TREATIES, CONFLICT AND RESERVATIONS: US POLICY TOWARDS

INDIANS IN THE LATE 1800SUS History: Spiconardi

Government Policy The government had treated Indians as a

foreign nation By the 1870s, the government began to

treat Indians as they did African-Americans & immigrants Wanted to Americanize and “civilize” through

education

Government Policy Reservations

American believed the best way to civilize the Indian was by forcing him on a reservation Reservation land set aside by the federal

government for Indians to live on Government promised to protect from white

encroachment Government agreed to provide food, clothing,

and other necessities.

Conflicts: The Indian Wars The Sioux Wars1865 Federal government decides to build a road through

Sioux territory. Sioux warriors resist violently, sparking Red Cloud’s War.

1867 Red Cloud’s War ends. Sioux agree to live on reservation in Dakota Territory.

1875 Federal government allows miners to search for gold on Sioux reservation. A war ensues. Chief Sitting Bull leads many Sioux off the reservation.

1876 At the Battle of Little Bighorn, Sitting Bull’s warriors destroy Gen. Custer’s army. In response, federal government sends more troops to the region. Most Sioux agree to live on reservations

1890 At the Massacre of Wounded Knee, American soldiers open fire on unarmed Sioux, killing 200.

Little Bighorn

Chief Sitting Bull Gen. George Custer

Little Bighorn

Video

Reforms The Dawes Act

US reversed reservation policy Federal government would grant individual

Indians 160 acres of land and citizenship (after 25 years), if they abandoned tribal ways

An attempt to further assimilate Indians In essence: Give up your culture for land Very few Indians accepted the terms of the

Dawes Act

Reforms

Reforms Schools were set up to teach Indian

children American values Most children returned to reservations

demoralized

Impact Indians who refused to live on

reservations were forced to sell their lands Indian land holdings decreased from

138 million acres in 1887 to 52 million acres in 1930

Indians lost identity Life on reservations

High unemployment High rates of alcoholism High crime and poverty rates