Chapter 7 Westward Expansions & Native Americans

Chapter 7 Section 1 – Moving West Push – Pull factors – events and conditions that either force (push) people to move elsewhere or strongly attract (pull) them to do so. Push: The civil War displaced many farmers Displaced freemen Cost of farmland in the East Looking for a second chance  opportunity Ethnic and religious repression  seeking freedom

Pull: Adventure Government Incentives Private property Pacific Railway Acts of 1862 & 1864 From 1850-1871 the railroads received 175 million acres Railroad companies sold the land for profit Provided transportation Morril Land Grant of 1862 The law distributed millions of acres of western lands to state governments in order to fund state agricultural colleges Homestead Act of 1862 Law that gave 160 acres of land to citizens who met the following conditions: at least 21 yrs old, head of household, American citizen (or in the process), built a home on the land, farm the land for 5 years. Created 372,000 farms Private property

Settlers came from far & wide European immigrants  looking for land Irish, Italians, European Jews, Chinese  worked on the Railroads and in the mines Mexicans and Mexican Americans  contributed to Ranching African Americans – over 50,000 migrated West for a new start and to escape the harsh South

Chapter 7: 2 & 3

So-called progress on the western frontier threatened 250,000 Native Americans. belief that a particular race, especially one’s own, is superior to other races Indians seen as barriers. U.S. government divided the land between the Whites and Indians 3 problems: Indians didn’t understand concept of private ownership of land. Who gets the best land? The land appointed to Indians was not protected RACISM Whites

U.S. government didn’t honor its commitments = problems and disputes 1864 – Sand Creek Massacre – tired of fighting with miners over land, the Cheyenne and Arapaho accepted an offer from the governor of the Colorado territory. They traveled in peace to Fort Lyon on Sand Creek. Col. J. M. Chivington’s militia attacked – to stop the battle Chief Black Kettle first raised an American flag then a white flag for surrender. Chivington’s troops killed 450 Indian men, women and children. The scalps were brought back for public display. Indians angry – Sioux fought back

1865 – gold miners started moving in droves U.S. government announced plans for a wagon trail to aid miners. Bozeman Trail – ran between Colorado and Virginia City, Montana directly through Sioux hunting grounds. The Sioux chief, Red Cloud, was being pursued by U.S. troops. He led them deep into the wilderness ambushed them and killed all 82 soldiers. – Fetterman Massacre

These 2 incidents sparked a public debate over the nations Indian policy: some wanted to “Civilize” the Indians. Others thought they were savages and couldn’t be civilized Westerners wanted firm control. Construction was stopped on the Bozeman trail. A Peace Commission was created by congress

1874 – Gold was found in the Black Hills 1867-1868 Indians were asked to restrict their groups to the Black Hills of the Dakotas & Oklahoma reservations 1874 – Gold was found in the Black Hills the Sioux had settled there and miners began pouring into the area. Sitting Bull

Led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse the Sioux resisted the invasion The Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs was supposed to manage the delivery of critical supplies to the reservations. BUT….. Widespread corruption resulted in supplies getting “lost” or stolen. Protection outposts for the reservations were outmanned and no match for the waves of settlers coming in to the area. Led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse the Sioux resisted the invasion

Battle of Little Big Horn Known as “Custer’s Last stand.” Custer led 264 U.S. troops against 2,500 Sioux and Cheyenne. The Sioux won this battle, but eventually lost and surrendered in 1877.

1877 – the once peaceful Nez Perce tribe decided to fight rather than be relocated. From Oregon Idaho area they started north to Canada (1,600 miles) fighting the whole way. 30 miles before the border they were captured and relocated to Oklahoma 1890 – Sitting Bull killed Band of Sioux arrested for leaving the reservation. Fierce fighting broke out at Wounded Knee. 170 Sioux & 29 soldiers killed – many wounded

Indian way of life impossible In the end The Railroad destroyed the Indian way of life – not the army it carried troops and settlers separated herds of buffalo. Brought the hunters who destroyed the animal for sport & business. Led to the decline of the buffalo. After civil war – 15 million buffalo 1889 – about 1000 buffalo Indian way of life impossible   1887 – Congress passed the Dawes Act – divided reservation land into individual plots 1890 – the U.S. government declared the frontier officially “closed.”