Destruction of Plains Indian life

• When did the destruction of the buffalo primarily take place?

  Between the 1870s and 1880s, peaking from 1872 to 1874
• Why did professional buffalo hunters hunt millions of buffalo?

  To sell the hides for leather production
• How much was each buffalo hide worth?

  Around one to three dollars
• What tools did hunters use to kill millions of buffalo?

  Powerful modern rifles
• What was the impact of the buffalo hunters leaving the carcasses to rot?

  It was deeply offensive to the Plains Indians who used every part of the buffalo
• How did the Plains Indians perceive the disappearance of the buffalo?

  They believed it was a spiritual consequence of desecration
• By what year were there virtually no buffalo left?

  By 1883
• What did the Plains Indians lose as a result of the buffalo's destruction?

  Their main resource to support their nomadic lifestyle
• What does Source A illustrate about the buffalo population in the 1880s?

  A pile of thousands of buffalo skulls near a bone processing plant
• What was the purpose of the hunting trips sold by railroad companies?

  To provide pleasure trips for tourists to hunt buffalo
• What was the U.S. government's policy towards the Plains Indians between the 1880s and 1890s?

  To force Indians to find new ways to survive after the buffalo were destroyed
• How did the destruction of the buffalo affect the U.S. government's treaties with the Plains Indians?

  It made the treaties temporary as the buffalo were essential for survival
• What were the consequences for the Plains Indians after the buffalo were gone?

  They had to adapt to ranching or farming
• What was the effect of the U.S. government's laws and treaties on the Plains Indians?

  Indians became reliant on government support for survival
• What cultural changes occurred between the 1870s and 1890s for the Plains Indians?

  Indians were forced to adopt a lifestyle more like white Americans
• What did Indian boys learn at industrial schools?

  English and a white-style education
• What did hunger and desperation lead some Plains Indians to do?

  Adopt farming instead of hunting
• What did Chief Sitting Bull express about the lifestyle of his people in 1882?

  He valued the freedom of living in the open country
• What did Plenty Horses say about his education in 1888?

  It was of no benefit to him and left him disheartened
• What was the purpose of the Dawes Act passed in 1887?

  To encourage Indians to farm land as families
• How much land was given to Indian families under the Dawes Act?

  160 acres for families, 80 for single individuals, and 40 for orphans
• What were the consequences of the Dawes Act for many Plains Indians?

  They were often given poor land and lacked farming skills
• How did the Dawes Act affect the U.S. government's spending on the Plains Indians?

  It reduced the amount the government had to spend on support
• What were the main points summarizing the destruction of the Plains Indians' way of life?

  • Systematic destruction of their lifestyle from the 1860s onwards
  • Relocation to reservations restricted hunting rights
  • Buffalo destruction ended their nomadic lifestyle
  • Increased reliance on U.S. government support
  • Cultural undermining and forced assimilation
  • Dawes Act compelled adoption of European farming lifestyle
• How are the events of buffalo destruction, reliance on government help, and cultural change connected?

  Destruction of buffalo led to reliance on government help, which undermined their culture
• What is the overall narrative account that might be required in an exam regarding the Plains Indians?

  How the destruction of the buffalo led to reliance on government help and cultural changes
• What should students focus on when writing a narrative account about the Plains Indians' experiences?

  How the events link together and their cumulative effects
• What does the speaker encourage viewers to do at the end of the video?

  Like the video and subscribe to the channel
• What does the speaker invite viewers to do regarding future topics?

  Suggest topics for future rapid revision videos
• What is the final message from the speaker in the video?

  Thanks for watching and goodbye