History of the West

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History of the WestUnit 3Americans in the Great PlainsLouisiana PurchaseU.S. fearful of French control of New OrleansJefferson used diplomacy with threat of warSetup Lewis and Clark to determine military installments in Louisiana AreaNapoleon ends up selling Louisiana for $15 Million (1803)Needed cash for war against BritainCould not defend it well without Santo-Dominque or FloridaLewis and Clark Expedition

PurposeActually illegalFlora and FaunaReconnaissance of Spanish troops/fortsGauging the potential for the fur tradeKing-MakingStop intertribal warfareOverall potential of the areaDuring Lewis and Clark TripWord got out about the abundance of fur bearing animalsPrior to Lewis and Clarks returnIndividuals sought to capitalize on the fur trade potentialManuel LisaA Spaniard with experience in the fur tradeSet out in 1808 and built Fort Manuel in present-day MontanaFirst fort by U.S. companyLittle success due to opposition of the BlackfeetToo loyal to Canadian companiesFort Manuel

Arikara War1823 the Arikara killed about a dozen trappers along the Missouri RiverPart of the blockade to prevent the Dakota from getting from armsA month later the U.S. army organized individuals under Colonel Henry Leavenworth to retaliate230 soldiers, 750 Dakotas, and 50 trappersThey defeated the Arikara1830s smallpox almost wiped the Arikara completely outPermanent Indian FrontierIn 1824 Secretary of War John C. Calhoun creates this new ideaSelected transitional lands in order to help displaced eastern IndiansWanted them to continue farmingReduce the financial burden for the federal governmentPermanent Indian Reservation

Colonel Henry DodgeExpeditions in 1832 and 1833 Failed to contact and pacify the southern plains Indians after William Bucknell laid out the Santa Fe Trail in early 1820sTried to reduce Indian raids against trading traffic along the routeDodges third attempt in 1834 also failed to accomplish muchThirty Cherokee, Delaware, Osage, and Seneca volunteers served as guides and hunters

Colonel Henry Dodge (Cont)All departed Fort Gibson and made contact with the Comanche and Wichita but accomplish very littleA fever broke out among Dodges menMany died and the Indians were not impressedThe Santa Fe Trail remained a dangerous trading through the rest of its historyBoone FamilyNathaniel Boone was born in Kentucky in 1781Youngest son of legendary frontiersman Daniel BooneMuch of his early career centered around being a surveyor, trapper, hunter and soldierIn 1805 opened a salt-making business in BoonvilleUsed road for traveling and supplies called the Boones Lick RoadA Major thoroughfare in early MissouriLater sold that business for a career in surveying and helped set up many of Missouris first RoadsPart of first Constitutional Convention in Missouri in 1820Boone Family (Cont)Most famous as a captain in the War of 1812 for the Missouri Rangers1833 made captain of the Dragoons, a military regiment from OklahomaPlayed role in surveying land for Creek and Cherokee Indians in OklahomaAlso looked for salt deposits to exploit throughout the western territoriesBy 1834, his sons had begun acquiring land in current location of Ash Grove, MissouriNathaniel and his wife Olive moved from their Mansion in Defiance Missouri to new cabin near present-day Ash Grove in 1837Boone Family (Cont)House built originally as a double pen log cabinBuilt primarily using Ash and Walnut logsMoved there in order to be closer to the frontier he had so frequently surveyedLater died in 1856 in the same homeWould be gone for months on hunting, fighting, or business tripsOlive left to care for farm and family

Santa Fe TrailTrail existed from 1821-1880Eventually replaced by the railroad systemPart of the Big Three trails that were important to westward travelOregon and Chisholm the other twoCarried goods and promoted trade between the Spanish provincesEventually with the independent Mexican government and U.S. territoriesPre- 1821 explorers and mountain men traded with the Spanish provincial capital illegallyFollowed along Indian and game trails

Santa Fe Trail (Cont)In 1821 Mexico gained independence from the SpanishThere the trade barriers were removedWilliam Becknell and four other men set out from Franklin Missouri to Santa Fe to tradeTrip roughly 1,203 miles and took roughly 8 weeksIts first 20 years the trail averaged 80 wagons and 150 people per yearCarried a great deal of U.S. troops during the Mexican-American war in 1846Once under U.S. control, military forts were setup along its route to protect travelers and control Indian conflictsThe Civil War also increased the number of military operations along the trailSanta Fe Trail (Cont)By late 1860s, more than 5,000 wagons traveled the trail each yearMost of the goods traded included burros, furs, gold, horses and silverTwo parts to the trailNorthern trail slower but less dangerousTakes them to Bents FortSouthern trail much quicker but much more dangerousDeal with water scarce and more hostile IndiansTried to extend the Old Spanish Trail to Los Angeles but was defeated due to the Railroad in 1880

