Name: ………………………………………………………………….
Revise the
American
West
KEY TOPICS TO REVISE
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INDIAN WAY OF LIFE
Religion
Tipi
BUFFALO and HORSE
Family Life
War
Government
MOUNTAIN MEN
2 ways they helped the se lement of the West
FARMERS to CALIFORNIA & OREGON
Push and Pull
Wagons and Wagon Trains
The dangers of the journey e.g. Donners
GOLD RUSH
Where? When? Who? Why? What was it like?
Miners Courts ‐ Vigilantes/lynching
MORMONS
Joseph Smith
Reasons persecuted (treated badly)
Journey to Great Salt Lake
Brigham Young & success of SALT LAKE CITY
Becomes state of Utah
MANIFEST DESTINY ‐ What is it / why were the Indians ignored?
HOMESTEADERS
Push and Pull
Where did they come from? What kind of people?
The journey ‐ Transcon nental railroad (1869)
Problems and solu ons to LIVING & FARMING
Women homesteaders
Range Wars
COWBOYS AND CATTLE TRADE
Who were the cowboys? What did they do? A typical year? Skills/equipment?
How and why did the ca le trade grow? Where did it start? End up?
Why was the Civil War a turning point?
Individuals like Goodnight & Loving/ John Illiff? McCoy and Abiliene.
What went on in the cow towns like Abilene, Dodge City and Wichita?
Why did the Long Drives end? Why did the open range end?
LAW & ORDER
Outlaws ‐ people like Billy the Kid
What types of crime were there? Where was worst? Who was worst?
How did Law and Order come to the West?
How wild was it?
The FATE of THE PLAINS INDIANS
Exterminators and nego ators
The Indian wars e.g. Sand Creek Massacre / Custer’s Last Stand
Reasons why the Indians lost their struggle for the Plains
THE PLAINS INDIANS
In 1840 the Indians lived on the Great Plains BUT by 1895 thousands of homesteaders and
ranchers lived there in towns and ci es, linked by railroad. Indians were in reserva ons and the
buffalo had been slaughtered. Non‐Indians had taken all the land ...BUT ‐ why couldn't they live
together?
INDIANS ‐ Where did they come from? (BEFORE they LIVED ON THE GREAT PLAINS)
1.
Came from Asia, across land bridge and spread throughout North America
2.
Plains Indians started off in eastern river valleys but moved to Great plains for 3 reasons
a. HORSES ‐ by 1680’s Sioux had traded for horses (brought by Spanish) and could now
HUNT and be more INDEPENDENT ‐ wealth counted in horses because so important
b. DISEASES ‐ European diseases wiping out tribes in east, so had to move away
c. ENEMY TRIBES (e.g. Ojibwa) had got GUNS ‐ they hadn’t!
HOW DID THEY SURVIVE ON THE GREAT PLAINS ‐ such a hos le environment with extremes of
temperature and few trees / li le water?
1.
BUFFALO ‐ FOOD ‐ nomadic (moved around) because they followed buffalo ‐ used for
everything. Raw, cooked meat or Pemmican (dried meat) Fat used for cooking in. Dung was
fuel. Heart eaten raw for warrior strength or buried to give new life to herd. Women
butchered meat and cooked. Men seen as lazy by whites as weren’t seen doing domes c
work.
THE HUNT ‐ did sacred Buffalo Dance first ‐ to get help of Waken Tanka & spirits. Only men
hunted. Skilled, Dangerous, Warrior Socie es ‐ their job was to ensure not too many killed.
Also make decisions when women had to pack up camp and move on to follow herd. Men
had to rove themselves on hunt.
2.
SECURE HOUSE ‐ TIPI ‐ perfect as it was made from what was available (leather); could be
easily taken down/put up and easy to transport (they had to move 2‐3 mes a year_ AND
did not blow over in winds (Conical shape). BUFFALO (perfect material because no wood on
plains), tanned hide ‐ more supple than rawhide. Prepared by women. Cool in summer,
warm in winter ‐ flaps above so smoke could get out, flaps all way round for ven la on if
hot, down if cold. Easy to put up, quick to take down by women, placed in a circle,
decorated with circle designs (sacred power of circles…) and scalps, conical design suited
winds on Plains, carried as “drag” (travois) a er a horse, some mes carried small children
on top & few possessions. Suited nomadic lifestyle. 15 across, fire in middle so gad strict
rules about who sat where and rude to block fire from anyone.
