1803 President Jefferson commissioned Corps of Discovery scientific expedition to explore the newly acquired
Louisiana Purchase. "to explore the Missouri River and such principal stream of it
as by its course and communication with the waters of the Pacific Ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado or any other river that may offer the most direct and practicable water communication across this continent for the purpose of commerce". Lewis and Clark were not the first explorers to travel west Did not find waterway across North America Significant in other areas
Geography and mapping Natural resources Native American relations
Native Americans and Westward Expansion
Lewis and Clark and Native Americans"Left Pittsburgh this day at 11 o'clock with a party of 11 hands 7 of which are soldiers, a pilot and three young men on trial they having proposed to go with me throughout the voyage."
August 31, 1803, Meriwether Lewis
Video Time
The Southern West
1848
Spain brought Missions to the Southwest
Mexicans secularized the missions
Both attempted to civilize the local native population
Led to loss of life through disease, overwork, and murder
1848 US invades CaliforniaPart of Mexican American War
February 2nd 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ratified by US Senate
US occupation a period of tremendous destruction for Native Americans
A situation exacerbated by events in Northern California in 1848
1847 John Sutter decided to erect a saw mill
Sutter put James Marshall in charge of construction
1847 an Indian guide led Marshall to a Maidu village, Coloma, in a heavily wooded
Marshall constructed the mill with the aid of Maidu
During construction an unknown Maidu Indian came across a gold nugget
The rest is history…..
Initially local Californios brought their Indian workers to pan for gold
E.g. Charles M. WeberTook 1000 Indians to work at Dry
Diggings PlacervilleWithin a couple of months Weber and
William Daylor had earned approx $50,000 of the backs of their labor force
Independent white miners began to move in resentment grewCalifornios have an unfair advantage
Weber Creek March 1849Group of Oregonians attacked a Maidu
village of workersKilled many, raped women and took several
captivesReturned captives to ColomaTold them to join their friendsAs the walked off they shot them all in the
back
Not the first attack but a notorious event in the decimation of Californian Indians
White from Oregon generally “hunt [Indians] as they would wild beasts”
William McCollumNot only murder but also kidnapping
became a major industry
1861 Superintendant George M. Hansen
Found 3 men kidnapping Indian Children
Asked one whyTaking them “as an act of charity . . .
[to] provide homes for them, because their parents had been killed, and the children would have perished”
How did he know this“killed some of them myself”
1850 An Act for the Government and Protection of Indians
April 22, 1850Series of 20 laws, similar to the
black codes for African Americans in the south
Discussion Week two
Navajo’s and the Long Walk
Indian WarsCrazy Horse Sitting Bull
Native Woman in Seattle 1911
1. In what way did the Navajo Indians resist reservation life and in what ways did the assimilate to the changes that were forced upon them? How big of a role did religion play in resistance and assimilation?
2. At the end of the essay, Osburn states that the Navajo were active members in the failure and success of the reservation. Do you agree with this statement? Were they more active in the failing or the success of the reservation?
1. What were the main reasons and/or events that led to the Sioux War of 1876-77?
2. What were the goals of Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse?
3. Why did Crazy Horse lose his followers? 1. What do you think would have been more difficult
for Crazy Horse to handle, the large amount of lodges that surrendered when he was still fighting, or members of some tribes (like the Cheyenne) that said upon surrender because of their grievances with him would volunteer as army scouts for a campaign against him?
2. Do you think Crazy Horses’ “change of heart” came from genuine belief that a new reservation would be established for northern Indians in their hunting grounds, or because his failed vision quests gave him no guidance to continue fighting?
1. What were some of the reasons that it was so common at that time for white men to take Native American wives? What were some of the reasons for the interdependence between the Native American tribes and the immigrants? 2. Why wasn't Xwelas hung for the murder of George Philips, a white man? It was an unheard of outcome at that time.
