APUSH settling the west

Medicine Lodge Treaty

A series of treaties signed in 1867 between the U.S. government and Southern Plains tribes to establish peace and land boundaries.

Morrill Land Act

A United States law enacted in 1862 that provided federal land to states to finance agricultural colleges.

Sand Creek (Chivington Massacre)

An 1864 attack by Colorado militia on a peaceful village of Cheyenne and Arapaho, resulting in the death of many Native Americans.

Homestead Act

A law enacted in 1862 that granted land to individuals willing to settle and improve it for at least five years.

Fort Laramie Treaty

An 1868 treaty between the U.S. government and the Lakota Sioux that guaranteed the tribe ownership of the Black Hills.

Battle of Little Big Horn

A famous battle in 1876 where General Custer and his troops were defeated by Sioux and Cheyenne warriors.

Battle of Wounded Knee

A massacre in 1890 where U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed Lakota Sioux, marking the end of armed Native American resistance.

Sioux War of 1876

A conflict between the U.S. and the Sioux Nation, primarily over land in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Battle of little big horn

Ghost Dance Movement

A religious movement among Native Americans in the late 19th century that sought a return to ancestral ways and the end of white expansion. Lakota souix

Sioux War of 1865-1867

A series of conflicts between the U.S. government and the Sioux tribes caused by encroachments on their lands. Powder river basin

Comstock Lode

A major silver ore discovery in Nevada in 1859 that led to a mining boom and significant migration to the area.

A Century of Dishonor

A book by Helen Hunt Jackson published in 1881 that exposed the injustices committed against Native Americans by the U.S. government.

Dawes Severalty Act

An 1887 law that broke up tribal lands into individual plots to encourage assimilation of Native Americans.

Helen Hunt Jackson

An American author and activist who wrote about the plight of Native Americans and advocated for their rights. “A century of dishonor”

Sitting Bull

A Lakota leader and shaman who played a major role in resisting U.S. government policies and led his tribe during the Battle of Little Big Horn.

Wovoka

A Northern Paiute prophet who initiated the Ghost Dance Movement, believed to restore Native American lands and way of life.

George A. Custer

A U.S. Army officer and cavalry commander known for his role in the Battle of Little Big Horn. Defeated by natives

Joseph Glidden

An American inventor who developed barbed wire, which revolutionized fencing in the West.

Frederick Jackson Turner

An American historian best known for his influential essay 'The Significance of the Frontier in American History'.

Colonel Chivington

A U.S. Army officer remembered for leading the Sand Creek Massacre against the Cheyenne and Arapaho.

John Muir

A naturalist and environmentalist known for his advocacy of conservation, especially in California's national parks. Founded sierra club

John Deere

An American blacksmith and manufacturer who founded Deere & Company, known for developing the steel plow.

Cyrus McCormick

An American inventor who developed the mechanical reaper, which transformed agriculture by making harvesting more efficient.

Chief Joseph

Leader of nez tribe, surrender after long retreat across US up to Canada. “I will fight no more forever”