1. POST-CIVIL WAR QUESTIONS Military History

2. What would the end of the Civil War bring?  The United States had:  Scores of able generals  Millions of trained soldiers  Giant munition industry  The worlds most modern weapons

3. Options?  Would we seize Canada in retaliation for British support of the Confederacy?  Would we march into Mexico and finish off the Mexican state?  Reinforce Monroe Doctrine by asserting our strength in Latin America?

4. The reality…  United States had an army of 1,500,000 after Appomattox Court House…  Within 7 months we were at but 183,000  Seven months after that…25,000  Why?

5. Why?  The turmoil of reconstruction  Manifest Destiny…had hit the snooze bar  A desire to cease warfare in the short term  The Presidents from “Grant to Cleveland passed like men without feet”  Europe’s game of battling it out in the developing scramble for Africa was not interesting to the United States.

6. The next American military challenge?  Closing the frontier  In the mind of the day…in order to secure the dream of Manifest Destiny—the area had to be rendered safe for the expansion of American civilization.  Something had to be done with the Native cultures occupying much of the region.

7. TURMOIL ON THE GREAT PLAINS Native American Wars: 1858-1888

8. Common Image?

9. Sioux Uprising of Minnesota Causes and outcomes Chief Crow  treaty violations and land disagreements throughout the Antebellum.  Hunger and hardship amongst the dependent Sioux (having been stripped of native lands)  Culminated in the execution of 38 Sioux (largest mass execution in US History)

10. Sioux Uprising: 1862

11. Battle of Wood Lake (Minn. Historical Society)

12. Sand Creek Massacre: Colorado

13.  Operating under a flag of peace from Lincoln.  Saw 400 of their tribe massacred. Black Kettle and White Antelope

14.  US didn’t protect treaty rights of Sioux and denied them the right of retribution.  Sent Custer in to restore order.  256 of the 7 th cavalry killed including Custer and four of his family. Sioux War 1875

17. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show: Custer’s Last Stand

18.  Hunkpapa Holy man  Born in the Dakotas  Led siege against Custer  Fled to Canada  Later surrendered as his band was in the midst of starvation from being chased by the US and Canadian forces. Sitting Bull

19.  Returned to the US as seen here during his travels with the Wild West Shows.  He was killed for supporting the Ghost Dance Movement of the late 1880’s. Sitting Bull

21. The Ghost Dance

22.  Preached a peaceful ending to conflicts with White settlers.  His dance taught respect but also was rumored to bring about immunity to bullets…frightening the US Army Wovoka

23. Overview  Westward expansion is in high gear.  After the Civil War the “Homestead Act” spurred people to move West to the “Frontier.  This movement was propelled by the Gold Rush, the romantic lure of the West, and new opportunity.  Standing in the way of this advance were Native Americans.  Some would accept “relocation” peacefully.  Others would not.

24. Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee

30. Chief Joseph  One of the first Nez Perce to convert to Christianity.  Gained great fame for his oratory.  Resisted loss of Wallowa Valley in Oregon.  After a renegade attack on white settlers by rogue Nez Perce. Joseph went on a 1400 mile march to retreat from US forces.  “Sherman”  200 v. 2000

31. I Will Fight No More Forever  I am tired of fighting. Our chiefs are killed. Looking Glass is dead. Toohoolhoolzote is dead. The old men are all dead. It is the young men who say, "Yes" or "No." He who led the young men [Olikut] is dead. It is cold, and we have no blankets. The little children are freezing to death. My people, some of them, have run away to the hills, and have no blankets, no food. No one knows where they are -- perhaps freezing to death. I want to have time to look for my children, and see how many of them I can find. Maybe I shall find them among the dead. Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever.

32. Geronimo  Apache leader whose band was forcibly relocated to the wastelands of the SW.  Resisted this and launched sieges against settlers.  Pursued vigorously by US Army.  Brilliant military struggle.  Finally relented, the last Native American to resist US force.