1. CULTURE CLASH

2. Plains Indians Culture
Included dozens of nations, inc. Sioux, Cheyenne, Blackfoot, Pawnee, Apache, Comanche
Advanced economy had trade between tribes 1000s of miles away.

3. 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

4. Products made of bison Food (meat) Shelter (skin) Clothes (skin)
Weapons (bone)
Religious needs (horns)

5. 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

6. 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

7. George Custer

8. How do you take the Indian out of the Indian?

9. 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.

10. 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

11. Sitting Bull

12. 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

13. 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

14. Vaqueros = Buckaroos
Cowboy culture pretty much ripped off from Mexicans
Chappereras = chaps
Charqui = jerky
Bronco Caballo = bronco
Mestenos = mustangs
Rancho = ranch

15. Getting cattle to market
Chicago cattle dealer Joseph McCoy creates 1st “Cow Town” in Abilene
Trails meet rails
Feed lots & stock Abi.
Chi.

16. 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)