Transcript The Westward Movement

As westward expansion occurred, the
lives of American Indians changed.
How???
Indian Barrier to the West
• At the end of the
Civil War there
were virtually no
white people west
of the Missouri
River and east of
the Rocky
Mountains.
Indian Barrier to the West
• This vast area was
the habitat of tens of
thousands of Native
American Indians
and millions of
buffalo.
Battle of Little Bighorn
• 1876: Lt. Col. George Custer led an
attack against the Sioux Indians. As
many as 2,000 Sioux warriors led by
Sitting Bull & Crazy Horse defeated
Custer and his men.
George Custer
Sitting Bull
Crazy Horse
Battle of Little Bighorn
Reservations
• In 1867 in order to end fighting between
Indians and “white settlers”, the US
Government ordered a forced relocation of
American Indians from tribal lands to
reservations.
Indian Reservations in 1890
Indian Reservations in 2010
Reservations
Chief Joseph & his Nez Perce tribe ran 1500 miles to
Canada but they were caught. The U.S. Army sent them
to a reservation in Idaho
I will fight no
more forever!!!
Battle of Wounded Knee
The last armed conflict (battle) between
the US Army & the Indians. More than
150 men, women and children died.
• The population of the American Indian was
greatly reduced due to warfare.
Geronimo
Geronimo led a small
group of Apache
Indians who tried to
avoid moving onto a
reservation. He ran
from the U.S. Army
for over 5 years.
Geronimo’s surrender
marks the end of the
Indian Wars.
More & more people began
moving west.
What were the effects of this
on American Indians?
Broken Treaties
The US Government
made treaties with
American Indians so
Indians would have
land.
But the U.S. broke
these treaties and
took the land.
American Indians
were forced to live on
Reservations.
Reservations
• 1867: In order to end fighting between
Indians & “white settlers,” the U.S.
Government ordered American Indians
from tribal lands to reservations.
Disease
“white settlers” brought • The population of the
many new diseases
American Indian was
that the American
greatly reduced due
Indians had never
to warfare &
experienced. The
disease.
Indians’ immune
systems could not fight
off the deadly diseases.
Indian Lifestyle
The US government
Lifestyle Changes
made every attempt
– Poverty (They are the
poorest race in
to assimilate
America even today)
American Indians into
– Poor Education
their society.
– Depression &
Alcoholism
– Tribal religions have
suffered.
– Tribal resources were
lost. (buffalo)
– Tribal lands were lost
By 1890 the entire area had been carved into states, Native
Americans had been forced onto reservations, and only
one thousand buffalo remained.
How the West was finally won!
• Public Opinion - Public opinion is the overall
feeling of the population.
• The “Great American Desert” became known as the
“Breadbasket of America.”
How the West was finally won!
• Because of new technology, the Great
Plains was no longer a “Treeless
Wasteland” but a vast area to be settled.
How the West was finally won!
• Census Bureau- Census Bureau keeps
records of population. In 1890, the
Census Bureau declared that the frontier
was closed.
• This means that the region was
considered settled.
How the West was finally won!
• Mail Order Catalog
• Westerners could order almost anything
from the catalog & have it shipped to a
railroad town.
Examples
1. Sears Roebuck
2. Montgomery Wards
Western Store
How did the Great American Desert
become The Bread Basket of America?
1. How did people’s perceptions and use of
the Great Plains change after the Civil
War?
2. Why did Westward expansion occur?
3. How did people adapt to life in this
challenging environment?
4. How did the lives of American Indians
change with westward expansion?