1. CHANGES ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER
Ms. Berndt (Cavell)

2. Section 1: Cultures Clash On The Prairie
Main Idea: The cattle industry boomed in the late 1800’s, as the culture of the Plains Indians declined.
Why it Matters Now: Today, ranchers and Plains Indians work to preserve their cultural traditions.
Key Terms:
Great Plains
Treaty of Fort Laramie
Assimilation
Dawes Act
Battle of Wounded Knee
Key Terms / Names:
Sitting Bull
George A. Custer

3. Section 1: Objectives By the end of this lesson I will be able to:
1. Contrast the cultures of Native Americans and white settlers and explain why white settlers moved west.
2. Identify restrictions imposed by the government on Native Americans and describe the consequences.
3. Identify the government’s policy of assimilation as well as continuing conflicts between Native Americans and settlers.

5. SECTION 1: CULTURES CLASH ON THE PRAIRIE
The Indians had little contact with the “white man”
Great Plains – the grassland extending through the west-central portion of the US.
The Great Plains were hunting grounds for the Indians
THE GREAT PLAINS

7. BUFFALO WERE USED FOR FOOD, SHELTER AND CLOTHING
THE BUFFALO
The Spanish had brought buffalo to America
The Indians hunted the buffalo
Uses:
1. Food
2. Clothing
3. Bones for tools and weapons
BUFFALO WERE USED FOR FOOD, SHELTER AND CLOTHING

9. FAMILY LIFE ON THE PLAINS
Men were hunters, while women helped butcher the game and prepare it
This is called a hunter-gatherer community.
Tribes were very spiritual and no one “owned” the land….Until the “white man” came

10. SETTLERS PUSH WESTWARD
The white settlers began to push Westward in search of land to start a living
Since no one “owned” the land – they took it!
Soon, gold was discovered in Colorado
This lead hundreds of thousands of settlers west into the Great Plains
Most of these settlers lived in filthy conditions with the hopes of striking it rich.

11. THE GOVERNMENT RESTRICTS NATIVES
The U.S. government backed the settlers in disputes with the Indians
Railroad companies began to lay track right through Indian lands
Soon, the government would allow any white settler 160 acres of land to start a living.
The Indians will soon begin to fight back
RAILROADS GREATLY IMPACTED NATIVE LIFE

12. Small Group Discussion:
1. How would you feel as a Native American if a white settler “claimed” your land?
2. Do you think the settlers had a right to take the land since no one legally owned it?
3. If you were the President at this time, would you have let the settlers claim the land from the Indians?
4. If you were a Native American Indian, would you have fought back against the settlers?
5. Do you think there might have been a way in which both the Native Americans and the settlers could have been happy instead of what happened?

13. Lesson One: Objectives (cont.)
By the end of this lesson, I will be able to:
1. Identify restrictions imposed by the government on Native Americans and describe the consequences.
2. Identify the government’s policy of assimilation as well as continuing conflicts between Native Americans and settlers.

14. NATIVES AND SETTLERS CLASH
Initially, the government set aside land for the Indians
Then they went back on their decision and had their military enforce the law
Massacre at Sand Creek; US military attack killing 150 native women and children
Sand Creek was the first major attack on the Indians

15. Death On The Bozeman Trail:
Bozeman Trail – traveling trail that ran directly through Indian hunting grounds.
Whites and Indians fought over this land.
The Treaty of Fort Laramie closed the trail and moved the Indians to a reservation.
Sitting Bull - the leader of the Sioux Indians, didn’t sign the treaty.

