1. Westward Expansion Part 2
Effects on the Native Americans

2. Answer
Farmers on the Great Plains were struggling economically already, and then the railroads were charging them a large amount of money to ship their goods East. This caused them to go further into debt, AND resent the “Eastern Elite.” Farmers organized and started a political party known as the Populist Party.

3. Background
In 1834 the federal government passed an act that basically set aside the entire Great Plains region as one big reservation for Natives who had been pushed out of the East by early American settlers.
By the 1850’s, however, this was becoming problematic.
The discovery of gold and silver on these lands caused mass migration of white settlers onto Native lands.

4. Massacre at Sand Creek
This occurred in 1864 when a group of Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians returned to their reservation in Colorado for the winter.
The Army Commander of the West, S.R. Curtis, wanted to take them out.
At dawn on November 29th, over 150 inhabitants, mostly women and children, were killed.

5. The Sioux
The Bozeman Trail was a popular trail for white settlers traveling West.
It ran right through the hunting grounds of the Sioux, and they constantly asked the US government to stop settlement along this trail.
In 1866, Crazy Horse and his warriors ambushed American troops led by Captain William J. Fetterman, killing over 80 soldiers.
Natives call this the Battle of 100 Slain, while whites called it the Fetterman Massacre.

6. Treaty of Fort Laramie
The Sioux agree to live on a reservation along the Missouri river.
The Treaty was problematic because not every Sioux chief signed it, including Sitting Bull, and the ones that did sign it still expected to be able to use their hunting grounds.

7. Custer’s Last Stand
In June of 1876, General George Custer planned to attack a large gathering of Sioux Indians, including Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull.
The Sioux were able to defeat them, however, and in less than an hour all of Custer’s men were dead. So was Custer.
Although this was an amazing victory, the US Government was able to defeat the Sioux later that year.

8. Government policy towards Natives
The government wanted “assimilation,” of the Natives.
In 1887 Congress passed the Dawes Act and their goal was to “Americanize” the Indians.
Reservations were broken up and land was given to individual Indians.

9. Destruction of the Buffalo
The Buffalo was the main source of food and clothing and tools for the Indians of the Great Plains.
As the railroads moved through the Plains, tourists would kill the Buffalo for sport.
There were 65 million buffalo in By 1890, less than 1,000.

10. Battle of Wounded Knee
On December 28th 1890, the Seventh Calvary, Custer’s old regiment, rounded up 300 cold and starving Sioux.
They demanded they give up their weapons, a shot rang out (from whom is unclear), and the Calvary opened fire and killed all 300, including many women and children.
This brought the Indian Wars to an end.

12. North Dakota (University) Sioux….
Research Question: Is it ok for sports teams to use Native Americans as mascots?
Cleveland Indians
Atlanta Braves
Washington Redskins
North Dakota (University) Sioux….

13. What to search for…
Look for “debate about Native American sports team names.”
Then, choose a specific team, give both sides of the argument.
Finally, write your own opinion (5 sentences).

14. Reading Homework
Read 5.1 and 5.2. Do it.