Peopling the (already plenty peopled) Plains

Settlers Head West

• Huge culture clash between settlers and Native Americans on the plains– Land ownership, hunting practices, etc– Settlers feel Native Americans have forfeited rights

to the land because the refuse to settle on it– Also attracted by gold/silver mining

Government Regulation

• Because of settlement (remember the early-1800’s term for the westward expansion?), government forces treaties on many Native tribes

• Many are resentful, disregard treaties’ rules• Conflict ensues– Sand Creek massacre – soldiers kill 150+ Cheyenne and

Arapaho, many women and children– Battle of the Hundred Slain/Fetterman Massacre – Crazy

Horse ambushes company of soldiers on Bozeman trail– Sioux Uprising - a little Minnesota history – settlers killed in

SW MN (predominantly), Henry Sibley leads soldiers to put down uprising

Wars continue• Treaty of Fort Laramie forced on Sioux, settles them along

Mississippi– Red River War – fighting in Red River area of Texas– Custer’s Last Stand – 7th Cavalry defeated by group of Sioux and

Cheyenne, but only temporary victory• Dawes Act (1887) – aimed at “Americanizing” or assimilating

Native Americans– Give reservation land to Native Americans to settle, sell the

remainder of the land to settlers and use proceeds to help Natives by farm implements • Most of land sold off, no money goes to the Native Americans

• Wounded Knee – Custer’s old unit rounds up about 350 struggling Sioux, demand they give up weapons– A shot is fired by someone, and the soldiers decimate the Sioux

group

Growth of Cattle Industry

• Demand for beef increases after Civil War• Rise of ranching in Texas, growth of stock

yards and meat packing centers as well• Faced difficulty from weather and overgrazing– Many ranchers turn to smaller herds, fence them

in with new invention(?)

Aspects of Settlement

• Government give land grants to RR companies to encourage expansion– Turn around and sell the extra land at a cheap

price – sell to farmers/settlers and also recruit European investment

• Government passes Homestead Act (1862) – offers 160 acres of free land to any head of household

Meeting the Challenges of the Plains

Challenges• Drought• Flood• Fires• Blizzards• Locusts• Outlaws• Native raids• Tough living conditions• Burdens of self-sufficiency

New Technologies• Steel plow• Mechanical reaper• Spring-tooth harrow• Grain drill• Barbed wire