1. Unit 1 Chapter 5 Section 1: The American West
U.S. history 11

2. Main Idea
As Native Americans gradually lost their battle for their lands in the West, settlers brought in new enterprises-mining, ranching and farming.

3. Reading Focus
How did changing government policies lead to conflicts with Native Americans in the West?
How did mining and ranching influence the development of the West?
What opportunities and challenges did farmers face on the Great Plains?

4. Conflicts with Native Americans
The Ghost Dance: 1890s-an expression of deep grief about the loss of Native Americans’ way of life, due to clashes with white settlers and the U.S. government
Reservations: mid 1900s U.S. Government changed Indian policy, began moving them to reservations, upsetting Plains Indians

5. The Indian Wars
Sand Creek Massacre (1864): Army troops killed 150 Cheyenne, burned the camp; congress condemned but did not punish commander
Battle of Little Bighorn (1876): led by Sitting Bull, thousands of Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho refused to leave Sioux territory, George Armstrong Custer and cavalry was slaughtered near Little Bighorn River
Wounded Knee Massacre (1890): Army captured some of Sitting Bull’s followers, demanded rifles, 300 Sioux men, women, children dead; broke Native American resistance on the Plains

6. Resistance Ends in the West
Chief Joseph: 1877-leader of Nez Perce killed white settlers on way to reservation, fled toward Canada, finally surrendered
Geronimo: Apache leader, fled the reservation, led raids on Arizona/Mexico border for years, captured in Sept. 1886

7. Reservation Life
Reservation goal: the policy of Americanization…officials wanted Indians to abandon traditional culture and identity and live like white Americans
The Bureau of Indian Affairs: managed reservations, set up schools where children had to speak English and could not wear traditional clothing
Dawes Act (1887): broke up some reservations, government sold best land, gave rest to Indians; even with good land, they had no supplies to farm

8. Mining/Ranching
Comstock Lode: $500 million in silver from Nevada Territory from
Cattle ranching was big in decades after the Civil War
Chisholm Trail: most important major cattle trail from San Antonio to Kansas

9. Farmers on the Great Plains
Homestead Act: Congressional act in 1862 allowing head of household over 21 to claim 160 acres of land; 2 million people did this
Pacific Railway Act: government gave millions of acres of land to railroad companies to build railroads/telegraphs
Morrill Act: gave states land to build colleges

10. Causes/Effects of Western Migration
Americans continue moving west in large numbers.
Effects
Traditional Native American ways of life are destroyed.
Mining communities are established.
Ranches are established, and the cattle industry booms.
Farmers settle on the Plains.