3.
GOVERNMENT of the TRIBE ‐ no wri en laws like white culture BUT HAD to be VERY
ORGANISED as their survival in harsh environment depended on it
So…
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Custom and tradi on ‐ men of tribe did not want to be shamed for poor behaviour in front
of whole tribe (wanted to be chief and win honour instead) ‐ this kept them in check ‐ no
stealing for example. For major crimes ‐ no prison (nomadic) so banished from tribe. Going
on raids against enemies kept young men in check too.
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Councils ‐ group of elders made democra c decisions about peace, war, hun ng etc. Chief of
tribe NOT a dictator! Smoked peace of war pipe to help make good decisions ‐ smoke would
spiral up and get help of spirits.
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Warrior Socie es ‐ e.g. Kit Foxes of Sioux, like a police force, ranks according to experience ‐
protected women, old and children. Their opinions valued.
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Travelled in BANDS ‐ smaller groups (10‐50 families) with a chief, not whole tribe together ‐
too difficult to control. Sioux had so many tribes that were called a NATION, but never led by
just one person (except at the end ‐ Si ng Bull ‐ 1870’s)
4. FAMILY LIFE
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Men and women ‐ different roles. Women ‐ valued for domes c skills, making pi, food,
fetching water, raising children, making clothes (prized for QUILLING ‐ bead work).
Men ‐ defended tribe from a ack, went on raids e.g. for horses, hunted, were council
members, judged for bravery, horsemanship, sacred dancers.
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POLYGAMY ‐ more women than men (men died in war and on hunts) so men took more
than one wife to look a er them and to produce more children ‐ the future of the tribe.
Much hated by whites.
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CHILDREN ‐ valued as future of tribe ‐ had child names, then got adult names later a er
vision (boys) or a er start menstrua on (girls) li le physical punishment, no “schools” but
boys taught horsemanship, weapons ‐ bow and arrows, etc. and girls taught how to look
a er babies, cook, sew etc. BOTH had to learn how to SURVIVE ON THE PLAINS
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OLD PEOPLE ‐ respected, took place on council, important decision makers. When too old to
travel asked to be le behind (exposure) because ONE member of the tribe is not more
important than the survival of the tribe as a WHOLE.
5. RELIGION ‐ VERY IMPORTANT TO INDIANS ‐ LIVED THEIR WHOLE LIVES THROUGH RELIGIOUS
BELIEFS
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Waken Taken ‐ one God, but other spirits too. Prepared to share same God as white man,
but whites didn’t agree!
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Land ‐ sacred. You can’t own, buy or sell it ‐ brought them into conflict with whites. Never
die to protect land because it doesn’t belong to them EXCEPT 1870’s when Government
wanted their ANCESTRAL HOME ‐ Offered $6 million for the Black Hills of Dakota ‐ money
s ll in a bank account ‐ untouched!!!
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Circles ‐ sacred, can harness power of life through circles on pis, on ponies …
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Sacred dances ‐ Sun dance to get protec on of spirits for tribe or to prove bravery… or
SCALP or BUFFALO DANCES
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Visions ‐ boys, in wilderness, to find spirit guide
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Medicine Man ‐ so important in tribe ‐ link to spirit world, also a doctor ‐ used mix of herbs
and religion to heal
8. WARFARE
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WHY FIGHT? ‐ To show bravery, to gain scalps (did scalp dance), to gain a wife, to keep the
young braves in check, to gain horses (wealth), to be able to enter a warrior society, to
prove themselves (coun ng coup) ‐ to one day become CHIEF!, to capture weapons e.g.
guns, to destroy tradi onal enemies e.g. Sioux and Pawnee or Crow, to take over their
hun ng grounds, to keep the tribe together (a feeling of belonging), to maintain the honour
of the tribe, to get revenge e.g. for stealing horses… There were WHOLE TRIBE reasons and
INDIVIDUAL REASONS.
