History Test 2

treaty of fort laramie

some Sioux signed the treaty in which they agreed to live on reservations under federal supervision

george custer

War general who fought at little big horn with his soldiers and all of them lost

assimilation

forced upon Natives, making them abandon their culture and become part of the white’s culture

reservations

lands under government supervision where natives lived.

Ghost Dance

dance that the natives did: they believed that the white men would disappear and buffalo would return

Buffalo—what was the importance to Native Americans?

Natives were completely dependent on buffalo, used it for everything (the whole body including bones, meat, fur, eyes, tendons, etc)

Transcontinental Railroad (who worked on the railroads? What was it?)

railroad that connected the East to the West. Mainly worked by Chinese immigrants in dangerous environments, for little pay, long hours, and no recognition. 

Effects of the railroads

reduced buffalo population, human cost, more demand for Native American Land, population spread and created more states, resources could be shared and shipped quickly

Homestead Act

families were given 160 acres of western land if they lived and tilled the land for 5 years

Discovery of gold and silver in the west (effect)

western expansion for gold and silver increased populations in the west

Chinese Exclusion Act

first law in America excluding Chinese immigrants coming to America (unless they were students, teachers, or merchants). Chinese immigrants were “stealing the white men's jobs”

Homesteaders & problems encountered by farmers

life was difficult as a homesteader because of windstorms, drought, blizzards, plagues of locusts, and loneliness

great plains

last part of the country to be settled by whites

• originally kept for natives because it was seen as too dry for farming

spoils system

system where political parties in power give jobs to their supporters rather than giving jobs to people with proper qualifications

• works by winning loyalty of large immigrant groups by promising (and sometimes delivering) solutions to poor sanitation and transportation

• developed by party’s under the spoil system

political machine

political party’s organization that wins voters loyalty and gives power to a small group of leaders (they often abuse their power)

• organization linked to a political party that often connects local government

Pendleton Civil Service Act

1883 law which created a new civil system for the federal government

• Hires peopled based off of qualifications and is basically the opposite of the spoils system

Civil service reform

government workers got their job because of their expertise not what party they supported

Gilded age

1870s-1880s

• the external glitter of wealth concealed a corrupt political war

• growing gap between rich and poor

Boss Tweed

corrupt politician who pocketed over 200+ million dollars 

Thomas Nast

political cartoonist who depicted Boss Tweed as a fat and money hungry man

Tammany Hall

political machine with many supporters who had political power including Boss Tweed

Sand Creek Masacre

Troops killed non-hostile native americans (Cheyenne). 2/3 were women and children

Battle of little bighorn

• George Custer found out theres gold in the black hills

• Gold rush began → government offered to buy black hills from the sioux

• sioux refused

• declared war: native americans won

• within a few months, the govnt retaliated and beat the sioux

Dawes act

• tried to promote native american assimilation 

• broke up reservations and gave out land to famalies so they could farm on the land → didn’t work because natives were cheated out of the best land

• traditional feasts and dances were outlawed

• kids were forced to go to boarding schools would get their haircut, learn english, and adopt a new christinan name

massacre at wounded knee

after sitting bull died, the native americans fled to wounded knee. A few days later, soilders surrounded them and killed the unarmed native americans. This was the official end of the conflict, and was seen as “going back in history”

Sitting Bull

known for his resistance against the US army and leading the sioux to win battle of little bighorn

Red Cloud

known for negotiating with the US government

Boarding Schools + effects of boarding schools

• students were forced to assimilate

• punished (physically, emotionally, sexually) if they didn’t listen to the white people

• Indian child welfare act: passed to keep Native American children with their famalies

• Adult attendees of federal boarding school systems suffere from more diseases like cancer, TB, diabetes, etc. compared to non-attendees

Land grant

US gov gave people land grants if they worked on the railroads

EX: homestead act, morrill act

what event led to the westward expansion

gold rush

what happened to gold miners after the initial gold and silver strikes

they become wage workers for large organizations

what year was homestead act signed into law

1862

how many acres were promised witht he homestead act

160

major challenge of homesteaders

drought and falling crop prices

main reason for the anti-chinese movement

economic competition

effect of chinese exclusion act

creation of immigrant documents

near-decimation of buffalo population

• largest destruction of an animal population

• natives starved without buffalo

• it was too far for natives to travel for more buffalo

• white hunters hunted the animal for “fun” as a sport

• led to “spiritual trauma” and it was described as “devestating”

US govnt’s goal with treaty of fort laramie

confine natives into one spot

who won Little BigHorn

natives

why did the US government want the black hills

resources like gold and silver

Morrill land Grant Acts

1862 law which provided federal land to be sold, with the earnings being used to establish colleges focused on agriculture, mechanical arts, and other professions

soddy

houses made in great plains during homestead act

• made of sod: thick blocks of dirt with grass