Cultures in Conflict Essential Questions: What were the effects of westward expansion on American Indians? Describe the significance of Quanah Parker. Main Idea: The Civil War was over, but conflict between Texans and American Indians on the western frontier escalated. Quanah Parker

American Indians Control the West By 1866 most American Indians had been removed from eastern TX. However, many tribes still roamed west TX. Federal soldiers left western TX to fight in the Civil War, leaving the western regions vulnerable to attack. Settlers in West Texas were defenseless, and some moved east to safer areas.

Federal Soldiers Stationed West To prevent further attacks, federal soldiers were stationed in West TX. Forts were built too far apart, and there were not enough soldiers to prevent Indian attacks. American Indians had advantages because they knew the territory.

The Search for Peace In 1867 the Treaty of Medicine Lodge Creek was signed. Native Americans agreed to live on reservations in Indian Territory (Oklahoma). Many federal agents assigned by President Ulysses S. Grant were Quakers, who did not believe in violence. Quaker Lawrie Tatum, the lead agent in Indian Territory, worked to educate the Plains people in agriculture so they could live in the Anglo world. Lawrie Tatum

The Peace Policy Fails Peace didn’t come in to western Texas because many Native American leaders did not sign the Treaty at Medicine Lodge Creek. About ½ of the Comanches and many Kiowas refused to move to reservations.

Satanta, Kiowa Chief Insisted that West Texas belonged to the Comanches and Kiowas Known as the “Orator of the Plains” Believed that without the buffalo, they could not survive on reservations

Quanah Parker, Last Comanche Chief Son of Comanche chief Peta Nocona and Anglo woman Cynthia Ann Parker Never lost a battle to the white man and never captured by the Army Spent 10 years trying to stop spread of Anglo settlements Surrendered to U.S. and willingly & lead his tribe into white man’s culture since there was no alternative

American Indian Raids Continue General William T. Sherman went to West Texas to investigate. Found that Indian raids continued to harm settlers; and had Satanta, Big Tree, and Satank arrested after the Warren Wagon Train Raid at Salt Creek. Satanta was sent to the state prison at Huntsville. He found prison life intolerable and is believed to have killed himself. The peace policy was then abandoned, and the army began a campaign to destroy Indian camps and force them onto reservations.

American Indians Depend on the Buffalo Indians feared the decreasing numbers of buffalo would end their way of life. They used every part of the buffalo, including skins, horns, paunches, and sinews.

Buffalo Herds Are Slaughtered The slaughter began in the 1870s, and by 1873 the herds north of Texas were gone. Hunters then began moving onto the Texas plains.

Buffalo Becomes Political Issue A law was proposed in the Texas legislature to protect the buffalo, but General Philip Sheridan, commander of the U.S. military of the Southwest, helped to defeat the bill. Without the buffalo for food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities, the American Indians of the Plains could not survive, so they struck back to save their culture.

The Attack on Adobe Walls In June 1874, Quanah Parker led several hundred warriors from five American Indian nations in an attack on a buffalo hunters’ camp at Adobe Walls. Joined by many American Indians on reservations, the Plains people spread across 5 states and territories, killing 190 Anglo Americans in 2 months.

The Red River Campaign President Ulysses S. Grant put army in charge of American Indian affairs in West TX. About 4,000 Comanches, Kiowas, and Cheyenne spread their camps into canyons and valleys in the TX Panhandle. The first battle of the Red River Campaign was fought in late August 1874. The army did not halt the search for American Indian camps until the following Spring.

The Battle of Palo Duro Canyon September 28, 1874: The most decisive battle of the Red River Campaign. By early November most of the American Indian bands had given up and were headed toward reservations.

Kickapoo and Apache Continue Struggle After the Red River campaign, Native Americans rarely were seen on the prairies of Central and West Texas. Kickapoo and Apache warriors, however, continued their struggle for a few more years in the border country along the Rio Grande. Kickapoo Chief

Buffalo Soldiers End the Wars African American soldiers were famous throughout TX for their experience and skill in warfare against American Indians. Indians called them “Buffalo Soldiers,” a title of great respect 19 receive Congressional Medal of Honor Often disrespected by other soldiers and harassed and/or abused by Anglo Americans Buffalo Soldiers End the Wars