7.4 Native Americans & Railroads

Culture Areas of North American Indians

  • Broadly categorized into regions like the Northwest Coast, Arctic, Subarctic, Plateau, Northeast, Plains, Great Basin, California, Southwest, and Southeast.

Indigenous Peoples of the North American Plains

  • Includes tribes such as the Sarcee, Plains Cree, Blackfoot, Ojibwa, Assiniboin, Atsina, Hidatsa, Mandan, Crow, Santee, Teton, Arikara, Cheyenne, Ponca, Yankton, Omaha, Iowa, Pawnee, Oto, Missouri, Arapaho, Kansa, Kiowa, Osage, Quapaw, Comanche, and Wichita.

The Indian Frontier - 1841

  • Tribes were moved from east of the Mississippi River to areas further west

American Migrations (18th-19th Centuries)

  • Involves the movement of Native tribes, Spanish, British, and French populations.

  • Migrations and regrouping of coastal tribes around Spanish missions. Prairie tribes move to eastern plains

Nebraska Territory (1854) & Reservations in Indian Territory (1833-42)

  • Details the locations and establishment of various Native American reservations.

Western Migration (1850-1870)

  • Highlights trails like the Oregon, California, Mormon, and Santa Fe Trails.

  • Areas of non-Indian settlement expanded significantly between 1850 and 1870.

Territorial Evolution (1860-1900)

  • Maps showing the progression of statehood and territorial organization in the United States from 1860 to 1900.

Transcontinental Railroad and Western Railroads

  • The transcontinental railroad connected the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines.

  • Expansion of railroads across the US from 1870 to 1900, with increasing mileage: 52,92252,922 miles in 1870, 93,26793,267 miles in 1880, 163,597163,597 miles in 1890, and 193,346193,346 miles in 1900.

  • Railroads to the Pacific were completed between 1869 and 1914.

Native American Territorial Losses (1850-1890)

  • Highlights the loss of Native American lands between 1850 and 1890.

  • Transition from Reconstruction to Gilded Age involved repression of Native Americans.

Railroads and Native American Dispossession

  • Railroad expansion led to catastrophic consequences for Native Americans, including territorial losses and battles.

Red River War (1874-75)

  • Map showing the locations of forts, agencies, cities, and battles during the Red River War.

Indian Wars and Reservations

  • Maps showing locations of Indian battles, army forts and Indian reservations.

  • Details of the Modoc War (1872-73).

Range of the Buffalo (1600-1889)

  • Shows the reduction in buffalo range over time due to westward expansion

Railroads and Economic Instability

  • Railroad over-expansion and land speculation contributed to economic instability.

Pacific Railroad Act of 1862

  • Enabled railroad construction with government support through land grants and bonds.

Chinese Contributions and Anti-Chinese Sentiment

  • Chinese laborers played a crucial role in building the Central Pacific Railroad, facing hardships and discrimination.

  • Racist policies and massacres, such as the Los Angeles Chinese Massacre of 1871, occurred due to anti-Chinese sentiment.

  • Leland Stanford's anti-Chinese rhetoric during his time as governor.

The Big Four and Corruption

  • The Central Pacific Railroad was controlled by the "Big Four": Leland Stanford, Collis Huntington, Mark Hopkins, and Charles Crocker.

  • Critics noted that the railroad was built with public funds but remained in private hands, leading to enormous privatized profits.

Mussel Slough Incident (1880)

  • A violent conflict between settlers and the railroad over land disputes. Inspired novels such as The Octopus.


During the 1800s, American migrations involved the movement and regrouping of various populations including Native tribes, Spanish, British, and French. As westward expansion progressed, the "transcontinental railroad connected the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines," facilitating further settlement and economic activities. However, this expansion led to significant consequences for Native Americans, marked by "Native American Territorial Losses (1850-1890)" and dispossession due to railroad expansion. The Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 supported railroad construction through government land grants and bonds. Chinese laborers, though facing "hardships and discrimination," played a crucial role in building the Central Pacific Railroad. The Central Pacific Railroad, controlled by the "Big Four," faced criticism for privatized profits gained from public funds. Conflicts, such as the Mussel Slough Incident (1880), arose over land disputes between settlers and the railroad, highlighting the tensions of this era.