Santa Fe Trail

Santa Fe (Cont)

Circle the WagonsUsed to defend against Indian raidingIndians would use bow and arrows and the wagons provided protectionRendezvous SystemIndian hostility made it too dangerous to trap in the Northern Rockies using the outpost systemPrimarily because of the BlackfeetIn 1823 William Ashley moved operations southward and placed an ad in St. Louis newspaperOffered good money for trappingCalled Rocky Mountain Fur Co.Rendezvous System (Cont)Trappers moved up river or streamLeave traps for animals and reverse back down the riverCollecting traps as they returnOften these Mountain Men live with IndiansSometimes married women and picked up a great deal of Indian lifestyleEach summer Ashley came to a mountain valley with goods and moneyAll Mountain men involved and had a big partyCalled a RendezvousRendezvous System

Oregon TrailBest land route for travel to the Western United StatesBetween 1841-1866 nearly 250,000 to 650,000 people made the tripThe longest of the overland routes used in the westward expansion of the United StatesIndividuals began taking the trail in 1841First large group included 900 immigrants in 1843Most people began their journey in Independence, Missouri near the Missouri RiverThe journey was a severe test of strength and endurance

Oregon Trail (Cont)DistanceTrip took nearly six months and followed a winding 2,000 mile trailOften crossed flooded riversAttacked by IndiansNearly 10,000 overlanders died between 1835-1855Only 4% were due to Indian attacksMost deaths were due to Cholera, Small pox and Firearm accidentsDuring the summer months the trail was crowded with wagon trains, army units, missionaries, hunting parties, traders and sightseeing toursOregon Trail (Cont)From St. Louis, emigrants would set out towards a town near Kansas City in Mid-MarchPivotal to maintain enough resources to survive the tripIncluded food, clothing and even more importantly wagon partsCould Cost up to $250-500 ($5,000-10,000 Todays Cost)Sometimes carried to much food and clothing which bogged down the wagonDue to the overcrowded wagon most had to walkMany were barefootedIf something from the wagon broke, very difficult to fix and move forwardMost often used Mule or oxen and rarely horsesOregon Trail

Ferry on the TrailMany bridges were built to help overlanders to cross dangerous riversFee for crossing over the bridgeBridge Fees could net the operator nearly $65,000/ years in present-day costsIndian tribes also were known for issuing fees to cross their landCreated much animosity among the travelersMormon Pioneer TrailEstablished the territory of Utah in 1846Between 1846-1869 nearly 70,000 Mormons traveled westward to Salt Lake City, UtahPurpose was to maintain religious and cultural identityStarted in Nauvoo, IllinoisHad already been kicked out of Missouri years priorLed by leader Brigham YoungSucceeded founder Joseph Smith who had recently died in IllinoisPredominantly followed their own trail, and only briefly used the Oregon TrailLeft in Companies similar to military marches

Trail Overview

ConcentrationDue to greater number of Americans immigrating across the Great Plains conflict with Indians increasedIn response the Federal Government sought to protect the Indians through ConcentrationTreaty making on the High PlainsTreaties established to police the high plains and stop Indian attacks on the OverlandersFirst Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851 for Northern Plains) Treaty of Fort Atkinson (1853 for Southern Plains)Americans demanded protection from the IndiansMost bands refused to participate in the treatiesWhile claiming authority, minority bands signed the treatiesTreaty making on the High Plains (Cont)ProvisionsIndians were to stay within lands defined by specific boundariesDue to the difficult of military to identify those Indians involved in raiding of overlandersThe government acknowledged Indians rights to the designated landsYet U.S. could set up military post along the different trailsBoth sides agreed to pay for any damages caused by their citizensEach Indian nation was to receive $50,000 ($1.4 Million today) and annuities for 50 yearsEnded up only receiving 15 years of annuities due to Senate ability to change treaties without Indian knowledge or consentNegotiating at Fort Laramie

