Early Indian Treaties

• Indian Removal Act forced American Indians in the eastern states to move west of the Mississippi River


  28th May 1830
• Indian Trade and Intercourse Act established a proper frontier between Indian territory and the United States and its territories


  13th 30th June 1834
• USA won the Mexican-American War, leading to expansion of U.S territorial claims in the west of the continent

  2nd February 1848
• Fort Laramie Treaty was signed, formalizing diplomatic relations between the EU Indians and the US government


  17th February 1851
• Indian Appropriations Act funded the moving of the Indians to reservations in modern-day Oklahoma


  29th February 1851
• Peace treaty of the Mexican-American War involved taking land from Mexico, expanding U.S territorial claims in the west of the continent
• Increased migration across Indian land led to a greater focus on colonizing the whole continent
• Framework set up whereby Indians would eventually be forced onto reservations and be reliant on government handouts
• Discovery of gold in California in 1848 led to increased migration across Indian land
• Gold Rush in 1849 put pressure on resources which white migrants used
• Increased contact between whites and Indians could lead to conflict
• Indians feared white settlement and disruption to the buffalo and their nomadic way of life
• Indians worried about the pressure on scarce food and water resources if more people moved in
• Tribes agreed to appoint people to negotiate with the US government


  Leading to diplomatic relations in the future
• Tribes were allocated land


  Leading to reservations
• Indians agreed to allow white migration


  Leading to increased white migration into their land
• Indians agreed to allow railroad surveyors and army posts


  Leading to railroad building and army forts on Indian land
• US government agreed to payments and resources for Indian tribes

  Leading to a loss of Indian independence and sanctions if the Indians broke the treaty
• Railroad building and army forts on Indian land


  Led to the US government agreeing to payments and resources for Indian tribes
• Agreement between US government and Indian tribes

  Led to a loss of Indian independence and sanctions if the Indians broke the treaty
• Conflict was the result of keeping to the treaty not always being possible or wanted
• In 1830, the US government passed the Indian Removal Act
• Laws passed against the Plains Indians

  • Indian Removal Act of 1830
  • Indian Trade and Intercourse Act of 1834
  • Indian Appropriations Act of 1851
  • Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851
• The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced Indians to move west of the Mississippi
• The Indian Trade and Intercourse Act of 1834 formalized a border, the Indian frontier
• The Indian Appropriations Act of 1851 began the process of moving Indians onto reservations
• The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 began to formalize rules Indians had to obey and some financial reliance on the US government