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SCALPING ‐ whites upset by this BUT they did it too!! Scalping AND mu la on (e.g. slashing
tendons) was to disable enemy in a erlife. This is why if outnumbered, Indians would
retreat, sca ering, because do NOT want to lose scalp (can’t go to the a erlife). Scalps dried
out & used to decorate coup s cks, trousers, pi. Mothers proud when son gets 1st one, 1
warrior called PLENTY COUP!
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COUNTING COUP ‐ seen as silly game by non‐Indians, BUT really showed how brave they
were if they could approach enemy without being killed. Used hand or coup s ck (a lance),
gained feathers for acts of bravery for head‐dress, idea was NOT to kill everyone in enemy
tribe. Few casual es in Indian warfare really, more likely to die on hunt. Bravery meant you
could gain a wife or become chief one day.
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STEALING HORSES ‐ could be main purpose of raid. At night “sneaking” into enemy camp ‐
white people saw this as cowardly ‐ but risking a lot really, if anyone woke up ‐
outnumbered.
EARLY PIONEERS
(Early explorers like Lewis & Clark, Mountain Men, Gold Miners, Farmers to Oregon & California
e.g. Donners, Mormons) These are the people who crossed the Palins FIRST. Had few
problems with Indians ‐ only passing through, no
threat!
MOUNTAIN MEN
1.
JOB ‐ Fur trappers, hunters, beaver, traded fur. Lived alone in mountains, some mes
married Indian women (for Winter months), met up with other Mountain Men once a year
for “Rendezvous” ‐ swapped stories, traded with eastern merchants. Individuals ‐ Jim Bridg‐
er, Jim Klyman …
2.
IMPORTANCE OF MOUNTAIN MEN ‐ told stories of fer le land in Oregon & California… word
got back via merchants, and farmers started to arrive ‐ used Mountain Men as guides ‐ knew
this land well. Newspapers spread word, adver sed ‐ exaggerated reports.
3.
WERE SIMILAR TO INDIANS ‐ outdoors life, hunted animals, wearing animal skins, long hair,
weather‐beaten appearance, ½ married Indian women. BUT sold animals, didn’t use the
en re animal, some hos le to Indians e.g. to Blackfeet.
GOLD MINERS
1.
Migra on pa ern unusual, as they went west > east & west again… just followed gold
strikes. Mad Rush ‐ “GOLD FEVER”
2.
1st gold ‐ found in California 1848. GOLD RUSH by 1849. Miners called 49ers ‐ not
professionals. Amateurs ‐ even used spoons.
3.
Travelled overland (Danger of cholera, but cheapest way) or by boat round Cape Horn or via
Panama ‐ 10 weeks of hardship
4.
Disappointments ‐ newspapers had exaggerated. Most didn’t make fortune ‐ cost more to
live than were earning. Exploited by shopkeepers (including Mormons?) plenty of gambling,
women, alcohol to spend on
5.
Mostly men ‐ law & order problems ‐ chea ng at gambling, claim jumping, racist a acks esp.
against Chinese. Used Miners Courts OR lynchings ‐ VIGILANTES!! (Had to take law into own
hands ‐ no‐one else to do it)
6.
Later gold strikes e.g. Idaho in 1860, or famously, on Sioux sacred land, the Black Hills of
Dakota 1874 ‐ CUSTER
FARMERS WHO WENT TO THE FAR WEST (1840’S)
GO WEST! MANIFEST DESTINY
1.
Oregon & California ‐ DID NOT SETTLE ON GREAT PLAINS ‐ this was later 1843 the “Great
Migra on” 1,000 people emigrated from Independence, Missouri. Set off from places along
Missouri River e.g. St. Joseph, Independence. Fulfilling MANIFEST DESTINY (God‐given right
to se le the en re con nent)
2.
