioux village about fifteen miles away along the Rosebud River on June 25, Custer also found a nearby group of about forty warriors. Ignoring orders to wait, he decided to attack before they could alert the main party. He did not realize that the number of warriors in the village numbered three times his strength.

16 Custer divided his 600 men into three groups. Custer sent Captain Frederick Benteen scouting, and sent Major Marcus Reno to attack the Sioux village from the south. Custer headed north of the village with 215 men. The Sioux cut off both Reno and Custer. Benteen rescued Reno

17 Crazy Horse Cheyenne and Hunkpapa Sioux together crossed the river and slammed into the advancing soldiers, forcing them back Meanwhile, another force, largely Oglala Sioux under Crazy Horse's command, surrounded Custer and his men in a pincer move. They began pouring in gunfire and arrows.

18 Last Stand As the Native Americans closed in, Custer ordered his men to shoot their horses and stack the carcasses to form a wall, but they provided little protection against bullets. In less than an hour, Custer and his men were killed in the worst American military disaster ever.

19 REVENGE Little Bighorn showed the Native Americans' power. They had achieved their greatest victory Outraged over the death of a popular Civil War leader the US Government fought back

20 Massacre or Defence

21 The end of the Native American way of life The Battle of the Little Bighorn only seemed like a Sioux victory. In fact, it was the start of the total defeat of the Sioux. Before long the US government had completely defeated the Native Americans, and their way of life was destroyed over the next 15 years.

22 November 1876 The US Army began winter campaigns against the Sioux, starving them into surrender. Colonel Mackenzie destroyed Dull Knife's Cheyenne camp - driving the Cheyenne into the hills to survive the winter without any food.

Chief Sitting Bull fled to Canada. He joined a Wild West show, but eventually returned to join the reservation. October 1877Chief Joseph of the Nez Percé tribe tried to flee to Canada, but was intercepted. 'I will fight no more forever', he vowed.

Richard Pratt opened the first boarding school for Native American children. They were taught to assume the dress, hair styles, and mannerisms of whites. In creating the off-reservation boarding school, Pratt's intention was to remove Indian children from all tribal influences.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs issued the Code of Religious Offences, banning Native American religious customs such as the Sun Dance.

A medicine man called Wovoka started a Ghost Dance – although it was peaceful, the Army, fearing a rebellion, tried to arrest Sitting Bull, who was taking part (he was killed during the attempt). Then when Sioux Chief Big Foot, trying to avoid the trouble, led his people to Wounded Knee Creek, they were massacred by the US Army. This was really the end of the Native American nation

27 Causes and Consequences Causes- The reason why something happened Consequences- The result of something happening

28 What were the causes and consequences of Little Bighorn? A)1872 Gold Discovered in the Black Hills B)Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapahos United C) Massacre of Wounded Knee in December 1890 D) Defeat of the 7th Cavalry E) Many Native Americans fled to Canada F) Red Cloud’s peace treaty at Fort Laramie was ignored G) Sitting Bull became the most famous Indian chief H) US Government did not stop the miners entering the Black Hill I)US Government planned to defeat the Native Americans J) Native Americans sent to reservations L) US troops not sent in to control miners M) Black Hills sacred-invaded by white miners

29 What were the causes and consequences of Little Bighorn? A)1872 Gold Discovered in the Black Hills B)Sioux, Cheyenne, Arapahos United C) Massacre of Wounded Knee in December 1890 D) Defeat of the 7th Cavalry E) Many Native Americans fled to Canada F) Red Cloud’s peace treaty at Fort Laramie was ignored G) Sitting Bull became the most famous Indian chief H) US Government did not stop the miners entering the Black Hill I)US Government planned to defeat the Native Americans J) Native Americans sent to reservations L) US troops not sent in to control miners M) Black Hills sacred-invaded by white miners