Intro
When people think about The West, they most often think about cowboys and Indians. The West was also defined by the railroads, the Gold Rush, and the Cattle Kingdom. The West was the home of the Native Americans for many years. They hunted buffalo and lived a peaceful life, until the settlers moved west and changed everything. Gold was discovered and railroads were built to make it easier for more people to travel west. People settled into the Great Plains and The West became known as the Cattle Kingdom.
Native americans
The land of the Native Americans lied between the 98th meridian and the Rocky Mountains. Their home stretched from Canada to Texas. The Native Americans were made up of several different groups:
- The Apache and the Comanche lived in Texas and what is now Oklahoma.
- The Cheyenne and the Arapaho lived in different parts of the central Plains.
- The Pawnee lived in Nebraska.
- In the north was the Sioux and they spread from Minnesota to Montana.
Changes to the west
Miners and settlers began crossing the Great Plains in the mid 1800's. The government sent agents to negotiate treaties with the Native Americans to protect the travelers.
- The first major agreement was the Treaty of Fort Laramie. It was signed by the northern Plains nations in Wyoming in 1851.
- Two years later, several of the southern Plains nations signed the Treaty at Fort Atkinson in Nebraska.
Key People & Leaders
There were many leaders on both the Government side and the Native American side of the conflict. Some of the leaders were Crazy Horse, George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, and Geronimo.
Crazy Horse was the Sioux chief in late 1866. He lead a group of Siouxs and ambushed 81 cavalry troops and killed them all.
George Armstrong Custer was a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army. He and his soldiers found gold in the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory. The Government insisted the Sioux sell their reservation land in the Black Hills. Sitting Bull, a Sioux leader, protested the demands. The other Sioux leaders listened to Sitting Bull and they refused to give up the Black Hills. On June 25, 1876, Custer and his scouts found a Sioux camp along the Little Bighorn River in Montana. He did not wait for backup forces when he lead 264 of his soldiers in the Battle of Little Bighorn. The battle was the worst defeat the U.S. Army suffered in the West; it was also the Sioux's last major victory.
Crazy Horse was the Sioux chief in late 1866. He lead a group of Siouxs and ambushed 81 cavalry troops and killed them all.
George Armstrong Custer was a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army. He and his soldiers found gold in the Black Hills of the Dakota Territory. The Government insisted the Sioux sell their reservation land in the Black Hills. Sitting Bull, a Sioux leader, protested the demands. The other Sioux leaders listened to Sitting Bull and they refused to give up the Black Hills. On June 25, 1876, Custer and his scouts found a Sioux camp along the Little Bighorn River in Montana. He did not wait for backup forces when he lead 264 of his soldiers in the Battle of Little Bighorn. The battle was the worst defeat the U.S. Army suffered in the West; it was also the Sioux's last major victory.
treaties, laws and conflicts
Treaties: There were several treaties between the Native Americans and the U.S. Government:
The Treaty of Fort Laramie was signed by the northern Plain nation in Wyoming in 1851. U.S. officials sent agents to negotiate this treaty because miners and settlers began to cross the Great Plains in the mid- 1800's. The treaty helped protect the the miners and settlers. The Treaty of Fort Atkinson was signed by several southern Plain nations. The treaty accepted Native American claims to much of the Great Plains. It also allowed settlers to build forts and roads and travel across Native American lands. The Treaty of Medicine Lodge was signed and most Native Americans agreed to go to reservations, but some Native Americans did not want to give up their hunting land.
Laws: Dawes General Allotment Act was passed in 1887. It tried to lessen the influences of the Native American society by making land ownership private rather than shared.
Conflicts: The were many battles that made up the conflict between the Native Americans and the U.S. Government. There was the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the Massacre at Wounded Knee. The Battle of Bighorn was the worst defeat the U.S. Army suffered and the final major victory for the Sioux. George Custer lead his army to fight the Sioux, who were lead by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. The newspapers called the battle "Custer's Last Stand". The Massacre at Wounded Knee was the last major event of the 25 years of war on the Great Plains. The U.S. army killed 150 Sioux near Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
- Treaty of Fort Laramie
- Treaty of Fort Atkinson
- Treaty of Medicine Lodge
The Treaty of Fort Laramie was signed by the northern Plain nation in Wyoming in 1851. U.S. officials sent agents to negotiate this treaty because miners and settlers began to cross the Great Plains in the mid- 1800's. The treaty helped protect the the miners and settlers. The Treaty of Fort Atkinson was signed by several southern Plain nations. The treaty accepted Native American claims to much of the Great Plains. It also allowed settlers to build forts and roads and travel across Native American lands. The Treaty of Medicine Lodge was signed and most Native Americans agreed to go to reservations, but some Native Americans did not want to give up their hunting land.
Laws: Dawes General Allotment Act was passed in 1887. It tried to lessen the influences of the Native American society by making land ownership private rather than shared.
Conflicts: The were many battles that made up the conflict between the Native Americans and the U.S. Government. There was the Battle of the Little Bighorn and the Massacre at Wounded Knee. The Battle of Bighorn was the worst defeat the U.S. Army suffered and the final major victory for the Sioux. George Custer lead his army to fight the Sioux, who were lead by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. The newspapers called the battle "Custer's Last Stand". The Massacre at Wounded Knee was the last major event of the 25 years of war on the Great Plains. The U.S. army killed 150 Sioux near Wounded Knee, South Dakota.