Conflict With Native Americans

US HistoryJacobs

Essential Questions

What caused changes in the life of Plains Indians?

How did government policies and battlefield challenges affect the Indian wars?

What changes occurred in federal Indian policies by

Manifest Destiny

Early in the 1800’s many white American’s believed it was their right to expand the country to the Pacific Ocean

Manifest Destiny: nation’s undeniable fate to posses the entire continent› Coined by journalist John L. O’Sullivan› Meant that God gave Americans the right

to move west and “civilize” the rest of America

Manifest Destiny

Life of the Plains Indians

Before the Civil War Native Americans west of the Mississippi continued to inhabit their traditional lands.

Great Plains: vast grassland between Mississippi River and Rocky Mountains

Into 1800’s bison roamed the plains› used for meat and hides› Hides used for shelters, clothing etc› Every part of bison used

Early European traders began giving Natives guns in return for hides

The Great Plains

Plains Indians

Spanish traded horses to natives in Mexico and southern US Other tribes acquired horses through raids

and battle Most tribes lived mainly as:

› Farmers› Hunters› Gatherers› Nomads: people who travel from place to place,

usually following available food sources, instead of living in one location

Plains Indians

Nomads tended to follow bison and other big game herds

The rise of warrior societies led to a decline in village life, as nomadic Native Americans raided more settled groups.

White American’s and other immigrants began buying, taking, stealing native lands

Acquiring Indian Lands

1860-1900: presidents gained lands however they could› Treaties› Land purchases› Forced relocation to reservations› Wars

After gold was found in the Black Hills on “protected” territory the government looked the other way as prospectors took the land of the natives

Making Treaties

Government wanted to restrict nomadic movement through treaties

Limited movement to reservations› Federal lands set aside for Indians

Treaties produce misunderstanding and fraud

Government and natives often disobeyed treaties

Making Treaties

Many natives did not know they were restricted to reservations › Continued to follow herds

BIA-Bureau of Indian Affairs › Set up to manage delivery of critical

supplies to reservations› Corruption led to supplies being stolen or

lost

Making Treaties

Reservations had nominal protection from government from settlers

Settlers stole land, killed buffalo, diverted water, and attacked Indian settlements/camps

Natives would retaliate against settlers and settlers would then retaliate against natives

Treaties to Conflict

Government decided treaties were useless

1871 declared no more treaties and gov’t would not recognize any more chiefs

Army sent to protect settlers from Indians but not good resolution

White profiteers selling guns to natives for profit

Conflict

Acts of violence on both sides set off cycles of revenge

Some native groups allied to fight whites

Sometimes Army would pit certain tribes or groups against others

Most confrontations were small at this point but more would come……

Soldier’s Life on the Frontier

Soldier’s made $13/month Left over CW uniforms and rotten food Who: former Civil War soldiers, jobless

men, and former slaves 1/3 of men deserted from military

service

Cause of Clashes

Native view of land vs. settlers view of land

Settlers felt they could make native land more productive and thus should have the right to it

Major Conflicts

1. Sand Creek Massacre 18642. Battle of Little Bighorn 18763. Battle of Wounded Knee 1890

Sand Creek Massacre

Sand Creek Massacre 1864

Cheyenne occupied plains including part of Colorado Territory

Raided settlements east of Denver Cheyenne leader Black Kettle asked

the military/governor for peace agreement

Told to camp men, women and children at Sand Creek on the plains

Sand Creek Massacre 1864

Col. John Chivington saw chance to win victory against Cheyenne

Nov. 29, 1864 sent 700 men to Sand Creek

Black Kettle tried to surrender as Chivington and his men slaughtered his people

150-500 people were killed› mostly women and children

Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer

Charming, fearless with long blond curls Vain, didn’t like authority, foolhardy Received great distinction in Civil War Called “chief of thieves” by Sioux because he

was responsible for starting a gold rush in the Black Hills

Court-martialed twice for various offenses

Battle of Little Big Horn

Battle of Little Bighorn 1876part 1

Who: Sioux of the northern plains Where: Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana How it starts:1865 government wanted

to build Bozeman Trail through hunting grounds

Red Cloud leads two-year war to block the project

1866 Sioux kill 80 US soldiers

Battle of Little Bighorn 1876part 2

1868 Fort Laramie Treaty- › US abandoned Bozeman Trail › created Sioux reservation in the Dakotas

Protected land in the Black Hills held sacred by Sioux

Battle of Little Bighorn 1876part 3

1874-US sends Lt. Col. George Custer to investigate rumors of gold in Black Hills

Custer finds gold on the land that the government gives Natives

Sparks another gold rush to the Black Hills

Government offers to buy Black Hills from natives and Red Cloud

Battle of Little Bighornpart 4

Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse (2 Sioux chiefs who have not signed Laramie Treaty leave Sioux reservation

Conflict between Sioux and US resumes

Battle of Little Bighornpart 5

June 1876 Custer sent to round up Indians who left reservation

Leads his men towards Little Bighorn River

There he finds 2,000 Sioux warriors Sioux kill Custer and 200 other soldiers

in an hour Battle of Little Bighorn = Custer’s Last

Stand

Battle of Little BighornOutcome

Army sent more troops to force Sioux onto reservations

Crazy Horse was killed after surrendering in 1877

Sitting Bull and other Sioux escaped to Canada but after 4 years were forced to surrender and return to reservation

