CULTURE CLASH
Plains Indians Culture Included dozens of nations, inc. Sioux, Cheyenne, Blackfoot, Pawnee, Apache, Comanche Advanced economy had trade between tribes 1000s of miles away.
Two animals shaped their lives Horses: Brought by Spanish. Allowed more & faster travel. Made hunting possible Buffalo: Wal-Mart on hooves! Got everything they needed from bison
Products made of bison Food (meat) Shelter (skin) Clothes (skin) Weapons (bone) Religious needs (horns)
Social Life Men: Hunters, warriors, dads Women: Butchers, made goods Kids: Well-schooled in parents’ job Community: No one leader! Gov’t was by counsel - not by force Land: No private ownership
Battle of the Little Bighorn 1876 Col. George Custer leads 7th Cavalry in attack on Sioux HQ Charges into low ground In less than 60 minutes, entire 7th Cav is killed Last major Sioux victory
George Custer
How do you take the Indian out of the Indian?
How do you take the Indian out of the Indian? “Destroy the buffalo, and you’ll destroy the Indian” - WT Sherman Herd reduced to >1,000 Dawes Act breaks up reservations & gives “private land” to Indians.
Ghost Dance & Wounded Knee 1890: Religious movement (Ghost Dance) tells Sioux it will return the old way of life. Some believe a magic shirt will stop US bullets US officials alarmed, order Sitting Bull’s arrest
Sitting Bull
Sioux told to drop weapons, but someone fires Battle of Wounded Knee (1890, SD) Sioux told to drop weapons, but someone fires US opens fire; 300 dead in 15 m. Sitting Bull assassinated Last of the Indian Wars
Development on the Plains Once bison cleared, cattle can graze on prairie grass New RR networks allow transport of beef to E. Coast Trails are blazed to railheads
Vaqueros = Buckaroos Cowboy culture pretty much ripped off from Mexicans Chappereras = chaps Charqui = jerky Bronco Caballo = bronco Mestenos = mustangs Rancho = ranch
Getting cattle to market Chicago cattle dealer Joseph McCoy creates 1st “Cow Town” in Abilene Trails meet rails Feed lots & stock yards @ Abi. Slaughterhouses @ Chi.
End of the Open Range ?? How do you make a fence ?? Invention of barbed wire makes it cheap to claim your “own” land Era of “wide open” West ends (except for on Nat. Am. Reservations)