HIST 2112- Many white Americans were sympathetic to the Native American movement- Westward expansion was most intense right after the Civil Waro All the energy was faced towards the West- The West had cheap land for people to start their own farms (American dream)- They divided the land up into a quarter section (160 acres)o Especially in Nebraskao It was sold for $2.50Reasons for going1. Cheap land2. Set up businesses3. Bought the land for cheap and turned around to sell it4. Manifest Destiny (American Progress, 1872)a. The idea that America is fated to own the whole countryb. “From seas to shining sea”- The biggest business out west was cattleo Ranches- First multinational businesso The British were investing in the American cattle industry- Johnson County, Wyoming – 1892 (Johnson County War)o Economic downturno Cowboys went on strike for better payo Most were firedo Many decided to set up their own independent rancheso The former owners hired assassins to kill their former employeeso Got so violent the army had to come in to make peace- Many former slaves tried to settle out west- Eradication Schoolo Found Indians for the sole purpose of killing themo Sand Creek Massacre November, 1864 “Kill them all boys. Kill them all and scalp them because nitsmake lice.” – Shayenneo Battle of Little Big Horn Indians completely wipe out a cavalry of Americans- The Myth of the Vanishing Indiano The idea that the Indians will not survive the Manifest Destinyo They will be wiped outo Many tried to preserve their culture and keep some alive Didn’t want their history to die with themo They wanted to help the Indians become civilized Teach them rather than kill them Cultural murder “Kill the Indian, save the man…”- Boarding schools for kids that stripped them of every cultural identity they had- Forbidden to practice their religion- Forbidden to speak their languageo Daws Act Took the reservations and divided them into 160 acre chunks Each family on the reservation was given this amount of land Government offered to teach them to farm to integrate into the population and the American dream- Typically, it was the women’s job to farm and process meat and it was the man’s job to hunt- They were not about to take up a woman’s job Government took the rest of the land and sold it to the American public Indians tried practicing the ‘ghost dance’ and everything will return to normal; white people will disappearo Wounded Knee Massacre A group of Indians fled but the cowboys caught them and killed all of them (women and children too) with machine
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