Changes for Native Americans

• What increased the pressures on Native American traditional way of life?

  The expansion of the railroad, the growing cattle industry and gold prospecting all increased the pressures on Native American way of life. The resources they depended on which were already depleted were shrinking as white America expanded from the east, west and south
• What was the impact of the railroads on Native Americans?

  Railroads disrupted buffalo migrations through settled areas because of the noise of the trains and the fencing of railroad tracks, railroads also contributed to the extermination of the buffalo, railroads were funded by land grants that the railroad companies sold to settlers so railroads encouraged settlement of the Plains, the government persuaded tribes to give up lands along railroad routes and move to reservations
• What were the impacts of the cattle industry on Native Americans?

  Cattle and buffalo competed for the same grass so as cattle numbers increased buffalo herds were put under pressure: 1860- number of cattle in West 130,000, 1880- 4.5 million, cattle trails often crossed into Native American lands- in Indian Territory tribes allowed in return for fee but in southwest Comanche didn't so attacked cowboys leading to tensions and US army retaliation, some Native Americans went to work in cattle industry as buffalo hunting skills similar to skills for herding cattle on horseback
• What were the impacts of gold prospecting on Native Americans?

  1849 California Gold Rush led to whites trespassing on Native American land which led to the Fort Laramie Treaty 1851 and the Indian Appropriations Act 1851, 185 Rocky Mountains Gold Rush led to whites trespassing on Cheyenne and Arapaho land which led to the Fort Wise Treaty 1861 which led to the Sand Creek Massacre, 1863 Montana Gold Rush led to whites trespassing on Sioux lands for the Bozeman Trail which led to Red Cloud's War 1866-68 which led to the Fort Laramie Treaty 1868
• What did the 1868 Peace Policy try to do?

  As more white Americans moved onto the Plains, the US government continued to move Native Americans onto reservations. The 1868 Peace Policy tried to manage the problems that this created
• Why did Native Americans move on to reservations?

  It was usually because the tribe's council agreed that it was necessary for survival as white American expansion meant there was less land to hunt on and fewer animals, the US government promised protection of their lands and regular supplies of food, tribes desperate for food would sign treaties in order to get something to eat, some tribes sided with the US government for support against their enemies, the US army used force to move Native Americans to reservations and keep them there
• What were the impacts of reservations on Native Americans?

  Reservations undermined traditional Native American life as they were made smaller so that Native Americans could not survive by hunting so many became dependent on food supplies from the government ( their annuities ), the Bureau of Indian Affairs agents that ran the reservations were frequently corrupt and cheated the tribes out of their annuities, when conflicts arose because of these pressures the government used them as an excuse to take more land from the tribes
• What did President Grant do about reservations?

  President Grant recognised that bad reservation management was leading to conflict. He appointed new reservation agents who had strong religious views so that they would not cheat Native Americans and would instruct them in Christianity, made a Native American, Ely Parker, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, obtained a budget of $2 million to improve conditions on reservations and create new reservations. Native Americans who resisted moving to reservations under the Peace Policy were to be treated as hostile and force could be used against them
• What did tensions between Native and White Americans escalate into?

  The 'Indian Wars'. The Fort Laramie Treaty 1868 was a temporary defeat in white America's conquering of the West
• What was Little Crow's War 1862?

  Little Crow, a chief of the Santee Sioux, lived on their reservation in Minnesota. In 1861 crops failed and food promised by the government didn't arrive so the Natives faced starvation. In August 1862, Little Crow and others attacked the agency that ran the reservation, stole food to share, burned the agency buildings and killed several US soldiers. By October, most Santee had surrendered or been captured and moved to a smaller reservation (Crow Creek). Its barren landscape caused many deaths that winter
• What was the Sand Creek Massacre 1864?

  The Cheyenne on the Sand Creek reservation were starving after crop failures so led by their chief Black Kettle they attacked wagon trains and stole food but didn't harm travellers. After 3 years of attacks, Black Kettle negotiated with government officials and the army. On 29 November 1864, Colonel Chivington led a dawn raid on their camp. More than 150 Native Americans were massacred even though they waved white flags. Some, including Black Kettle, escaped and told other tribes what happened. A US Senate Committee of Enquiry condemned Chivington
• What was Red Cloud's War 1866-68?


  Miner John Bozeman established Bozeman Trail connecting Oregon Trail to gold in Montana. The trail broke the Fort Laramie Treaty 1851 as it crossed hunting grounds of Sioux. Red Cloud chief of Lakota Sioux led attacks on trail travellers. In 1866 the government talked with him but he stormed out when he learned 2 more forts were planned along the trail. In December 1866 Captain William Fetterman and 80 soldiers rode into a trap and were killed by the Sioux who blocked the route so no traveller could use it. US army then negotiated a 2nd Fort Laramie Treaty
• What was the Fort Laramie Treaty 1868?

  The US government agreed to abandon 3 forts and the Bozeman Trail, Red Cloud agreed to move his tribe to a reservation stretching from the Black Hills of Dakota to the Missouri River, both parties were in favour of the treaty. However, Native Americans now found it hard to act together as they were split into reservations on separate sites. Red Cloud was successful in his wars as he joined other Sioux tribes led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse and some Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes so he managed to keep fighting through winter which was not their custom