American Movement West

Is there such thing as a primitive or inferior society, and why or why not?

 Wyoming  Idaho  Montana  Colorado  South Dakota  North Dakota  Nebraska  Bozeman Trail  Chisholm Trail  Union Pacific Railroad  Central Pacific Railroad  Oklahoma

 Tribes included Sioux, Pawnee, Arapho, Cheyenne, Comanche, Sauk, and Fox  Tribes were nomadic, living off of buffalo  Many tribes had been displaced by white settlement

 Americans begin moving west thanks to legislation, such as the Homestead Act (1862)  American settlers brought into conflict with Natives  By 1894 the buffalo population had been reduced from 60 Million to 25

 150 Cheyenne are massacred by US troops on November 29 th, 1864 at Sand Creek  “Indians cannot obey or even understand a treaty. To kill them is the only way we will ever have peace.”

 Red Cloud’s War: Conflict between Sioux and US in Wyoming because of the Bozeman Trail  Natives massacre 81 US Soldiers led by William Fetterman. Becomes known as Fetterman’s Massacre  Conflict ends with the signing of the Treaty of Forty Laramie (1868)

 Americans rush into the Black Hills of South Dakota looking for gold  Sparks the Great Sioux War of  On June 25, 1876 General Custer is massacred by 3,000 Sioux led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull at Little Big Horn

 300 Sioux men, women, and children are massacred at Wounded Knee in 1890  Massacre was in response to American fears over the controversial Ghost Dance

 The United States supports a policy of Americanization: Making Natives “more white”  Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 broke up Native tribes by offering individuals land  Many natives were assimilated into American lifestyle thanks to schools such as the Carlisle Indian School  A Century of Dishonor is published by Helen Hunt Jackson criticizing American treatment of natives

 Sometimes a single individual can help change history.  Imagine you were one of the following:  A Cheyenne Dog Soldier  American Settler opposed to Indian Wars  American supporting the Indian Wars  Sioux opposed to fighting  Write a letter to the US government describing what has taken place in the West between  Be sure to include personal observations. What did you see?  Write why you are fighting/should fight/or should not fight, based on who you have been assigned  Must be AT LEAST a page

 Cattle ranching becomes a major industry, and turns Chicago into a major American city  Cattle is transported using the Chisholm trail, from central Texas into Kansas

 Pacific Railways Act of 1862 promotes construction in the West  Union Pacific and Central Pacific Railroads meet at Promontory Summit, Utah on May 10, 1869  Helps encourage Western migration and development

 Revolvers and repeating rifles  Barbed Wire  Mail-in catalog  Watches  Time zones  Steel windmill  Mechanical Reapers

 Mainly settlers attracted by the Homestead Act of 1862  Usually lived in Sod Houses  Main source of income was farming, usually wheat or corn  Railroads attract settlers  Thousands rush into Oklahoma in Origin of the name Sooner  Many African Americans, referred to as Exodusters settle in the west in search of land and wealth

 Large-scale agriculture was limited  In an effort to support one another, farmers create The Grange 1867  Many farmers go in debt to buy more land and equipment

 Over production causes deflation. Farmers begin losing money  Railroads charge outrageously high prices for transporting goods  Farmers demand reform  Wabash v. Illinois : Federal government may regulate interstate trade  Interstate Commerce Act of 1887: Banned railroad companies from charging unfair prices

 People’s Party begins in 1892 in Nebraska  Platform: ◦ Graduated income tax ◦ Trade and railroad regulation, ◦ 8 hour work day ◦ Nationalization ◦ Direct election of Senators

 Bimetallism becomes a major source of conflict  Democrats adopt Populist platform  William Jennings Bryan of Nebraska runs against Republican William McKinley but loses  Bryan famously gives his Cross of Gold Speech

 Title paper: Populist Party  Identify key figures in the populist movement  Identify each part of the populist party’s platform, explain it, and then draw an image that summarizes it  Explain why the Populist party originated in Nebraska and the plains region  Lastly, in your opinion, why did farmers believe a party representing them was necessary?