Explain the Homestead Act and trace the Westward Expansion of the US Unit 3 Day 1 Quote: “Most people are willing to pay more to be amused than to be educated.” ~Robert C. Savage, Life Lessons Objective: Explain the Homestead Act and trace the Westward Expansion of the US State Standards: Strand 1 Concept 5 PO 1

The Homestead Act Most of the movement West took place after the Civil War. The people had many reasons for going West including, a desire for farm land, mining, and adventure.

In 1862, Congress passed a law called the Homestead Act In 1862, Congress passed a law called the Homestead Act. This law will be responsible for about 600,000 families moving to the West.

This law gave anyone 160 acres of land for free as long as they lived on the land for 5 years and cultivated it.

As the settlers moved West they began interacting and infringing on the Native population. These interactions were limited at first but as more and more people moved West the interactions became violent.

The culture of the settlers was drastically different from the natives The culture of the settlers was drastically different from the natives. The settlers viewed the land as their property while the natives viewed the land as something that needed to be shared by everyone.

The Sand Creek Massacre One of the most tragic encounters between the natives and the whites occurred in 1864 at Sand Creek, Colorado.

A group of Cheyenne warriors had been raiding nearby settlements and the Governor of Colorado ordered the militia to put a stop to the attacks.

Many of the Cheyenne who desired peace moved to a village near Fort Lyon. There, the Cheyenne raised a U.S. flag and a white flag of truce.

On the morning of November 29th 1864, the militia led by Colonel Chivington attacked the peaceful village.

In the Sand Creek Massacre or the Chivington Massacre, over 200 Cheyenne will be killed; most of them were women and children.

Reservations As a means to try and control the natives the U.S. government began a policy of moving the native people onto reservations. The reservation was an area of land promised to the native tribes.

The government promised to keep settlers off the reservation land and the government also promised to provide the natives with supplies including blankets, farming tools, clothes and food. Most settlers ignored the governments promise and continued to enter the reservations.

In 1868, the Lakota signed a treaty with the government promising them a large reservation in the Black Hills of North Dakota. In 1874, gold was found in this area and miners rushed onto the reservation.

The Lakota asked the government to stop the miners, but in return the government offered to buy the land from the Lakota.

Little Big Horn The Lakota refused to sell the Black Hills to the government, so the government sent in the Army to remove them.

One group of soldiers led by Colonel George Custer located the main Lakota camp along the Little Bighorn River. Instead of waiting for the rest of the Army, Custer decided to attack the natives on the morning of June 25, 1876.

In the Battle of The Little Bighorn, Custer and his 475 men will be defeated by a force of between 2,000 – 3,000 Lakota and Cheyenne warriors, led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

The only survivor from Custer’s 210 men was a horse. This was a huge victory for the natives but it would also bring about their ultimate defeat.

Wounded Knee After the defeat at the Little Bighorn the US Army sent thousands of more soldiers West to defeat the Lakota and other tribes of Native Americans.

After trying to resist, most Native groups were forced onto reservations and became dependent on the government for everything in their lives.

A Piute prophet said he had a vision that showed the native land being returned, the buffalo returning, and the whites disappearing. He said this would come true if the natives performed the Ghost Dance.

The military and reservation leaders became alarmed over the ghost dance and they sent reservation police to arrest Sitting Bull. A fight broke out and Sitting Bull was killed.

On December 29th 1890, the Army demanded that the Lakota on the Wounded Knee Reservation give up their weapons. A shot rang out and the Army opened fire. When the smoke cleared over 150 natives lay dead in the snow.

Americanization Once the Natives were forced onto reservations the government began a policy of Americanization. The Natives would be forced to adopt the white culture.

In 1887, Congress passed the Dawes Act which officially abolished the tribes. It also said that each male would receive land to farm and become a citizen.

The Dawes Act failed. The Natives were never given any equipment to help them farm and they were not even taught how to farm.

Native children were also taken from their families and sent to Indian Schools where they were treated very poorly and stripped of their culture.

Indian Schools The whole concept of the Indian schools was to “Kill the Indian and save the man.” Parents were tricked or forced to send their children away.

Upon arrival the children were given “white” names and forced to cut their hair. Their daily lifestyle was run with military discipline.

While attending school many children became sick from disease or stress. The children would be sent back to their families but some would die at school and be buried in the school cemetery.

After graduation children had a hard time being accepted in life After graduation children had a hard time being accepted in life. They did not fit in on their reservations because they had abandoned their native ways. Some tried to blend into society in big cities but they were discriminated against because of their skin color.

The government also tried to eliminate some Natives by destroying the buffalo.

By 1890 there are less than 600 buffalo in the United States By 1890 there are less than 600 buffalo in the United States. This will cause massive starvation for many tribes.

Homesteaders Although the Homestead Act brought thousands of settlers West the government passed further land grants to continue the rush of people West. Many of these settlers included newly freed slaves.

These settlers faced many hardships including droughts, floods, fires, blizzards, locust plagues, and attacks by outlaws and natives.

The first problem faced by the settlers was the lack of wood The first problem faced by the settlers was the lack of wood. Settlers responded to this problem by building their houses out of sod (grass and dirt).

They also built their homes into the sides of hills or ravines, these homes were known as dugouts.

There will be four inventions that make taming the West much easier; barbed wire, the steel plow, the steel windmill, and the reaper.

Assignment: How far do you agree with this view: “We have been taught to hunt and live on the game. You tell us that we must learn to farm, live in one house, and take on your ways. Suppose the people living beyond the great sea should come and tell you that you must stop farming, and kill your cattle, and take your houses and lands, what would you do? Would you not fight them?” -Chief Gall, a Hunkpapa Lakota