Westward Expansion Impact on Native Americans

1. Westward Expansion Impact on Native Americans

2. Objectives -Compare and contrast Native American life with American life. -Describe the daily life of Native Americans. -Explain the conflicts between the United States Government and Native Americans. -Evaluate the impact of westward expansion on the Native Americans.

3. Where is the West?

4. In what ways were Native American life and American life different? • On your own: brainstorm at least 3 ideas • With a partner: share and record ideas • With the class: share and new record ideas

5. Comparison Chart 

6. The Fight for the West The Main Idea Native Americans resisted the movement of settlers westward, but the U.S. military and the persistence of American settlers proved too strong to fight against.

7. Critical Thinking Questions • How was the stage set for conflict between settlers/US government and Native Americans in the West? • What were the consequences of the conflicts between settlers and Native Americans? • When and how did Native American resistance to settlement end?  • What was the effect of assimilation on Native Americans? --take notes on these questions as we go through the PowerPoint---

8. Stage Set for Conflict Culture of the Plains Indians • Buffalo provided food, clothing, and shelter for the nomadic lifestyle of the Native Americans. They did not believe land should be bought and sold as it belonged to the Earth. Government policy • White settlers pushed Native Americans further west, until all the natives land was seized, and they were forced onto reservations. The reservation system lasted until gold, oil, and other minerals were found on the reservations. Then the government took that land too and forced the Native Americans to assimilate into society. Destruction of the buffalo • The buffalo-centered way of life was threatened, with vast herds driven to extinction by reduced grazing lands and hunting for sport and profit.

9. Incentives for Settlement New legislation In 1862, Congress passed three acts to turn public lands (much which the Native Americans lived on) into private property. • The Homestead Act gave 160 acres of land to heads of household. They must build on and “improve” it within 5 years. • The Pacific Railway Act gave land to the railroad companies to build lines and promoted “easier” settlement of the west. • The Morrill Act gave lands to states for colleges in the agriculture and the mechanic arts. (A&M)

11. Native Americans are being pushed off their land. Some will comply with the orders, some will fight back.

12. The Sand Creek MassacreView clip and record notes on the chart

13. Sand Creek Massacre Who- Cheyenne and white settlers What- Cheyenne and white settlers fought back and forth over land. Settlers felt unsafe and wanted the Cheyenne to surrender. Cheyenne were planning on making peace. US troops attack the Cheyenne. About 150 Cheyenne were slaughtered, scalped, and mutilated. Actual account of attack is unclear because of differing stories. Where-Colorado When-1864 Why-Example of the growing hostilities between the Native Americans and US settlers. After the massacre, Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux stepped up their raids in hopes to scare the settlers away. This would not last long, in exchange for their “freedom”, the Sioux signed a treaty and were moved to reservation lands in western Oklahoma.

14. The Battle of the Little Bighorn"Custer's Last Stand"View clip and record notes on the chart

15. The Battle of the Little Bighorn"Custer's Last Stand" Who- Lakota Sioux vs. US Government What- George Armstrong Custerwas sent by Federal government to force the Cheyenne and Lakota Sioux back onto their reservations. Had left to hunt buffalo when fortune hunters had overrun their reservation. When the Native Americans refused to leave Custer sent out to round them up. Custer underestimates the number of Native Americans. Custer and all of his army are killed. Where-Little Big Horn River (South Dakota) When-June 1876 Why-The Battle of the Little Bighorn was a temporary victory for the Lakota Sioux yet shortly after their sacred land was taken for good. Lakota Sioux are seen as savages.

16. Wounded KneeView clip and record notes on the chart

17. Wounded Knee Who-Lakota vs. US army What-Newspapers suggested that this the Ghost Dance signaled a planned uprising. The Wounded Knee Massacre occurred when Lakota Sioux leader, Sitting Bull, was arrested for allowing the Ghost Dance. During the arrest, a Lakota fired at one of the arresting soldiers which resulted in mass exchange of bullets. Sitting Bull was killed. Two weeks later chaos ensued as much of the tribe was massacred when they refused to give up their weapons. Where- Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota When- 1890 Why- This action marked the end of the bloody conflict between the army and the Plains Indians.

19. Resistance in the Northwest The government took back nine-tenths of the Nez Percé land when gold miners and settlers came into the area. Fourteen years later they were ordered to abandon the last bit of that land to move into Idaho. Chief Joseph tried to take his people into Canada, but the army forced their surrender less than forty miles from the Canadian border. Chief Joseph and many others were eventually sent to northern Washington. “I will fight no more forever” Resistance in the Southwest The Apache people were moved onto a reservation near the Gila River in Arizona. Soldiers forcefully stopped a religious gathering there, and Geronimo and others fled the reservation. They raided settlements along the Arizona-Mexico border for years before finally being captured in 1886. Geronimo and his followers were sent to Florida as prisoners of war. His surrender marked the end of armed resistance in the area. Resistance Ends in the West

20. Chief Joseph Geronimo

21. Moving off the Reservation The government wanted control over all the western territories and wanted Indians to live like white Americans. The Bureau of Indian Affairs began to erase the Indian culture through a program of Assimilation. Native Americans were forced to go to American school where they could only English and could not wear their traditional clothing. They learned to live like Americans. The Dawes Act of 1887 broke up many reservations and turned Native Americans into individual property owners. Ownership was designed to transform their relationship to the land. They received less productive land, and few had the money to start farms. Most of the land given to them was unsuitable for farming.

22. ASSIMILATION NATIVE CULTURE

23. Preserving their culture??????

24. The Effect of American “Progress” on Native Americans

25. Critical Thinking Questions • How was the stage set for conflict between settlers/US government and Native Americans in the West? • What were the consequences of the conflicts between settlers and Native Americans? • When and how did Native American resistance to settlement end?  • What was the effect of assimilation on Native Americans?

26. ECR Using the PowerPoint information and the knowledge you have gained today. • Identify the goals of the United States actions and policies toward Native Americans. • Explain the impact of United States actions and policies on Native Americans. • Could things have been done differently? Explain.