SSUSH12: Evaluate how westward expansion impacted the Plains Indians and fulfilled Manifest Destiny.

a. Examine the construction of the transcontinental railroad including the use of immigrant labor.

Joining of the Transcontinental RR (May 10, 1869)

Transcontinental Railroad: A rail link between the East and the West Congress provided money in two ways to build the railroad: 1. loans 2. land grants (gave builders wide stretches of land) Central Pacific laid tracks going east from California Union Pacific laid tracks going west from Nebraska Met in Utah in 1869; finally connected the East and West Coast (Manifest Destiny)

Labor to build Transcontinental Railroad: Central Pacific used Chinese labor Union Pacific used Irish & German labor Accepted lower wages Work was very dangerous (explosives, rock slides, heavy snowfall)

b. Evaluate how the growth of the western population and innovations in farming & ranching impacted the Plains Indians.

Growth of Western Population & Innovations: Great Plains was originally set aside for Indians & had very little whites that had settled there RR make it easier for people to move west (transcontinental Railroad - 1869) Innovations helped to create the increase of white population & effect the Plains Indians Ranching: open-range system; cattle were branded with owner’s ranch Cowboys were hired to go on extensive round-ups to collect cattle

Innovations: barbed wire: made it possible fence land cheaply, kept livestock from wandering plow: tackle the difficult soil grain drill: planted seeds quickly windmill: tapped underground water

Impact on Plains Indians: Lifestyle of the Plains Indians is threatened: *Nomadic – move from place to place *Buffalo is important to life Settlers destroy buffalo population: From 15 million in 1865 to 600 in 1886 White settlers introduced disease in which Indians had no immunity to

c. Explain the Plains Indians’ resistance to western expansion of the United States and the consequences of their resistance.

Plains Indians’ resistance: Conflict is over LAND: Indians need for hunting and settlers want it for farming and mining US agreed to give the Plains Indians a large reservation of land in the Dakotas US breaks treaty and moves in when GOLD is found in the Black Hills

Battle of the Little Big Horn: Gold led to the defeat of the Plains Indians in the northern part of the Great Plains Sioux leaders: Crazy Horse & Sitting Bull led the Sioux to drive out the US Army US Army General: George Custer Battle took place near the Little Big Horn River Custer & his men stumbled upon 2,000 Indians; Custer and all of his men were killed

Sitting Bull: One of the greatest American Indian leaders of the period Noted warrior Led the charge against the US Army (Little Big Horn) Forced to flee to Canada Unable to feed his people, he returned to the US and agreed to settle on a reservation

Ghost Dance movement: 10 years later, Sitting Bull’s tribe was urged to participate in the new Ghost Dance religious movement that was sweeping through the Plains Indians The Indians believed their ceremony would reestablish their ancestral lands & repopulate the buffalo, restoring their lost power Another conflict between the Plains Indians & the US Army broke out again

Battle at Wounded Knee: Many of Sitting Bull’s people believed that their Ghost shirts would protect them as they resisted the soldiers Confrontation took place & Sitting Bull & other Indians were killed Battle took place at Wounded Knee, South Dakota US Army outnumbered & killed more than 300 men, women, & children who were unarmed Ended Native American resistance

Chief Big Foot’s Body Wounded Knee, SD, 1890