Please enable JavaScript.
Coggle requires JavaScript to display documents.
US government policy - Coggle Diagram
US government policy
the fort laramie treaty 1851
in 1851, the us government signed a treaty with representatives of the plains indian tribes.
it secured safe passage along the oregon trail for all travellers.
settlers would be permitted to settle and build on the land along the trail
in exchange, the plains indians would receive an annual payment of $50,000
the treaty was also supposed to end wars between the indian tribes, but within a few years, the crow and cheyenne tribes were back at war
fort laramie also introduced railroad surveyors and military posts in indian territory, whilst tribes had to pay fines if they attacked white settlers.
the indian appropriations act 1851
as well as the fort laramie treaty, the US government introduced the indian appropriations act.
this act moved nomadic tribes into enclosed areas called 'reservations'. these reservations would be protected by the US government.
theoretically, reservations would preserve areas of land for the plains indians to continue their lives undisturbed by settlers and migrants.
however, the shift imposed white settler property rights on the indians and undermined their nomadic lifestyle and independence.
the reservations effectively forced the plains indians to live in a smaller area of land.
more settlers moved to the Plains and travelled the oregon trail.
previous government legislation
in 1830, President Andrew Jackson had signed the 'Indian Removal Act'. this forced the indians to move all their people from the Mississippi River to the west of the Mississippi River. this was a forced resettlement that made roughly 50,000 plains indians west.
in 1834, the indian trade and intercourse act formed a boundary between USA and indian territory, banning americans from buying or renting land from the indians. it effectively stopped them from using Indian land.
causes of tensions between settlers and indians
more migrants were travelling along the oregon trail and more farmers were settling in the great plains. this meant that the migrants and settlers were competing with the indians for food, water and other resources