Chapter 5 Changes on the Western Frontier

The Culture of the Plains Indians The Horse and the Buffalo –The horse gives mobility –The Buffalo used for food, tepees, clothing, shoes, and blankets 2

Settlers Push Westward THE LURE OF SILVER AND GOLD –Gold in Colorado in 1858 draws tens of thousands of miners to the region Mining Towns Immigrants 3

The Government Restricts Native Americans MASSACRE AT SAND CREEK –1864 – Colonel John Chivington attack Cheyenne and Arapaho at Sand Creek 150 inhabitants were killed 4

DEATH ON THE BOZEMAN TRAIL –1866 – Crazy Horse ambushed Captain William J. Fetterman and his company at Lodge Trail Ridge –Treaty of Fort Laramie,

Bloody Battles Continue RED RIVER WAR – –Kiowa and Comanche raiding leads to the Red River War –The U.S. Army moved people of friendly tribes onto reservations while opening fire on all others 6

GOLD RUSH –Miners search the Black Hills –Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho protested to government officials in Washington 7

CUSTER’S LAST STAND –1876 – the Sioux and Cheyenne held a sun dance at the Little Bighorn River –Leaders: Crazy Horse, Gall, and Sitting Bull Colonel Custer 8

Custer and all of the men of the Seventh Cavalry were killed within an hour Sitting Bull and a few followers flee to Canada 1881 – Sitting Bull surrenders 9

THE DAWES ACT –1887 – Congress passed the Dawes Act to “Americanize” Native Americans Reservations divided into land for individual Native Americans –160 acres to each head of household –80 acres to each unmarried adult 10

THE DESTRUCTION OF THE BUFFALO –Buffalo hunted for sport Destruction of the Plains Indians’ main source of food, clothing, shelter, and fuel 1800 – 65 million buffalo 1890 – less than 1000 buffalo 11

The Battle of Wounded Knee December 28, 1890 – the Seventh Cavalry moves 350 Sioux to a camp at Wounded Knee Creek December 29, 1890 – the Seventh Cavalry killed 300 unarmed Native Americans 12

Cattle Becomes Big Business –Texas longhorns –The American Cowboy –The Mexican Vaquero 13

GROWING DEMAND FOR BEEF –The Chicago Union Stock Yards –Early trails from Texas to Missouri 14

THE COW TOWN –Joseph McCoy Shipping yard and trails Abilene, Kansas –The Chisholm Trail 15

LEGENDS OF THE WEST –“Wild Bill” Hickok –Calamity Jane 16

The End of the Open Range –Joseph F. Glidden Barbed wire –Overgrazing of the land 17

Settling on the Great Plains 18

Settlers Move Westward to Farm RAILROADS OPEN THE WEST –1850 to 1871 – land grants to the railroads –The Union Pacific and Central Pacific Transcontinental Railroad Golden Spike 19

GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS SETTLEMENT 1862 – the Homestead Act –160 acres of land free to any citizen or intended citizen who was head of the household –Exodusters –Oklahoma land rush 20

THE CLOSING OF THE FRONTIER –Protection of the wilderness 1872 – Yellowstone National Park –Frederick Jackson Turner 21

Settlers Meet the Challenges of the Plains Dugout homes Sod homes 22

TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR FARMERS –1837 – John Deere and his steel plow –1847 – Cyrus McCormick mass-produces a reaping machine –Barbed wire 23

Farmers and the Populist Movement 24

Farmers Unite to Address Common Problems ECONOMIC DISTRESS –Paper money – the greenbacks –Hard money Paper money printed in yellow ink 25

THE FARMERS’ ALLIANCES –1867 – the Grange Grange members fight the railroads Farmer cooperatives Regulating railroads –Farmers’ Alliances 26

The Rise and Fall of Populism THE POPULIST PARTY PLATFORM –Increase in the money supply –A graduated income tax –Federal loan program –Eight-hour workday –Restrictions on immigration 27

SILVER OR GOLD –Republicans – business owners and bankers of the industrialized Northeast –Democrats – farmers and laborers of the agrarian South and West –“Silverites” versus “Gold bugs” 28

BRYAN AND THE “CROSS OF GOLD” –1896 Republican Party = gold standard Democratic Party = combined gold and silver standard –William Jennings Bryan The “Cross of Gold” speech 29