1. Conflict on the Great Plains
Chapter 12 Section 1
Conflict on the Great Plains

2. Conflict on the Great Plains
Introduction
A ’s – Wagon trains started heading to
Pacific coast
1. The Great Plains were called the “Great American Desert”
B. Late 1800’s – Americans tried to settle area
1. Railroads
2. Towns
3. Farms
4. Ranches

3. Conflict on the Great Plains
Disruption on the Plains
A. Settlers meant destruction of
Indian life
1. Disease
2. Burned timber
3. Livestock trampled grass
4. Shot antelope
5. Disrupted migration patterns of
buffalo

4. Conflict on the Great Plains
Railroad crews began laying tracks across
plains
1. Lincoln had approved transcontinental
railroad in 1862
a. Completed 1869
2. Buffalo were hunted to feed railroad crews
which reduced number of buffalo
a. Hired hunters to kill buffalo
I. “Buffalo” Bill Cody

5. Transcontinental Railroad

6. Conflict on the Great Plains
Years of Struggle
A. Before civil War, Plains reserved for
Indians
B. Settlers now wanted to move west
C. Government now set aside land as
reservations
1. Said Indians would always have
this land

7. Conflict on the Great Plains
Broken Promises
1. More settlers began to move onto
Indian lands
2. Some Native Americans resisted
3. Some signed treaties that sold land
a. Did not always understand
treaties

8. Conflict on the Great Plains
Broken Promises
– Cheyenne and Arapaho fought
gold miners
a. Chief Black Kettle asked for peace
b. Moved 700 followers to Sand Creek, Co
c. Nov. 29, 1864, - Col. John Chivington
led attack
d. Almost all Natives killed
e. Known as Sand Creek Massacre

9. Conflict on the Great Plains
Broken Promises
5. Wave of protests in U.S.
a. Government still insisted natives
give up land
– Most major tribes signed treaty
agreeing to move to reservations

10. Conflict on the Great Plains
The Black Hills
1. Lakota and Dakota Sioux resisted
building of trail through Black Hills
in Dakota territory
2. Fought U.S. for 2 years
3. Signed treaty in 1868
a. U.S. would abandon all forts
b. Natives would move onto
reservations

11. Conflict on the Great Plains
The Black Hills
– Col. George Custer reported
gold in Black Hills
5. Gold prospectors rushed there in
violation of treaty

12. Conflict on the Great Plains
Fight Back
A. Fighting between government and
Plains Indians continued
B. Showdown in Dakota
1. U.S. wanted to buy Black Hills from
Sioux
2. Crazy Horse refused
3. Grant warned Natives
4. Tribes fought back
5. General George Crook sent to attack

13. Conflict on the Great Plains
Fight Back
C. Little Bighorn
– Sioux and Cheyenne attacked
2. Six hour fight led by Sioux Chief Crazy
Horse
3. Crook’s men forced to retreat
4. Crazy Horse’s men camped at Cheyenne
Chief Sitting Bull’s camp
5. Little Bighorn River in Montana
a. Camp grew to 5,000 warriors
6. General George Custer led 225 troops
toward the camp

14. Conflict on the Great Plains
Little Bighorn
7. Custer ignored scout’s warnings
8. Sioux and Cheyenne killed Custer
and all his men except one scout
9. Crazy Horse later captured and killed
10. Sitting Bull and his people put on
reservation

15. Conflict on the Great Plains
Conflicts in the Far West
– U.S. Government wants to
open Walla Walla valley in Oregon
2. Nez Perce Indians had 30 days to
move to reservation

16. Conflict on the Great Plains
Conflicts in the Far West
3. After battle, Chief Joseph led 800
people toward Canada
a. Captured less than 40 miles from
border
b. Sent to Oklahoma Territory
c. Many died from heat and malaria
d. Chief Joseph and many followers moved
to reservation in Idaho

17. Conflict on the Great Plains
Buffalo Soldiers
A. By 1881 most Natives lived on
reservations
B. Guarded by black army units
C. Called buffalo soldiers by Natives

18. Conflict on the Great Plains
Wounded Knee
A. Late 1880’s, Wovoka taught followers
ritual dance said would restore lands
1. Ghost Dance
B. Religious movement formed around
dance
C. Federal officials thought it was a war dance
1. Attempted to arrest Sitting Bull
2. Sitting Bull killed

19. Conflict on the Great Plains
Wounded Knee
D. Many Sioux fled for Badlands of
South Dakota
1. U.S. soldiers caught up with them
2. Ordered them to camp along Wounded
Knee
3. Confiscated guns
4. Gun went off, set off a firefight
men, 230 women and children dead

20. Conflict on the Great Plains
VII Call for Reform
B. Most groups wanted to help Natives
assimilate
1. Native children sent to boarding
schools
2. Needed to be “civilized”

21. Conflict on the Great Plains
Call for Reform
C – Dawes Act
1. Encouraged Natives to live white settlers
2. Farm separate plots of land
3. Many ended up selling land
to whites
a – 1934, 138 million acres to
55 million
D – 200,000 Native Americans in U.S.