AP USH CH18: CONQUEST AND SURVIVAL IN THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI WEST

Sand Creek Massacre

an attack on a village of sleeping Cheyenne Indians by a regiment of Colorado militiamen on 29 November 1864 that resulted in the death of more than 200 tribal members

Chief Joseph

Leader of Nez Perce. Fled with his tribe to Canada instead of reservations. However, US troops came and fought and brought them back down to reservations

Custer's Last Stand

Custer pursuing Sioux indians, but underestimated their force. His whole group was killed in the Battle of Little Bighorn 1876

Comstock Lode

First discovered in 1858 by Henry Comstock, some of the most plentiful and valuable silver was found here, causing many Californians to migrate here, and settle Nevada.

Edmunds Act

1882 act that effectively disfranchised those who believed in or practiced polygamy and threatened them with fines and imprisonment

Long Drives

a trip of several hundred miles on which ranchers led their cattle to railroads and distant markets

Homestead Act

1862 - Provided free land in the West to anyone willing to settle there and develop it. Encouraged westward migration.

Morrill Act

(1862) Federal law that gave land to western states to build agricultural and engineering colleges.

Dawes Act

1887 act that removed Indian land from tribal possesion, redivided it, and distributed it among individual Indian families. Designed to break tribal mentalities and promote individualism.

A Century of Dishonor

written by Helen Hunt Jackson in 1881 to expose the atrocities the United States committed against Native Americans in the 19th century

Ghost Dance

A cult that tried to call the spirits of past warriors to inspire the young braves to fight. It was crushed at the Battle of Wounded Knee after spreading to the Dakota Sioux. The Ghost Dance led to the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887. This act tried to reform Indian tribes and turn them into "white" citizens. It did little good.

Bureau of Indian Affairs

1934

*Led by commissioner John Collier

*Returned ownership of certain lands to tribes, established tribal governments, and provided economic relief

*Created a program of work projects for reservations

Indian Wars

Ranged from colonial times to the Wounded Knee massacre and "closing" of the American frontier in 1890, generally resulted in the conquest of American Indians and their assimilation or forced relocation to Indian reservations

Boomtowns

A town that grew in mining areas where there were rushes. These usually didn't last because the gold usually ran out, or there was no gold at all.

Railroads

Were essential to westward expansion because they made it easier to travel to and live in the west

Wounded Knee Massacre

1890, U.S. Army was deployed to the Lakota reservations to stop what they thought was a potential uprising. The 7th Cavalry, led by Forsyth, demanded surrender, and when met with dancing by the natives, they opened fire. Many of the victims were civilians, women, and children, with 250-300 deaths. A mass burial was made by the U.S. with 146 corpses, but showed the complete disregard for the Natives, especially as the massacre was framed as a battle by Americans.

Second Treaty of Fort Laramie

signed in 1868, was an agreement between the United States and various Native American tribes, including the Lakota Sioux. The treaty recognized the Black Hills as part of the Great Sioux Reservation and guaranteed the tribes formal ownership of this territory. It aimed to establish peace and regulate interactions between settlers and the tribes but was later violated by the U.S