The End of the Indians Another Tribe Season Ends In Defeat

Pre Civil War Status Quo Relocation (OK) 250,000 Indians lived West of the Mississippi River, there to stay forever. Many tribes forced to adapt to new lands…

The Plains Indians Sioux, Crow, Comanche and Cheyenne lived off Buffalo –Used for tools, clothing, art, shelter & food

End of the Great American Desert Plains had been seen as desert Whites kept out, but want to link East and West with Railroads… 1850’s, gold and silver discovered out west… settlers

The Cultures Clash… Again Whites want to tame the desert and make it bloom. –Would destroy free ranging tribal lands Indians forced onto Reservations (Small and poor)

The Destruction of the Buffalo White settlers hunted buffalo for sport, used the hides and left the meat. HUGE threat to native survival..

Natives Resist Reservations 1860’s, Sioux attack & kill illegal settlers, Minnesota declares war… Rebellion touches off conflict across the Plains –Settlements and stagecoaches attacked

Sand Creek Massacre 1864 – US cavalry attacked Cheyenne & Arapaho camp –Hundreds killed –Later proven to be peaceful group with US flag flying Plains war grows US recruits men by promising plunder.

1866 – Fetterman Massacre Red Cloud lures in US army & kills 80 soldiers New US policy for US Indian Peace Commission –Assimilate and Americanize –Turn Indians to farmers

Failed Treaties In wake of deaths, Bureau of Indian Affairs signs Treaty of Fort Laramie – 1868 Some Indians refuse to live inside terms, Feds don’t fund terms Treaties break down, doomed…

The Red River War Comanches attack settlers as Treaty of Medicine Lodge fails –Fed. supplies not delivered, whites move in for buffalo hides, whites not punished for crimes 1875, End of the Southern Plains Wars

Battle of the Little Big Horn Black Hills known to contain gold… Crazy Horse & Sitting Bull lead Sioux off Res & drive out miners… US cavalry (250 men) under Col. George Custer attack 2,000 Indians. Last victory.

Chief Joseph In Idaho, Christian, cattle-breeding Nez Perces angered over forced move to smaller reservations Chief Joseph tried to lead 1,300 to Canada. All his kids dead. Stopped at boarder, “I will fight no more forever”.

Wounded Knee The Ghost Dance As it spread, US orders arrest of Sitting Bull, who was killed when officers arrived Fleeing Sioux hunted down and 100+ killed while encamped. End of the N. Plains

Reformers Criticize US Policy Helen Hunt Jackson, A Century of Dishonor & Ramona Attacked failures of US govn’t to live up to the treaties and aid to Indians

The Dawes Act- Tribes Outlawed 1871 – Congress declares no nations in nations will be allowed 1887 – In response to Jackson et al, Congress gives each Indian family 160 acres Missionary schools created to teach Indian kids to be white

The Plains Opened Up 1889 – Oklahoma Land Rush 2 million acres opened up to settlers on April 22 at noon. Boomers v. Sooners OK City had 10,000 inhabitants its 1 st day!!!