WHY “GO WEST”? Push and Pull factors ‐
a) 1830’s ‐ economic depression, unemployment ‐ banks collapsed, people wanted new
opportuni es/new start in life
b) Farmers in Mississippi Valley couldn’t sell wheat, depression hit them too ‐ why not go
further west?
c) Farmers in Mississippi Valley also feeling crowded, wanted vast open space for farms
(some had neighbours se ling 19km away!!!
d) Heard that Mountain Men would be excellent guides ‐ felt safe
e) Heard exaggerated reports from ‐ missionaries (wanted help to convert heathen Indians)
and from businessmen hoping to make money out of new se lers… paradise on earth… you
could grow anything there and make a fortune!
f) Own families wrote back to them once se led ‐ YES it IS good!
g) Government offered cheap land in Oregon (Pre‐emp on Bill in 1842)
3.
PREPARATION ‐ need to have wagon (prairie schooner), oxen, horses, Guide Book
(e.g. Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon and California, 1843), dried food, someone to cook it, men
to protect the Wagons, etc. spent $1,000 on average
4.
PROBLEMS & DIFFICULTIES
a) Donners ‐ 82 people set off 1846, by 1847 ‐ stuck in Sierra Nevada Mountains. On way to
California, tried to take a short‐cut recommended by Has ngs ‐ disaster, led to cannibalism.
½ survived. Word got out and people worried…
b) Difficult journey ‐ cholera, Indians some mes bothered them, salt desert, water a
problem, weather… storms, stampeding buffalo, quicksand, 20km per day, 34,000 people
died on the trail 1840‐60
THE MORMONS (LATTER DAY SAINTS)
1.
RELIGIOUS GROUP ‐ Chris ans, take word of Old Testament very seriously, no drinking,
gambling. Believe must create God’s heavenly city on earth (ZION) through obedience to
leaders (the prophets) and worship and working TOGETHER as a community. No one owns
property individually. Must try to convert as many as possible to be the “Chosen Ones”. Had
poli cal ambi ons.
2.
Begun by Joseph Smith, Palmyra, New York 1823, visited by angel Moroni, gold plates on
hillside. Dictated the BOOK of MORMON 1830. Hounded out for being false prophet ‐ said
Jesus didn’t come to America a er resurrec on!
3.
Persecuted in every place they tried to se le:
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Kirkland, Ohio: 1831‐7 ‐ temple, bank, stores etc, but Smith tarred & Feathered, bank
collapsed ‐ blamed for economic crisis ‐ hounded out
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Missouri: 1837‐8 ‐ people jealous of their business success and poli cal ambi ons. Se lers
destroyed Mormon property, scared of being controlled by them, hated Mormon view that
slaves should be free, and treated Indians well
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Nauvoo, Illinois: 1838‐46 ‐ Had independence, no problem. Looked as though going to be
le alone ‐ ideal society ready to be created, no poverty, evils of drinking, smoking… HAD
OWN GOVERNMENT AND OWN ARMY ‐ Nauvoo legion of 4,000 men. BUT...Joseph Smith
went too far. 1844, he wanted POLYGAMY ‐ to strengthen numbers (& more women than
men). Some Mormons rebelled and wrote an ‐polygamy propaganda ‐ Smith a acked their
HQ. Smith got arrested and Non‐Mormon crowd dragged him out of jail and shot him be‐
cause HE HAD AMBITIONS TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF USA!!!
4.
TURNING POINT ‐ BRIGHAM YOUNG, 1846 ‐ 2nd Prophet, decided to take them
TO A DESERT ‐ A PLACE NO‐ONE ELSE WANTS!! ‐ away from ‘gen les’ ‐ the GREAT SALT
LAKE...dras c move.
5.
BRIGHAM YOUNG ‐ GREAT LEADER ‐ 16,000 Mormons to get across to Great Salt Lake.
Divided them up into separate wagon trains each led by a captain, built way‐sta ons
(e.g. Camp Israel) and Winter Quarters. April 1847 Young led “Pioneer Band” into Salt Lake.
Land owned by Mexico & so could have their own laws. Had to leave sooner than expected ‐
a acked.
6.
Making a success of Salt Lake City ‐ Built a permanent home there. HOW? Followed
Brigham Young ‐ believed his was word of God
a)
City built by 1867. Houses of sun dried brick. Water and land ra oned out ‐ no arguments
b)
Self‐Sufficiency ‐ to avoid trouble with gen les, linked with polygamy (more people) and
linked with...