The West and Farming Sand Creek Massacre Colorado

The West and Farming

Sand Creek Massacre ◊ Colorado (1864) ◊ 400 Indians killed in cold bold ◊ torture

Fetterman Massacre ◊ Indian response to Sand Creek ◊ 1866 ◊ 81 soldiers and civilians in Wyoming by Sioux warriors

Gold!!!!! ◊ Found in Great Sioux Reservation ◊ Led to Custer’s Last Stand (fight with Sitting Bull) - Little Bighorn in 1876

Chief Joseph ◊ 1877 ◊ Tried to flee with his Nez Perce tribe ◊ After 1700 miles they finally gave up and were forced onto reservation

Geranimo ◊ Apache leader ◊ Led many successful campaigns against whites ◊ Forced to settle and farm in Oklahoma

Plight of the Indians ◊ Reservations, loss of lifestyles and loss of food source (buffalo) ◊ Helen Hunt Jackson ◊ Forced Assimilation ◊ Battle of Wounded Knee • Government killed over 200 men, women and children because they were participating in the Ghost Dance “cult”

Dawes Severalty Act ◊ 1887 ◊ Forced assimilation ◊ Dissolved many tribes, wiped out tribal ownership of land ◊ Led to Indians losing 50% of their land

Western Life

Mining ◊ 59’ers and the Comstock Lode ◊ Boomtowns ◊ Big Business in mining

Farming ◊ Beef Business • Transcontinental railroad • Long drive ◊ Farming • Homestead Act of 1862 • Sodbusters • “Great American Desert” blooms

Farming ◊ Business ◊ Debtors ◊ Populism ◊ Coxey’s Army and Pullman’s strike “The issue is socialism versus capitalism. I am For socialism because I am for humanity. ” -Eugene Debs

Golden Mc. Kinley and Silver Bryan ◊ 1896 Election ◊ Mc. Kinley • Republican • Big business and wanted gold standard ◊ Bryan • Democrat • “Cross of Gold”speech advocating silver • Split in party ◊ And the winner is… ◊ Big Business!!!! (Mc. Kinley)