Culture Clash

Chapter 13, section 1

Main ideas and key terms

• The cattle industry boomed in the late 1800’s, as the culture of the Plains Indians declined

• Great Plains• Treaty of Fort Laramie• Sitting Bull• George A. Custer• Assimilation• Dawes Act• Battle of Wounded Knee• Longhorn• Chisholm Trail• Long drive

Culture on the Plains

• After the introduction of the horse in 1598, the Native American way of life began to change

• Almost all tribes left their homes to hunt buffalo

• Tribes would go to war over trespassing

• Counting Coup

Settlers push Westward

• Settlers believe in owning land, natives do not

• Also chased Silver and Gold

Government Restrictions

• As Railroads and settlers pushed west, the government’s policy toward Native Americans changed

• In 1834 the federal government gave the whole plains to Native Americans

• In the 1850’s the government set aside specific land for each tribe

• Each tribe continued to hunt on their traditional lands, clashing with settlers

Massacre at Sand Creek

• 1864: Cheyenne returned to Colorado’s Sand Creek Reserve for the winter

• Colonel John Chivington was to make the “indians suffer more”

• Chivington and his troops descended on the Cheyenne and Arapaho

• Killed 150 inhabitants, mostly women and children

Bloody Battle

• The Treaty at Fort laramie only paused war

• 1868 – Red River War Breaks out• Gold Rush in the Black Hills• Custer’s Last Stand

Assimilation

• Government supports assimilation, a plan under which Native Americans would give up their beliefs and way of life and become part of the white culture

• The Dawes Act: broke up reservations, gave some land to individual Native Americans, sold the rest for farm equipment

• N.A. received no money

Battle of Wounded Knee

• The Ghost Dance was supposed to return things to the way they were

• It spread quickly• In December, 1890, the 7th Cavalry rounded up

350 Sioux• Told to hand over weapons• A shot was fired• 300 Natives died, including Children• 7th left the corpses to freeze• End of an era

Cattle as Business• As buffalo disappeared, horses and cattle

flourished on the plains• Ranching became profitable• Mexican neighbors teach Americans how

to round up, rope, brand, and care for the animals

• Texas Longhorns were raised for food

Demand for Beef Grows

• Rapidly growing cities raised the demand for beef

• Shipping created problems• Railroads• Farmers• Weather

The Cow Town• Joseph McCoy approached several

western towns to solve the problem• Abilene jumped at the chance• The Chisholm Trail Is surveyed• Business more than doubles

A Day in the Life of a Cowboy

• 10-14 hour workday• Owned saddle, not horse• Expert rider and roper• Guns to protect herd, not fight

outlaws• Began with the roundup• After choosing their cattle, made the

long drive

Famous Names• James Butler• “Wild Bill” Hickock• Calamity Jane

The End of the Open Range

• Barb Wire and Bad Weather ends the era of the open range

• The west becomes a series of barb-wire fenced ranches