1. West during the Gilded Age

2. The Clash of Cultures on the Plains
Indians numbered 360,000 in 1860
Whites made problems between the Indians worse, disease, killed buffalo, took their lands etc.
The reservation system started in 1851 with the Fort Laramie Treaty
It was extremely hard to govern Indians, most didn’t recognize any authority outside of their family unless they agreed with it
US fought Indians for decades after the Civil War
1/5th of cavalry in the West were Buffalo Soldiers

3. US Military/Indian Clashes
Sand Creek Massacre 1864 (Colorado)
Colonel Chivington
400+ Indians were murdered l

4. Custer’s Last Stand
1874 gold was discovered in Black Hills led to a gold rush and Sioux went to war to protect their home, were led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse
Custer and 7th Cavalry were sent in to stop the Sioux
264 men attacked 2500, Custer and his entire command were killed

5. Conflicts Cont
1877 Nez Perce under Chief Joseph surrendered and were exiled to Kansas not Idaho like they were promised
Apache led by Geronimo went South to Mexico and were eventually exiled to Florida
What allowed the taming of the Indians?
RR brought soldiers, cattle, and settlers
Disease, alcohol, buffalo exterminated

6. Dawes Act Dawes Severalty Act 1887 Dissolved tribes as legal entities
Wiped out tribal ownership of land, set up individual families with 160 acres, if Indians “behaved” they got title to land and American citizenship (1924)

7. Homestead Act 1862
Granted 160 acres for living on it for 5 years, making improvements to the land, and a 30$ fee
Showed the shift in policy from the government making money off the land to just wanting it settled
500,000 families used it
Full of fraud, large land corporations used fake names to accumulate thousands of acres

8. Farmers fight back against Trusts
Grange party was created
Used States to regulate trusts
Courts declared state regulation unconstitutional
Greenback Labor party created with goal to create inflation
Populists created to lead the farmers in federal government against the trusts