¨The Great West¨ It spanned from the Great Plains in the east to the California desert in the west A flood of whites

The Great West

Spanned from the Great Plains in the east to the California desert in the west.

Civil War Veterans

Many pioneers who moved west, including some African Americans, were veterans of the Civil War.

Plains Indians

Indigenous groups such as the Sioux and Comanche that inhabited the area before white settlement.

U.S. government policy toward American Indians

The federal government treated tribes as independent nations and wards of the state, negotiating treaties that were often violated.

Concentration policy

A U.S. government policy initiated in 1851 to induce tribes to concentrate in areas designated for white settlement.

Warfare (1868-1890)

Time period of constant conflict between American Indians and U.S. military forces.

Buffalo Soldiers

A term used for black soldiers in the U.S. military, many of whom were assigned to the frontier.

Sioux War of 1876-1877

Conflict initiated by gold miners in the Black Hills, leading to battles involving Sitting Bull and Custer.

Battle of Little Big Horn

A significant conflict where Custer's forces were defeated by Sioux warriors led by Crazy Horse.

Nez Perce War

Conflict involving the Nez Perce tribe, which attempted to flee to Canada, led by Chief Joseph.

Wounded Knee (1890)

The last major clash between U.S. troops and American Indians, resulting in the massacre of Sioux men, women, and children.

A Century of Dishonor

A book by Helen Hunt Jackson that highlighted the U.S. government's mistreatment of American Indians.

Dawes Severalty Act of 1887

Legislation aimed at assimilating American Indians by allotting them individual plots of land.

Bison population decline

Bison numbers plummeted from approximately 50 million to fewer than 1,000 by 1885, impacting Plains Indians significantly.

Ghost Dance

A religious movement among Dakota Sioux that was seen as threatening by U.S. authorities, leading to the Wounded Knee conflict.