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Changes to the Plains Indians Way of Life Including Impact of Reservations…
Changes to the Plains Indians Way of Life Including Impact of Reservations and Destruction of the Buffalo
In the Years After 1877, American Cultures were Shaped. Chicago Became a Huge City in the West and in 1892 (400 Years Since Christopher Columbus Landed in North America) Work Began on the World's Fair Which was Held There in 1893
The World's Fair (the first time it had been held in the West) was a showcase of American technology. It took place in 1893 in Chicago.
Chicago had grand architecture with wide streets and towering buildings. It was a powerful image of American success.
The United States on display did not represent all Americans - Black Americans were not allowed to take part and were not represented.
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After 1877, US Government Policies Became Much Harsher. Many Native Americans were Forced to Move to Reservations. The Native American People were Made to Adopt White Ways of Life. The Ghost Dance Movement was the Last Attempt by the Plains Native Americans to Resist in the 19th Century.
After the Great Sioux War and the Battle of Little Bighorn, many Plains tribes were forced onto US government reservations. Native American groups were split up to prevent them from fighting back.
The government did not put a lot of money into reservations such as Standing Rock Reservation. Supplies, medical aid and food rations were often very low.
Destruction of the buffalo. The growth of the railroad network brought many hunters to the Plains to shoot and kill buffalo. As many as 3 million buffalo were killed by 1883. The government did little to stop the slaughter and the vast herds of buffalo were destroyed.
The arrival of homesteaders, ranchers and big businesses on the Plains pushed many tribes to starvation. Again, the government did almost nothing to stop this.
Sitting Bull and a band of followers escaped to Canada but returned in 1881 starved of food to surrender to the US Army.
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The 'Friends of the Indian', were Set Up to Help but They Often Destroyed Native American Cultures.
Many government agents who ran the reservations were corrupt. Therefore the 'Friends of the Indian' reported corrupt agents and monitored how money on the reservations was spent.
Many Native American children had no real formal education so the 'Friends of the Indian' helped Native American children learn English, so they could access jobs in White America.
Native Americans were not full citizens of the USA which meant they had no rights and could not vote. The 'Friends of the Indian' persuaded the government to pass the Dawes Act (1887). This gave each Native American family 160 acres and citizenship if they gave up their claim to tribal lands. However, although the ideas were well meaning, the Dawes Act further eroded Native American culture and meant many Native Americans lost lots of land.
By 1900, nearly two-thirds of the land held by Native Americans in 1877 had been taken over by white settlers.
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The 'Friends of the Indian' movement was set up in 1883 to help protect rights of Native Americans. Often, their actions led to forced assimilation.
The Ghost Dance Movement was the Last Major Attempt at Resistance by Plains Tribes in the 19th Century
During the 1890s, a new religious movement called the Ghost Dance movement sprang up on the reservations. It was led by a holy man named Wovoka.
The Ghost Dancers believed that if they danced and prayed, the white settlers would be swept off the land and the buffalo would return. This led to concern among white Americans living near the reservations - there were rumours that Sitting Bull was going to join the movement.
In 1890, the government sent in the army to stop the Ghost Dance movement and arrest them.
Sioux police were told to arrest Sitting Bull - he was dragged out of his cabin in the snow and shot through the head.
Many of the Ghost Dancers ran away to Dakota. The Ghost Dancers were eventually tracked down at a place called Wounded Knee. The army opened fire and killed over 250 men, women and children despite the Native Americans being largely defenceless.
On 15th January 1891, over 4,000 Ghost Dancers surrendered. This was the last Native American attempt at resistance in the 19th Century.