Changes on the Western Frontier 1877 1900 Chapter

Changes on the Western Frontier 1877 – 1900 Chapter 13 – The Americans Mitten – CSHS AMAZ History Semester 1 = 2017

Cultures Clash on the Prairie • Life on the Plains • Great Plains – grasslands in west-central portion of the United States • East: hunting, farming villages • West: nomadic hunting, gathering • The Horse and the Buffalo • Horses, guns lead most Plains tribes to nomadic life • Buffalo provides many basic needs • hides used for teepees, clothes, blankets - meat staple of diet

The Culture of the Plains Indians • Family Life • Plains Indians form family groups • Men are hunters, warriors; • women butcher meat, prepare hides • Belief in powerful spirits that control natural world • men or women can become shamans • children learn through myths, stories, games, and by example • communal life; leaders rule by counsel

Settlers Push Westward • Clash of Cultures • Native Americans: land cannot be owned; • settlers want to own the land • Settlers believe natives forfeited land • Silver and Gold • 1858 discovery of gold in Colorado brings thousands • Mining camps, small frontier towns have filthy, rundown dwellings

Gov't Restricts Native Americans • Massacre at Sand Creek • Troops kill over 150 Cheyenne, Arapaho at Sand Creek winter camp • Bozeman Trail Crosses Sioux Hunting Grounds • Crazy Horse ambushes troops • Treaty of Fort Laramie – U. S. closes trail; Sioux to reservation

Bloody Battles • Gold Rush • 1874 George A. Custer reports gold in Black Hills • Custer’s Last Stand • Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Gall crush Custer’s troops • By late 1876, Sioux are defeated; his people starving, Sitting Bull surrenders 1881

Gov't Supports Assimilation • Assimilation – natives to give up traditional way of life, join white culture • • 1887, Dawes Act to “Americanize” natives, break up reservations gives land to individual Native Americans sell balance of land to settlers money for farm equipment for natives

The Battle of Wounded Knee • Ghost Dance – ritual dance to regain way of life • • December 1890, Sitting Bull is killed Seventh Cavalry takes 350 Sioux to Wounded Knee Creek Battle (massacre) at Wounded Knee – cavalry kill 300 unarmed Indians Ends Indian wars

Cattle Become Big Business • Vaqueros and Cowboys • Americans learn to manage large herds from Mexican vaqueros • adopt clothing, vocabulary, way of life • Texas longhorns – sturdy breeds brought by Spanish • Cowboys not in demand until railroads arrive • Growing Demand for Beef • After Civil War ends demand for meat increases in rapidly growing cities • The Cow Towns • Chisholm Trail becomes major cattle route from San Antonio TX. to Wichita, KS.

A Cowboy's Life • Cowboy Life • 1866 – 1885, up to 55, 000 cowboys on plains • 25% African American, 12% Mexican • 10 to 14 hour days; 14 or more on trail • Round up & Cattle Drives • Spring – cattle rounded up and branded • Herds of animals on long drives of up to 3 months = long drive • Legends of the West • Celebrities emerge – Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane are two of the most popular

The End of the Open Range • Changes in Ranching • Overgrazing, bad weather from 1883 to 1887 destroys entire herds • Fence land with barbed wire; turns open range into separate ranches • Open range is no more