Battle of Wounded Knee 1890

Wovoka-Native American prophet› Promised return to traditional life if people

performed purification ceremonies› Ghost Dance- a ritual in which people

joined hands and whirled in a circle Caught on among Teton Sioux

Word spreads to US Army that natives are becoming restless because of Ghost Dance

Battle of Wounded Knee 1890

Army sends same Custer’s former cavalry unit to Pine Ridge Reservation

Hoped to calm the situation Tried to arrest Sitting Bull but officers

shot and killed him 120 men and 230 women/children

surrendered to Army at Wounded Knee Creek

Battle of Wounded Knee

Battle of Wounded Knee 1890

As natives were being disarmed during the surrender a shot was fired

Army opened fire 200 Sioux were killed Wounded Knee was the last major

conflict in Indian wars

New Policies Toward Native Americans

Even though many whites wanted all N.A.’s killed› Growing movement for peaceful resolution

Helen Hunt Jackson A Century of Dishonor› Protested government’s broken promises

toward natives

Changing N.A. culture

Many still believed natives needed to be “civilized" meaning:› Christian› English speaking› Must adopt white dress and customs› Support selves through farming and trade

only All natives were to give up former

religious beliefs

Changing N.A. Culture

1879 Capt. Richard Pratt opens U.S. Indian Training and Industrial School in Carlisle, Penn

Took children as young as 5 from homes› Coaxing, trickery or force

Assimilation=process by which one society (Indian’s) becomes a part of another more dominant society (white’s), by adopting it’s culture

Dawes Act 1887

Traditionally all land was thought of as shared land

Divided reservation land into individual plots

Each family headed by a man received a plot of ~160 acres› Land holders granted citizenship but had to

adhere to local, state, and federal laws Thought this would create ownership

and pride

Dawes Act

Resistance:› Having to farm offended some natives› Some natives were not interested in farming› Most reservation land was not suitable for

farming Outcome:

› Much of the land was sold or stolen by whites› 1887-1932: 138 million acres wound up in

white hands

Opening of Indian Territory

As whites began moving into Indian Territory the US agreed to buy native claims to the land

April 22, 1889› 10’s of thousands of homesteaders lined up at

borders to stake a claim› Ended up with 2 mil acres› these settlers were called boomers› Much of land was taken by sooners (people

who sneaked by gov’t officials to stake claims early)

Opening of Indian Territory

After 1890 remainder of Indian Territory opened to settlement

Outcome

50+ years 1000 battles 950 US Army deaths Deaths of Indian scouts and fighters for

Army and settlers Millions of Native American men,

women, and children died in battle or on reservations› But ‘conquered’ the Native Americans

Native AmericanNations/Homelands

Key Players Description/Outcome

Apache and Navajo Wars (1861-1886)

Apache in Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado territories; Navajo in New Mexico, Colorado territories

• Geronimo• Col.

Christopher “Kit” Carson

Carson kills or relocates many Apache to reservations in 1862. Clashes drag on until Geronmino’s surrender in 1886. Navajo told to surrender in 1863, but before they can, Carson attacks, killing hundreds, destroying homelands. Navajos moved to New Mexico reservation in 1865.

Sand Creek Massacre (1864)

Southern Cheyeene, Arapaho, in central plains

• Black Kettle• Col. John

Chivington

Cheyenne massacres prompt Chivington to kill up to 500 surrendered Cheyenne and Arapaho led by Black Kettle.

Red River War (1874-1875)

Comanche and southern branches of Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Arapaho, in southern plains

• Comanche war parties

• Gen. William T. Sherman

• Lt. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan

Southern plains Indians relocated to Oklahoma Indian Territory under 1867 Treaty of Medicin Lodge. After buffalo hunters destroy the Indians food supply, Comanche warriors race to buffalo grazing areas in Texas panhandle to kill hunters. Sherman and Sheridan defeat warriors and open panhandle to cattle ranching.

Wars/Battles

Wars/Battles Native AmericanNations/Homelands

Key Players Description/Outcome

Battle of Little Bighorn (1876)

Northern plains Sioux in Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana territorries

• Sitting Bull• Crazy Horse• Red Cloud• Lt. Col. George A. Custer

U.S. tries to buy gold-rich Black Hills from Sioux. Talks fail. Custer’s 7th Cavalry is sent to round up Sioux, but meets huge enemy force. Custer and some 200 men perish in “Custer’s Last Stand.”

Nez Perce War (1877)

Largest branch of Nez Perce, in Wallowa Valley of Idaho and Washington territories and Oregon

• Chief Joseph• Gen. Oliver O.

Howard• Col. Nelson

Miles

Howard orders Nez Perce to Idaho reservation; violence erupts. Joseph leads some 700 men, women, and children on 1,400-mile flight. His 200 warriors hold off Miles’s 2,000 soldiers until halted 40 miles short of Canada. Sent to Indian Territory, many die of disease. In 1885, survivors moved to reservation in Washington Territory.

Battle of Wounded Knee (1890)

Sioux at Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota

• Sitting Bull• U.S. 7th Cavalry

Ghost Dance raises fears of Sioux uprising; Sitting Bull killed in attempted arrest. His followers surrender and camp at Wounded Knee. Shots are fired; some 200 Sioux die.