Chapter 25: The Conquest of the West (1865-1896)

How would the western soldiers hurt the Plains Indians in reservations?

The spread of foreign European diseases

What was the purpose of the treaties signed at Fort Laramie in 1851 and Fort Atkinson in 1853?

To create reservations for Plains Indians to try to lower conflict and create peace between the natives and the settlers.

How did the U.S. government attempt to control and assimilate Plains Indians in the 1860s?

By grouping them into smaller plots of land called reservations (example: Great Sioux reservation)

What was the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864?

Colonel Chivington's militia killed 400 innocent Indians.

What significant battle in the Plains Wars resulted in a rare Indian victory?

The Battle of the Little Bighorn.

What did the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 aim to do?

Dissolve many tribes as legal entities and promote individual land ownership among Indians.

How did Helen Hunt Jackson use her writing for good?

By writing about the issues of Native Americans to advocate for their rights and raise public awareness.

What was the decline in bison in the mid 1880’s?

Widespread slaughter for tongues, hides, or amusement left less than 1000 bison in the wild.

What did the 'Peace Policy' announced by President Grant in 1869 attempt to do?

Encourage Indians to peacefully assimilate into white culture.

What women got the rights to vote first?

Those in various western states rather than eastern states.

What was the Homestead Act of 1862?

A law that allowed settlers to acquire 160 acres of land by living on and improving it for five years.

What was 'dry farming'?

Using shallow growth methods to grow crops in the dry western environment.

Which state was admitted as a state in 1876 after the gold rush?

Colorado.

What did Congress declare in 1871 regarding Indian tribes?

The U.S. would no longer recognize their sovereignty or negotiate treaties.

What was the Carlisle Indian School?

It aimed to assimilate Native American children into white culture.

How’d the Great Sioux reservation help government policy?

It was part of the effort to control and assimilate Native Americans.

Why did the district of Oklahoma open to public settlement in 1889?

The arrival of 'sooners' who illegally entered the land.

Which Indian group was sent to a dusty reservation in Kansas in 1877?

The Nez Percé Indians.

Why did urbanization from the Rockies to the Pacific Coast boost by 1880?

Migration patterns influenced by failed farmers, miners, and dissatisfied easterners.

What was the significant impact of transcontinental railroads on cattle ranching?

They enabled live cattle to be transported to the East from Texas.

What was the significance of new federally-financed irrigation projects in the West?

They caused the Great American Desert to bloom and supported tough strains of wheat.

What line separated the wet East from the dry West?

The 100th meridian.

What happened to the bison population after the Civil War?

It decreased from over 15 million to fewer than 1000 by 1885.

What was a consequence of the reservation system imposed on the Plains Indians?

Disregard for traditional ways of life and communal land practices.