 The purpose of this unit is to understand the factors that led to exploration, settlement, movement, and expansion and their impact on United States development over time.

 How has post Civil War expansion impacted farmers, ranchers, and Native Americans?

What do you already know about American Westward expansion and its impact on Native Americans? Can you come up with specific examples?

 MINING AND RANCHING ATTRACTED SETTLERS TO WESTERN TERRITORIES THAT SOON HAD POPULATIONS LARGE ENOUGH TO QUALIFY FOR STATEHOOD. PEOPLE MINED FOR GOLD, SIVER, AND LEAD, OR SHIPPED LONGHORN CATTLE TO THE EAST.

 THE HOMESTEAD ACT ENCOURAGED SETTLERS TO MOVE TO THE GREAT PLAINS. ALTHOUGH LIFE WAS DIFFICULT, SETTLERS DISCOVERED THAT WHEAT COULD BE GROWN ON THE GREAT PLAINS USING NEW TECHNOLOGY. BY 1890 THERE WAS NO LONGER A TRUE FRONTIER IN THE UNITED STATES.

 Signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on May 20, 1862, the Homestead Act encouraged Western migration by providing settlers 160 acres of public land. In exchange, homesteaders paid a small filing fee and were required to complete five years of continuous residence before receiving ownership of the land.

 IN 1837 JOHN DEERE ENGINEERED A PLOW THAT WOULD CUT LABOR IN HALF  CYRUS MCCORMICK’S REAPER (1834) ALLOWED FARMERS TO HARVEST FAR MORE GRAIN

 AS SETTLERS ENTERED THE NATIVE AMERICAN LANDS ON THE GREAT PLAINS, CLASHES GREW MORE COMMON. CONFLICTS CONTINUED AS THE GOVERNMENT TRIED TO FORCE NATIVE AMERICANS ONTO RESERVATIONS AND ENCOURAGED THEM TO ASSIMILATE INTO THE CULTURE OF THE UNITED STATES.

 ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN EARLY TRAVELERS AND NATIVES WERE ACTUALLY RARE  AS TRAFFIC INCREASED OVER TIME, TENSIONS ROSE= CONCERN OVER BUFFALO  TREATY OF FORT LARAMIE (1851) MEANT TO ENSURE PEACE BY ALLOWING SETTLERS TO PASS THROUGH FOR PAYMENTS

 IN 1867 CONGRESS FORMED THE INDIAN PEACE COMMISSION  PROPOSED TO CREATE TWO LARGE RESERVATIONS  PLAN FAILED = MANY NATIVES REFUSED TO MOVE, THOSE WHO DID FACED MISERABLE CONDITIONS

 BY THE 1870’S, NATIVES BEGAN LEAVING THE RESERVATIONS IN DISGUST  THEY JOINED OTHERS TO HUNT BUFFALO ON THE OPEN PLAINS = AGAINST THE LAW  BUT BUFFALO BEGAN TO DISAPPEAR = MIGRANTS, HUNTERS, RR COMPANIES KILLED OFF THE BUFFALO

 THE GOVERNMENT SENDS LT. COL. GEORGE A. CUSTER TO OPPOSE THE SIOUX WHO HUNTED IN MONTANA  ON JUNE 25, 1876, CUSTER ATTACKED LAKOTA AND CHEYENNE WARRIORS ALONG THE LITTLE BIGHORN RIVER  ALL BUT ONE OF 210 SOLDIERS WERE KILLED BY THE WARRIORS 

 NATIVE AMERICAN RESISTANCE CAME TO A FINAL AND TRAGIC END ON A LAKOTA SIOUX RESERVATION  AGAINST ORDERS, SOME LAKOTA CONTINUED TO PERFORM THE GHOST DANCE  THIS RITUAL CELEBRATED THE HOPE FOR SETTLERS TO LEAVE  FEDERAL AUTHORITIES BLAMED CHIEF SITTING BULL FOR HIS DEFIANCE AND WENT TO ARREST HIM  HE DIED IN GUNFIRE, AND LAKOTA PURSUED TO WOUNDED KNEE CREEK  ABOUT 25 SOLDIERS AND 200 LAKOTA DIED

 SOME OPPESED TREATMENT OF NATIVE AMERICANS  HELEN HUNT JACKSON’S BOOK “A CENTURY OF DISHONOR”, DESCRIBED INJUSTICES  SOME BELIEVED NATIVES SHOULD ASSIMILATE  IN 1887 CONGRESS PASSED THE DAWES ACT=  GAVE EACH NATIVE AMERICAN FAMILY 160 ACRES TO FARM  GRANTED CITIZENSHIP AFTER 25 YEARS OF FARMING  ACT FAILED DUE TO LAND BEING NOT ALWAYS GOOD FOR FARMING OR RANCHING  NATIVES DOOMED DUE TO THEIR RELIANCE ON THE BUFFALO FOR FOOD, CLOTHING, SHELTER

 Guided Reading 11-3  ATSU Heartland  10 things you didn’t already know:  erience/features/interview/tcrr- interview/ erience/features/interview/tcrr- interview/

 Today I learned…….  How did the Homestead Act impact western expansion? What led to the decline of Native American culture? What is the historical significance of the Dawes Act?