Industrialization and Westward Expansion-American Studies-Content Statement 11

What was a major factor that encouraged westward migration in the late 19th century?

Industrialization and demand for natural resources

What was the primary reason for increased conflict between American settlers and American Indians in the West?

Competition over land and natural resources

What was the collective name for the series of conflicts between American Indians and U.S. forces from the 1850s to the 1890s?

The Plains Wars

Which battle was a significant victory for the Lakota Sioux and Cheyenne against the U.S. Army in 1876?

The Battle of Little Bighorn

What was the outcome of the Battle of Little Bighorn?

U.S. Army forces under General Custer were defeated by Lakota and Cheyenne warriors

What was the last major conflict between American Indians and the U.S. government, occurring in 1890?

The Wounded Knee Massacre

What was the Ghost Dance movement, and why was it significant?

A spiritual movement that symbolized resistance to assimilation and U.S. policies

What tragic event occurred as a result of fears over the Ghost Dance movement?

The Wounded Knee Massacre

What federal law provided free land to settlers willing to move west and develop the land?

The Homestead Act

What law divided American Indian reservations into individual land plots to encourage farming and assimilation?

The Dawes Act of 1887

What was the main goal of the Dawes Act of 1887?

To assimilate American Indians into American society by making them farmers

What was a major consequence of the Dawes Act for American Indians?

Loss of tribal lands and culture due to forced individual land ownership

What system forced American Indians onto designated lands controlled by the U.S. government?

The reservation system

How did the reservation system impact American Indian cultures and ways of life?

It restricted traditional hunting and nomadic lifestyles

What was the purpose of Indian residential schools?

To assimilate American Indian children into white American culture

How were American Indian children treated in residential schools?

They were forced to abandon their languages, customs, and traditional names

What was the main objective of Americanization policies toward American Indians?

To erase American Indian culture and integrate them into mainstream American society

How did railroads contribute to the displacement of American Indians?

They brought more settlers and led to the destruction of buffalo populations

Why was the buffalo so important to Plains Indian cultures?

It was a primary source of food, shelter, clothing, and tools

How did the near-extinction of the buffalo impact Plains Indian tribes?

It destroyed their traditional way of life and forced them onto reservations

What treaty system was used to remove American Indians from their ancestral lands?

A series of government treaties, often broken by the U.S. government

How did American Indian resistance manifest during westward expansion?

Through armed conflicts like the Plains Wars and spiritual movements like the Ghost Dance

What were some methods the U.S. government used to force American Indians to assimilate?

Land allotment (Dawes Act), Indian residential schools, and banning cultural practices

What happened to most American Indian land as a result of government policies?

It was taken over by white settlers or the U.S. government

What was the long-term impact of westward expansion on American Indian populations?

Loss of land, culture, and sovereignty, leading to long-term economic and social struggles