17. OTHER CONFLICTS AND BATTLES
Custer’s Last Stand occurred in early 1876 when Colonel George A. Custer - leader of the 7th Calvary) reached Little Big Horn
Led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, the natives crushed Custer’s troops
They won because they knew the “lay of the land”
ONE OF THE FEW NATIVE VICTORIES WAS LITTLE BIG HORN

18. The Battle of Little Big Horn

21. FAMOUS DEPICTION OF NATIVE STRUGGLE
THE DAWES ACT
White settlers wanted the Indians to be more like them
Assimilation – A plan under which Native Americans would give up their beliefs and way of life and become a part of the white culture.
The Dawes Act called for the break up of reservations and the introduction of natives into American life
Most Indian land would soon become white land
FAMOUS DEPICTION OF NATIVE STRUGGLE

22. NATIVE LANDS BY 1894

23. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE BUFFALO
Whites began to hunt buffalo for fur and sport (sometimes from trains) – they would only take the fur
1800: 65 million buffalo roamed the plains
1890: less than 1000 remained
Indians saw this as a insult and a waste of resources

25. HUNDREDS OF CORPSES WERE LEFT TO FREEZE ON THE GROUND
BATTLE OF WOUNDED KNEE
The Seventh Cavalry (Custer’s old regiment) rounded up 350 Sioux and took them to Wounded Knee, S.D.
A shot was fired – within minutes the Seventh Cavalry slaughtered 300 unarmed Natives
This became known as the Battle of Wounded Knee.
HUNDREDS OF CORPSES WERE LEFT TO FREEZE ON THE GROUND

27. Did We Meet Our Objectives?
Can You:
1. Contrast the cultures of Native Americans and white settlers and explain why white settlers moved west.
2. Identify restrictions imposed by the government on Native Americans and describe the consequences.
3. Identify the government’s policy of assimilation as well as continuing conflicts between Native Americans and settlers.

28. Section 2: Objectives By the end of this lesson, I will be able to:
1. Explain the rapid settlement of the Great Plains due to homesteading.
2. Describe how early settlers survived on the plains and transformed them into profitable farm land.

29. Section 2: Settling On The Great Plains
Main Idea: Settlers on the Great Plains transformed the land despite great hardships.
Why it Matters Now: The Great Plains region remains the breadbasket of the United States.
Key Terms:
Homestead Act
Key Terms:
Transcontinental Railroad
Bonanza Farm

30. SECTION 2: SETTLING ON THE GREAT PLAINS
The West was expanding rapidly – the transcontinental railroad (connected East and West of the USA) helped this
1862 – Congress passed Homestead Act which allowed 160 free acres to any “head of household”

31. The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1868
The transcontinental railroad was completed in The Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads met in Promontory Point, Utah and laid a Golden Spike

32. SETTLERS ENCOUNTER HARDSHIPS
The frontier settlers faced extreme hardships – droughts, floods, fires, blizzards, locust plagues, and bandits
Even so, 50 years later 30% of Americans lived west of the Mississippi River. – only 1% in 19=850.
Dugout and Soddies
Trees very scarce
Settlers dug their own homes  Soddies - homes built out of sod
Homes in the sides of ravines or hillsides

33. INCREASED TECHNOLOGY HELPS FARMERS
1837 – John Deere invented a steel plow that could slice through heavy soil
1847 – Cyrus McCormick mass-produced a reaping machine
Other inventions included a grain drill to plant seed, barbed wire, and corn binder
JOHN DEERE’S STEEL PLOW HAD TO BE PULLED BY A HORSE OR MULE

34. ECONOMIC DISTRESS HITS FARMERS
Between 1867 and 1887 the price of a bushel of wheat fell from $2.00 to 68 cents
WHY?
Railroad companies charged the farmers high prices to ship grain to buyers
In response, a new type of farm emerged called a Bonanza farm.
BONANZA Farm – huge single-crop farms of 15,000 – 50,000 acres.

35. Did We Meet Our Objectives?
Can You:
1. Explain the rapid settlement of the Great Plains due to homesteading.
2. Describe how early settlers survived on the plains and transformed them into profitable farm land.

36. Section 3: Objectives By the end of this lesson, I will be able to:
1. Identify the problems farmers faced and their cooperative efforts to solve them.
2. Explain the rise and fall of the Populist Party.

