Why did many European settlers and Native Americans conflict?
Teaching notes
This activity could form part of a sequence on the impact of European settlement of America. It is
intended to develop independent thinking skills and builds to answering an exam style question.
Instructions
1) Read through the background information as a class.
2) Working in pairs, students match the cards into corresponding pairs. Whilst certain cards
clearly correspond to another, students should be allowed to consider possible connections
freely and there may be many ‘correct’ possible pairings.
3) Students then identify recurring themes in what caused conflict. Four areas should emerge
quite clearly: treatment of the bison, use of the land, approaches to war, religious beliefs.
4) They should then be ready to answer this question from OCR, June 2011.
Explain why many white Americans thought the Plains Indians were savages. (7 marks)
Students should be encouraged to develop a minimum of two reasons fully, with examples,
in order to achieve full marks.
Differentiation
The picture cards might be used to help identify areas of conflict for less able students.
Challenge
More able students might be asked to discuss what the most important or fundamental causes of
conflict were. They might add further complexity to their understanding by researching examples
of co-operation between some settlers and natives.
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Why did many European settlers and Native Americans conflict?
Student activity sheet
Background information
At the beginning of the nineteenth century Europeans known as ‘Mountain men’
explored the Rocky Mountains, trapping animals to use for fur which they traded. As
fashions in Europe changed, the demand for fur decreased. Many of these men
became guides to lead early pioneers across America to the West where they
intended to settle. As these travelling parties ventured across the country they
encountered nomadic (travelling) Native Americans with very different lives to their
own. Some migrants, known as ‘Homesteaders’, wanted to settle the prairie lands of
mid-America. This involved fencing off previously open land which threatened the
nomadic way of life. A final group, the miners, wanted to use parts of America, such as
the Black Hills of Dakota, to dig for gold. This land had always been considered sacred
by Native Americans.
Tasks
1) Working in pairs. Match any cards which seem to belong together. For example, you might
place a card about European religious beliefs with one about Native American religion.
2) Do your paired cards belong in bigger groups or areas of conflict?
3) Use your groups of cards to have a go at this exam question:
Explain why many white Americans thought the Plains Indians were savages. (7 marks)
Aim to explain at least two reasons, giving as many examples as you can to support your
answer.
Challenge

Explain what you think was the most important reason for conflict between Europeans and
Native Americans.

Not all settlers and natives conflicted, some co-operated. Can you find any examples of this
using online research?
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Why did many European settlers and Native Americans conflict?
Europeans believed it was their ‘Manifest
Destiny’ (right) to own all of America from the
East Coast to the West.
When some tribes moved on they left elderly
people behind them, so that they were not
slowed down. Otherwise the whole tribe might
lose the bison and have nothing to eat.
Native Americans hunted bison, but they were
careful not to over hunt them. They used all
parts of the bison carcass, nothing was wasted.
Native Americans believed in the Wakan Tanka
or ‘Great Spirit’ which controlled the seasons
and created life.
Native Americans led a simple life, they did not
need machines to farm or travel.
The government gave away free land to anyone
who would build a house on it and farm the land
for five years. The Europeans built fences to
show who owned what.
Native Americans would sometimes ‘Count
Coup’ which meant recording acts of bravery
but not killing the enemy. When they did kill
they scalped their victim so that their spirit
could not go to the Happy Hunting Ground
(afterlife).
Native Americans believed that everything had a
spirit, even animals, plants and the land. They
thought you should treat all of nature with
respect.
Many Europeans did not understand the Native
lifestyle. They thought that they were cruel and
savage.
Some of the people who moved West were
very religious. They thought it was their mission
to convert other people to Christianity.
Native Americans were nomadic. This meant
that they moved around to hunt the bison.
They did not settle in one place.
To transport people, animals and goods the
Europeans built train tracks known as rails roads
all over America.
The Europeans fought with guns. They were
not afraid of killing their enemies.
© www.teachithistory.co.uk 2012
Europeans hunted bison on horseback and using
trains. The hides were very valuable. The
remaining carcasses were left to rot. By 1890
only 1000 bison survived.
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Why did many European settlers and Native Americans conflict?
Image credits:
©USFWS Mountain Prairie 2002 http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/5355367784
©Nicholas_T 2012 http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholas_t/7818650984/
©hans c 2008 http://www.flickr.com/photos/archeon/2294559932/
©Alaskan Dude 2011 http://www.flickr.com/photos/72213316@N00/6259138267/
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