5.3-5.4 Indigenous, Natives and Plains Indians

• Who were the five civilised tribes?

  • cherokee

  • chicksaw

  • choctaw

  • creek

  • seminole
• Indian Removal Act

  • 1830

  • made by Andrew Jackson

  • Native American nation given money if they relocated
• How did the choctaw and chicksaw tribes react to the Indian Removal Act?

  • signed treaties and moved west

  • gave up over 11 million acres of land and 15,000 moved to Indian territory

  • thousands died due to harsh winters, lack of government funds and disease
• How did the seminole react to the Indian Removal Act?

  • small group signed treaty and moved west

  • government delecared war lasted 7 years (1835-42)

  • USA lost war but captured Osceola, seminole's chief and killed him

  • after chiefs death seminole forced to move west
• How did the creek react to the Indian Removal Act?

  • 1832 signed some land away

  • white settlers moved onto land not in treaty

  -> creek attacked them

  -> stole livestock

  • army removed 15,000 into Indian territory
• How did the cherokee react to the Indian Removal Act?

  • took state of Georgia to Supreme Court

  -> denied told to move

  • only 2,000 moved

  • army sent to move 16,000 who did not move

  • forced to walk 'trail of tears'
• What was leadership and organisation in the Lakota Sioux?


  • divided into nations then bands led by powerful warriors

  • normadic lifestyle

  -> constantly moving around to follow buffalo
• What was warfare like in the Lakota Sioux?

  • fought on horseback with bows and guns

  • learn to fight from childhood

  • warrior societies - very powerful in Sioux politics
• What were Lakota Sioux beliefs?

  • Great Spirit or animism - believed everything has a spirit

  • Black Hills of Dakota are sacred - many burried there

  • believed no one could own land and farming was disrespectful
• Why did people want to move west in the 1840s?


  • banking system collapsed in 1837

  -> people unemployed and broke

  • land in east was competitive

  • some believed they had to convert Natives to Christianity

  • safer map routes being made

  • 1848 california taken from mexico in war becoming US land

  • gold rushes - advertising campaigns and to collect gold
• What issues were faced when going west to Oregano or California?

  • had to buy right equipment and supplies but cannot take to much

  • wagon had to carry supplies for whole journey as well as supplies for when they arrived

  • took guns - many injured themselves

  -> more killed due guns than natives

  • wagons got stuck and injuries like broken bones or crushed limbs were common

  • many died of cholera and typoid

  • arriving late to rockies meant spending winter on plains or crossing mountains - either way many died
• Why did the Mormans move west?

  practised polygamy (having mutliple wives) and were anti-slavery so were chased out
• Where did the Mormans migrate to?

  Salt Lake City - capital of Utah
• What was Salt Lake City like?

  • in 1852 had population of 10,000

  • had irrigation ditches (helped water to land) meaning farming began early on

  • Morman church decided on how much land each family got

  • no one was allowed to own water

  • Morman temple was built at centre of city