The American West

Westward Expansion and Conflict

Government Policy on Natives

Before 1850 1850 and After

O Followed President Jackson idea of forcibly removing natives from their land in East and relocate them in the West

O Government seizure of native lands and move them to reservations

Goal of 1850s Policy

Break up the power of Plains Indians and

open up their land for settlement for white settlers from the East

Indian WarsO Sand Creek Massacre (1864)

O Natives raiding farms of settlers and U.S. Army persuaded them to return to Colorado. Natives agree peacefully, but U.S. Army attacks and kills 150 without anyone being punished

O Battle of Little Bighorn (1876)O Again natives attacking settlers and government

ordered them to leave, but instead Sitting Bull led the natives to resist and were attacked in camp by George Custer where the natives slaughtered the much small force – GREATEST SIOUX/NATIVE VICTORY

O Wounded Knee Massacre (1890)O Caputred Sioux Indians were forced to give up guns on

capture (including Sitting Bull) and fighting broke out. U.S. Army had machine guns which they used to slaughter nearly 300 men, women, and children

Battles of the West

End of FightingO Chief Joseph – Leader of Nez

Perce’ tribes who had his people lay down arms to survive.

O Geronimo – Apache leader who fled reservation and raided settler lands in Arizona until he was captured in 1886.

The Reservation LifeO Purpose:

O Wanted to Americanize the Natives forcing them to give up traditional ways and live like the whites

O Bureau of Indian Affairs:O Federal agency set up to manage the

reservations’ and set up schools far from home to teach them English and to dress like whites

O Dawes Act 1887:O Broke up reservations allowing individuals to

own land privately, but best land was sold to white settlers and bad land was sold to Natives

Review Questions1. Who was Geronimo and Chief Joseph? What role

did they play in the end of the wars in the west?2. What was the Dawes’ Act? Do you think it was

fair? Why or why not?3. What happened at the Battle of Little Bighorn

and the Battle of Wounded Knee?4. How did American Policy change toward the

natives in the 1850s?5. What was the purpose of reservation life being

established?6. What role did the Bureau of Indian Affairs play?

Do you think that they provided a good service to natives or do you think they damaged them even more? Why?