Most Likely Next Friday Fully discuss the effects of American westward expansion on the Native Americans of the Great Plains. 2-3 pages probably – you only have 40 minutes Emphasis is on FLOW and connecting ideas Obviously tenses, grammar, etc. also matter

What Do You Think the HW is? Create an outline for a shorter essay that addresses the topic Pay special attention to real transitions How do my ideas relate to one another? Connect through idea relationships, not through random use of “transitional words”

A Collision of Interests Native Americans and Western Settlement in the late 19th Century

The Basic Issue Plains Indians need wide open spaces for the grazing buffalo Farmers enclose space and plow it Mining towns use space Railroads use space

Beginnings of the Conflict Miners push west in the 1840’s U.S. Government builds forts Fort Laramie Treaty (Wyoming) – Indians get money, animals, agricultural tools, and goods. Indians stay in limited area Treaty broken due to Pike’s Peak gold rush

One Thought Process Native Americans are “savage” and “uncivilized” This is because of some racial inferiority So they need to be exterminated

Chivington Massacre (1864) Example of the worst kind of behavior by U.S. Army Chivington example of the “only good Indian is a dead Indian” approach Racist premises behind this idea Not everyone shares this idea

Another Thought Process Native Americans are “savage” and “uncivilized” But they can be “fixed” or ASSIMILATED into American culture

1867 – The Other Approach Peace commission established to end the wars on the Plains Urging Native Americans to live as farmers Encourage them to send children to white schools “Americanization” vs. extermination

Reservations Areas set aside for Native Americans and administered by the federal government Original “Indian Territory” was Oklahoma More reservations in South Dakota

Reservations?

Reservations

Buffalo not Roaming Disease, drought, and destruction of grazing areas Buffalo robes in demand back in the 1830’s/1840’s Railroads sponsored “sport” shooting Overhunting by Native Americans

The Choice Resistance… Or assimilation Assimilation – blending into another culture

Outward Changes

Other Changes Language Belief Lifestyle

If Someone Is Settled in One Spot They Can… Go to school Go to church Participate daily in the life of a community Be located easily Be regulated easily

The Dawes Act of 1887

Reasons for the Failure of the Dawes Act They aren’t farmers They don’t want to be farmers The land isn’t the greatest They get cheated out of most of it (or someone sells it) Supplies are lacking

Resistance From the Res South Dakota (Pine Ridge Reservation) 1889 “Ghost Dance” invented Interpreted as resistance Sitting Bull blamed and killed Lakota Sioux leave Soldiers pursue

Wounded Knee Massacre

Wounded Knee Massacre