37. Section 3: Farmers And The Populist Movement
Main Idea: Farmers united to address their economic problems, giving rise to the Populist movement.
Why it Matters Now: Many of the Populist reform issues, such as income tax and legally protected rights of workers, are now taken for granted.
Key Terms:
Grange
Farmers’ Alliances
Populism
Bimetallism
Gold Standard
Key Names:
Oliver Hudson Kelley
William McKinley
William Jennings Bryan

38. Lesson Two Review:
1862 – Congress passed Homestead Act which allowed 160 free acres to any “head of household”
Many flocked to the “open range” to start their lives – huge farms
Since so many were producing excess crops, prices fell drastically
Railroads also started to charge extremely high prices for crop transportation
Farmers couldn’t keep up and fell into great debt
In addition, bad weather spells were wreaking havoc on the crops
Who will help the farmers? Let’s find out!

39. FARMERS ORGANIZE FOR CHANGE
The Grange - was created to fight the railroad abuses
Soon the Grange and other Farmer Alliances – (Those who supported the farmers) numbered over 4 million members
Exoduster – African Americans who migrated to the Great Plains (former slaves)

40. Why were the farmers fighting the Railroads?
They weren’t traveling to their towns
The seats were uncomfortable
They were charging high prices to use their services.
None of the above 30

41. THIS POLITICAL CARTOON SHOWS A POPULIST CLUBBING A RAILROAD CAR
POPULIST PARTY IS BORN
How do you get something changed? – GET POLITICAL!!!
Populism – the movement of the people
The Populist or People’s Party was formed
THIS POLITICAL CARTOON SHOWS A POPULIST CLUBBING A RAILROAD CAR
Vanderbilt

43. What was the main goal of the populist party?
To protect the people (farmers) from unjust business practices
To enhance their own political power
To try to run the Railroad companies out of business
To build cities 30

44. What did the Populists want?????
POPULIST REFORMS
What did the Populists want?????
1. A rise in crop prices
2. Lower taxes
3. Loans for farmers
4. 8-hr. workday
Political Reforms
1. Direct election of senators
2. Single terms for presidents

45. Which reform was NOT a part of the populist party’s movement?
8 hour workday
Direct election of senators
Lower taxes
More land
Increase of money supply 30

47. Silverites vs. Gold Bugs
The central issue of the 1896 Presidential campaign – how is our money backed?
Bimetallism - those who favored using both gold and silver
Gold Standard – American dollar would be backed just by gold
Morrill Act - granted federally owned land to be developed for high education purposes
Why did it matter?
People regarded paper money as worthless unless it could be exchanged for gold or silver.

48. BRYAN AND THE “CROSS OF GOLD”
Republicans favored the Gold standard and nominated William McKinley
Democrats favored Bimetallism and nominated William Jennings Bryan
Despite Bryan’s stirring words, “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold,” McKinley won the 1896 election
BRYAN’S CROSS OF GOLD SPEECH

51. Populism left two important legacies:
THE END OF POPULISM!
With McKinley’s election victory, Populism collapsed, burying the hopes of the farmer
Populism left two important legacies:
1) A message
downtrodden can organize and be heard and
2) Agenda of reforms
many enacted in the 20th century
The People’s Party Ended But Left An Important Legacy Leading to Progressivism

52. Trail of Broken Treaties - cross-country protest in 1972.
It was designed to bring attention to American Indian issues, such as treaty rights, living standards, and inadequate housing
Trail of Tears - name given to the relocation and forced march/movement of Native Americans from southeastern parts of the United States following the Indian Removal Act of 1830
Occupy Alcatraz – (Following the Treaty of Fort Laramie)
Native Americans began to occupy the island of Alcatraz located off the shores of California by the Indians of All Tribes.
The occupation last for a year and seven months but was forcibly ended by the U.S. government.
They felt this was their right to occupy Alcatraz because the treaty stated all unused federal property be returned to the Native Americans and Alcatraz had been shut down.

53. Did We Meet Our Objectives?
Can You?
1. Identify the problems farmers faced and their cooperative efforts to solve them.
What was the importance of the Populist Party?