Westward Expansion & Native American Conflict

Music thanks to Lark in the Morning
Days 1 & 2: Movement West & Native American Conflict – Class Notes
1. The Movement West
Here’s What We’ll Learn:
The West’s Geography
Why Easterners moved West
Conflict with Native Americans
“Assimilation” of Native Americans
The Cattle Boom
Living in the West
2. Why Move West?
PULL Factors:
Railroads—sold left-over land cheap
Homestead Act (1862)—160 acres
A. Had to be 21 years old or head of a family
B. Had to be an American citizen or immigrant applying for citizenship
C. Had to live on land at least 6 months of every year for 5 years
Railroads (Transcontinental Railroad) sold leftover land for really cheap prices
3. Why Move West?
PUSH Factors:
A. Eastern farmland costly
B. Restart (African-Americans)
C. Escape religious repression (Mormons)
Who Settled?
A. Germans Immigrants: Texas to Missouri
B. African-Americans: Kansas (Exodusters)
C. Scandinavians: Iowa & Minnesota (climate)
D. Mexicans: Texas & New Mexico
4. Fighting Native Americans
A. Whites: “Indian Problem”
B. Natives: Life or death—must do an all-out assault
C. Great Plains was their area: nomadic—followed buffalo herds. Was Indian Land until the
Gold Rush & Homestead Act
D. First—made treaties (some kept; others not) to buy land, stop movement of Nomads, or put Natives in Reservations,
but DIDN’T LAST LONG
5. Result: Battles
1871: U.S. Government: decided it won’t sign treaties with Native Americans anymore; just fight them instead
A. Battle lines shifted; forts couldn’t be built; desertion common
B. “Buffalo Soldiers” (10th Cavalry) were African-American soldiers
C. Battle of Little Bighorn (1876): Custer’s Last Stand—Sitting Bull & Crazy Horse (Sioux) won. Custer’s men were
ambushed and the Native Americans quickly won, killing everyone but one Army horse.
D. Battle of Wounded Knee (1890): Last battle between Natives & US Army; 300 unarmed Native Americans
slaughtered by troops with Gatlin guns, left unburied in the snow. Marked the end of Native American resistance.
6. New Policies Towards Natives
They were defeated after the Battle of Wounded Knee, so…
1. Assimilation: Goal was for Native Americans to give up their culture, learn English, children go to school
2. Dawes Act: Created many new reservations, Natives given 160 acres & granted US citizenship (went against Native ideas of shared land & tribal leadership, undermined tribal social structure and tribal authority)
3. More land for settlement (squatters)
7. Homesteaders
A. Difficult life (~$1000 setup)
B. Sod house (leaky roofs; dirt floors)
C. Farmi