John Wayne, red meat & Gold (American treasures)

But with a price…

California When gold was first discovered in California in 1848, tens of thousands of men left their old lives & rushed west. Just three years later, the population of California had grown to more than 250,000.

California California was granted statehood by The future of California depended on the railroad which had been argued about for years. WEST WEST

California Southern states wanted the route through the south and the northern states wanted it to run through the middle of the country.

California Where the rails would lie, would give either slave or free states an upper hand because people would live by the Railroad.

California Shortly after the southern states seceded in 1861, construction of the Railroad began.

Transcontinental Railroad Unemployed Civil War veterans and Irish immigrants worked westward. Chinese immigrants made up much of the workforce going east.

Pacific Railway Act In addition to the money paid to the Railroads, the federal government also gave them land! Lots and lots of land!

Pacific Railway Act

Transcontinental Railroad As people wanted to move westward, they bought land near the tracks from the Railroad.

So everything should be good… Right?

Problem This rush of settlers further strained the situation with Native Americans.

Solution Lets just make a simple agreement that both sides could agree to and respect.

Treaties Treaties are legally binding contracts between sovereign nations that establish those nations’ political and property relations. Article Six of the United States Constitution holds that treaties “are the supreme law of the land.” Treaties between Indian tribes and the United States confirm each nation’s rights and privileges. In most of these treaties, the tribes gave vast amounts of land to the United States in exchange for protection, services, and in some cases cash payments, but reserved certain lands (reservations) and rights for themselves and their future generations.

Treaties But these treaties were regularly broken, re-written and ignored whenever it was convenient for the settlers, government or pretty much anyone who wasn’t a Native American.

Buffalo Buffalo herds had once numbered around 15 million animals on the American Plains. They made up a large part of the Native Americans diet, shelter and clothing. Bones became knives Tendons became bowstrings Horns & hooves boiled into glue Manure was burned as fuel

Buffalo Travelers going westward used to shoot Buffalo from railroad cars to pass the time.

Building stress… This stress of settlers, declining food supplies and railroad tracks that would only lead to more settlers and problems eventually led to trouble…

Building stress… On top of these problems, they kept finding gold & silver deposits throughout the west.

Indian Wars Often, these pressures led to armed conflict – Sand Creek –Little Bighorn –Wounded Knee –Camp Grant Massacre

Sand Creek

Little Bighorn

Wounded Knee

Camp Grant Massacre

If mining wasn’t enough…

Problem So something had to be done: after all, we had won the land from the British, bought more from the French and fought the Mexicans for the rest. There was just one more problem in our way…

Solution Native Americans were placed on Reservations. The idea was to separate tribes & settlers / miners to avoid conflict.

Solution But this meant the tribes would have to give up their culture & way of life and adapt a more American style of life: –Farming –Property ownership –Formal Education –Become Assimilated

Assimilation According to Merriam Webster: To adopt the ways of another culture: to fully become part of a different society, country, etc.

Carlisle Indian School Pennsylvania school for Indians funded by the government; children were separated from their tribe and were taught English and American values / customs. Motto of founder: "Kill the Indian and save the man."

Sitting Bull "If the Great Spirit had desired me to be a white man he would have made me so in the first place. He put in your heart certain wishes and plans; in my heart he put other and different desires. Each man is good in the sight of the Great Spirit. It is not necessary, that eagles should be crows."