Lakota land under the first Treaty of Fort Laramie

Reduction of Land

Mormon Cow IncidentBrevit 2nd Lt. John Grattan at Fort Laramie eager to teach the Lakota a lessonAugust 18, 1854 a Mormon cow wandered into a Brule camp under Conquering BearAlong the Platte RiverVisiting Minniconjous High Forehead killed the cowConquering Bear wouldnt give up High ForeheadGrattan orders to fire canon which kills the head but no one elseUnder the Treaty of Fort Laramie the attack happened within Conquering Bears authorityIndians kill all 30 troopsManypenny TreatiesGovernment eager to open up Kansas and Nebraska for developmentEspecially for the RailroadAs Commissioner of Indian Affairs, he setup negotiations with various Indian groupsBetween 1853-1857 they negotiated nearly 52 treaties with mostly village agriculturalist IndiansIndians lose over 15 million acres through treatiesBrewing Conflict1854 and 1855 Dakotas raided along the Oregon TrailIncluding a stage coach with $10,000Secretary of War Jefferson Davis sent William Harney into the field in order to enforce the treatyThe government then called in the friendlies then went after the restIndians who supported the treaties and tended to live near the military fortsHarney struggled due to inability to adjust to the guerilla warfare of the plains

William HarneyBrewing Conflict (Cont)Battle of Antelope HillsNot all Comanche recognized the treaty of Fort AtkinsonNor the distinction between Texas and U.S. and continued to raid into TexasDaniel Twiggs and troops sent out to enforce the treatyTexas sends Rangers under the Command of Captain John Rip FordOn May 1858, Rangers with Tonkawa and Anadarko Indians found a Comanche encampment4 whites and 76 Comanche killed, 18 prisoners and 300 horses capturedGeneral Daniel Twiggs

John Rip Ford

Brewing Conflict (Cont)Battle of Rush SpringsComanche hit Choctaw, Chickasaw and Wichita IndiansSome Comanche leaders knew of pending retaliation so they went to Fort ArbuckleTried to convince military not to reactTroops under Major Earl Van Dorn in 1858 sent out to enforce the treaty6 Whites and 56 Comanche killedMore Raiding in response to military attackWarfare Becomes More BrutalPrimarily due to Civil War and its Total War approachLocal militias replaced federal troops throughout Great PlainsMore likely to hate Indians than men from the eastEastern Sioux UprisingIndians hungry due to annuities not being deliveredPart of treaties that Congress changed or cutYoung Indians failed to find small game on over-hunted reservationsA few stopped at a farm and ask for foodWhen denied, they killed several whites and took foodThey returned to their reservation and told what happenedEastern Sioux Uprising (Cont)Many frustrated with leader Little CrowHad accepted the reservation treatyCalled on him to declare war against the militiasLittle Crow reluctantly went along with those calling for warLocal militia eventually put an end to a bloody warOver 300 Indians were sentenced to be hungLincoln intervened and lowered the number to 38Those defeated but not killed fled to live with other DakotasLittle Crow survived but later killed by farmer for rewardBounty on Little Crow

Lakota land under the first Treaty of Fort Laramie

Forced to accept new treaty area

Captive Refugees

Sand Creek MassacreColorado gold rush just before the Civil WarMany flooded onto designated to Cheyenne and Arapaho in the First Treaty of Fort LaramieThe government built the Smokey Hill road to link Americans in Colorado to the Oregon TrailIndians retaliated with raidsColorado Territorial Governor John Evans illegally intervenedCreated a small reservation on barren land near Fort LyonOnly two headmen accepted it and encamped thereBlack Kettle (southern Cheyenne) and Little Raven (Southern Arapaho)Sand Creek Massacre (Cont)Major Wynkoop sympathized and fed those who had surrenderedEvans assembled a militia under John Chivington known as the Hundred DazersChivington chased the Indians with little successWith 100 days near an end Wynkoop was chastised by Washington D.C. for feeding the enemyChivington then hit the Sand Creek encampmentsDevastated the Indians and proudly rode into Denver displaying Indian parts at the theaterSand Creek Massacre (Cont)Significance of eventKilled 8 of the 44 Council headmenMost of those killed called for peace with WhitesReinforced with the Dog Soldier the ineptness of the peace policiesFurther undermined tribal authority and structure

One Who Cared

Negotiations