Wars for the West U.S. history 8

Main Idea Native Americans and the U.S. government came into conflict over land in the west.

Conflicts with Native Americans The Ghost Dance: 1890s-an expression of deep grief about the loss of Native Americans’ way of life, due to clashes with white settlers and the U.S. government Reservations: mid 1900s U.S. Government changed Indian policy, began moving them to reservations, upsetting Plains Indians

The Indian Wars Sand Creek Massacre (1864): Army troops killed 150 Cheyenne, burned the camp; congress condemned but did not punish commander Battle of Little Bighorn (1876): led by Sitting Bull, thousands of Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho refused to leave Sioux territory, George Armstrong Custer and cavalry was slaughtered near Little Bighorn River Wounded Knee Massacre (1890): Army captured some of Sitting Bull’s followers, demanded rifles, 300 Sioux men, women, children dead; broke Native American resistance on the Plains

Resistance Ends in the West Chief Joseph: 1877-leader of Nez Perce killed white settlers on way to reservation, fled toward Canada, finally surrendered Geronimo: Apache leader, fled the reservation, led raids on Arizona/Mexico border for years, captured in Sept. 1886

Reservation Life Reservation goal: the policy of Americanization…officials wanted Indians to abandon traditional culture and identity and live like white Americans The Bureau of Indian Affairs: managed reservations, set up schools where children had to speak English and could not wear traditional clothing Dawes Act (1887): broke up some reservations, government sold best land, gave rest to Indians; even with good land, they had no supplies to farm

Mining/Ranching Comstock Lode: $500 million in silver from Nevada Territory from 1859- 1879 Cattle ranching was big in decades after the Civil War Chisholm Trail: most important major cattle trail from San Antonio to Kansas