APUSH I Final Exam Chapter16

“Indian Territory”

• This was a specific area (modern-day Oklahoma) where many Eastern Native nations were forced to resettle by the federal government

Although many groups were moved here, over one-half of the Native population was lost due to the devastating effects of dislocation and disease

Sioux

• Major group of Plains Indians that became the most powerful nation in the Missouri River valley and expanded their control across the plains by moving west and south

• They were known as aggressive and proud fighters who engaged in frequent conflict with rival groups to build reputations for bravery and fierceness

• The Eastern Sioux in Minnesota, led by Little Crow, launched a rebellion that resulted in the deaths of 700 white people before they were stopped and exiled to the Dakotas

• The Western Sioux (led by Red Cloud) were fierce protectors of their buffalo ranges and eventually formed a powerful northern alliance with the Arapaho and Cheyenne

• after losing a majority of their battles they turned to Wovoka

Buffalo

• This animal was the main source of survival for Plains Indians like the Sioux, who followed the herds and rarely established permanent settlements

• Every part was used: flesh for food, skin for clothing and blankets, dried manure for fuel, and bones for knives or arrow tips

• White demand for hides after the Civil War and the hiring of riflemen like Buffalo Bill by railroad companies led to a massive slaughter of the herds

• The Bureau of Indian Affairs encouraged this slaughter because it destroyed the Natives' food supply and their ability to stop the white advance

“Chinatowns”

• Largest community was in San Francisco; Chinatowns developed here and in surrounding areas as Chinese moved from rural mining/railroad work

• sheltered immigrants at the bottom of the employment ladder (laborers, servants, unskilled factory workers)

• Life was controlled by powerful organizations formed by people from the same clan or community in China

• goodwilling societies led by merchants addressing community issues

• They filled roles of political machines, acting as employment brokers, unions, and community defenders while organizing vital festivals

• Leading merchants were known as “Six Companies”

• “Tongs” were secret society organizations within Chinatowns

• Many established laundries because they were excluded from other areas; these were easy to start with limited English and little capital

• Life was extremely bleak for women; basically all who came to California early on were sold into prostitution in Chinatowns

“Six Companies”

• The leading merchants in San Francisco who organized into a powerful group to advance their political and economic interests

• worked to defend the Chinese community against discriminatory laws

• They organized campaigns and filed suits in federal court to fight the Chinese Exclusion Act, though these efforts had little impact

“Tongs”/“Tong wars”

• Secret societies within the Chinese community; while some were benevolent, others were violent and involved in the opium trade and prostitution

• "Tong wars" were violent conflicts between rival groups that frequently occurred in San Francisco

• These wars were usually the only time that non-Chinese people ever saw or interacted with the internal workings of the tongs

Chinese Exclusion Act

• A law passed by Congress that banned Chinese immigration to the United States for 10 years and prevented those already in the country from becoming naturalized citizens

• It received support from all regions of the country because of widespread fears of unemployment and the belief that removing other races would protect American jobs

Congress later renewed the law and eventually made it permanent, which caused the Chinese population in America to decline by 40%

Homestead Act of 1862

• A federal law that allowed settlers to buy 160-acre plots for a small fee, provided they occupied the land for 5 years and improved it

• It was intended as a progressive measure to help people with no prospects and create new economic outposts, but it was based on the false idea that simply owning land was enough to run a farm

• The law failed to account for the industrialization of agriculture, the high costs of running a farm, and the fact that 160 acres was too small for the dry conditions of the Great Plains

Open range

• The vast areas of grasslands in the public domain of the Great Plains that were not fenced off

• It provided a massive territory where cattle raisers could graze their herds for free without worrying about boundaries

This "public domain" was the physical foundation of the cattle industry before it was eventually broken up by farmers and fences

Reservation

• Specific areas of land where Native American nations were forced to live under government supervision

• These lands were often scattered and less desirable, designed to keep Natives out of the way of white economic expansion

• Living on reservations meant the loss of traditional hunting grounds and a total dependence on the federal government for survival

Bureau of Indian Affairs

• A branch of the Department of the Interior that was responsible for the white management of Native matters

• Their specific duties included distributing land, making treaty payments, and supervising the shipment of supplies to reservations

• In practice, the bureau was highly unsuccessful because its agents were often incompetent and dishonest, viewing their positions as opportunities for personal gain

• Bureau of Indian Affairs used Dawes Act to force Natives into boarding schools and Christianity

Sand Creek Massacre

• A brutal attack led by Colonel J.M. Chivington against a peaceful band of Cheyenne and Arapaho

• Over 100 Native people were killed, the majority of whom were women and children

• This event served as a major turning point that fueled further Native resentment and violence across the plains

George A. Custer

• A Colonel of the Seventh Cavalry who was tasked with forcing Native Americans back onto their reservations

• He was responsible for the death of Black Kettle and later led his troops into the disastrous Battle of Little Bighorn

His aggressive tactics and ultimate defeat made him one of the most famous and controversial figures of the Western Indian Wars

Battle of Little Bighorn

• A significant military engagement in southern Montana where Native warriors surprised and killed every man in Custer’s army

• It was a rare moment of unity where Sioux and Cheyenne chiefs gathered one of the largest Native armies ever assembled, totaling about 2,500 warriors

• While a major victory for the Natives, it was also their last; the Native forces soon drifted off into bands, and the power of the Sioux was eventually broken

Chief Joseph

• The leader of the Nez Perce who directed his followers to flee from the U.S. Army to avoid being forced onto a reservation

• He led his people on a remarkable journey, covering over 1,000 miles in 75 days, while repelling and evading the pursuing military

• He was caught just before the Canadian border and surrendered to Nelson Miles, famously declaring he would fight no more forever in exchange for a promise to return to Idaho (rejected)

Wounded Knee

• A one-sided massacre in South Dakota where the Seventh Cavalry tried to round up a group of Sioux

• While it is still disputed how the fighting started, the result was the death of hundreds of Natives, including many women and children

• This event is often cited as the final, tragic end to the centuries of conflict on the Great Plains

Dawes Severalty Act of 1887

• A federal law designed to destroy the tribal part of Native culture by eliminating the communal ownership of reservation land

• It provided for the allotment of land to individuals: 160 acres to heads of families, 80 acres to single adults/orphans, and 40 acres to children

• While it granted citizenship to owners, they could not gain full title to the property for 25 years, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs used it to force Natives into boarding schools and Christianity