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Homestead Act
The Homestead Act allowed all U.S. citizens to apply to the federal government for a "homestead." Any citizen who agreed to farm for at least five years was awarded land, typically 160 acres. This act allowed for exodusters to move west to places like Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma. -
Exodusters
Exodusters was the name given to African Americans migrating out of the South, mostly into Colorado, Kansas, and Oklahoma. This became easier for them to do after the Homestead Act was passed, but the first mass migration was not until 1879, The Exodus of 1879. It also became easier for exodusters to move once the transcontinental railroad was built, with help from the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862. -
Homestead Act 1862
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Pacific Railroad Act of 1862
The Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 were a series of acts to help the construction of a transcontinental railroad. It did this by giving railroad companies government bonds and grants of land. Since more people were going the be moving out west, higher education was being created by the Morrill Land-Grant Act. -
Morrill Land-Grant Act
This act provided land grants so that new western states could establish colleges specializing in "agriculture and the mechanic arts." This gave farmers and other working class citizens the opportunity of higher education. As the west finally seemed to start coming together, this was set back by the Sand Creek Massacre. -
Sand Creek Massacre
The Sand Creek Massacre was a surprise attack on the surrendered camp of Cheyenne people in southeastern Colorado Territory by U.S. troops. Many were injured, and 230 people were killed. The whites and Natives later tried to make peace through the Treaty of Fort Laramie. -
Crazy Horse & Red Cloud, Treaty of Fort Laramie
After signing the Treaty of Fort Laramie, Red Cloud and Crazy Horse were famous Indian Chiefs, and were important leaders of the Lakota while they transitioned to life on a reservation. The treaty was to make peace between the whites and the Sioux who would agree to settle on a reservation. Other tribes were signing treaties for peace in exchange for living on reservations, like the Medicine Lodge Treaty. -
Sitting Bull
Sitting Bull was a Teton Dakota Native American chief who united the Sioux tribes to resist white settlers taking their tribal land. He believed he should never sign a treaty that would force his people onto reservation, which is why he did not sign the Fort Laramie Treaty. -
Medicine Lodge Treaty, Chief Satanta
Medicine Lodge Treaty was the name for the three treaties, signed between the Federal government and the southern Plain Indian tribes. It was to bring peace, by relocating the Native Americans to reservations. Chief Satanta had helped in negotiating and signing these treaties, but made sure his tribe did not have to abandon their nomadic ways. The peace between Natives and whites did not last long, as in 1876 there was the Battle of the Little Bighorn. -
Great Sioux War
The Great Sioux War was a series of battles and negotiations between the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and the US. The war was caused by the desire of the US to gain ownership of the Black Hills of Dakota because gold had been discovered there. The US ended up claiming victory as Crazy Horse and other leaders surrendered on May 5th, 1877. This was not the only battle at the time between the US government and Natives, as the Battle of the Little Bighorn was also going on at this time. -
Battle of the Little Bighorn
The Battle of the Little Bighorn happened when the Second Treaty of Fort Laramie was broken. The Sioux and Cheyenne Indians left their reservations to fight for their land. This battle ended up being the worst US defeat, and the greatest Native American victory. Though not all tribes experienced great victories, as leaders like Chief Joseph were forced to retreat. -
Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph was a leader of the Wal-lam-wat-kain band of Nez Perce. He became famous for leading his tribe on an epic flight across the Rocky Mountains. He is known for one of the most masterful retreats in military history, called the Nez Perce War. He was eventually forced to surrender to the US army on October 5th, 1877 and his people had to move to a reservation. The US government continuously harmed Native American culture, especially by the Dawes Severalty Act that was passed. -
Dawes Severalty Act
This act was an attempt to dissolve Indian tribes by redistributing their land. It broke up Indian reservations and distributed land to individual households. This act was to encourage Natives to live more like white people, trying to take away their culture. The Native Americans tried to bring back their traditional way of life through the Ghost Dance movement. -
Ghost Dance
The Ghost Dance movement was an attempt of the Natives trying to restore their traditional culture. It was a religious cult based on the performance of a ritual dance that was suppose to drive away white people. The Wounded Knee Massacre is what ended the Ghost Dance movement. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
On December 29th the US Army was surrounding a group of Ghost Dancers and demanded them to surrender their weapons. A fight broke out and a shot was fired, which started an awful massacre. Almost 300 died and 51 were wounded. This was the end of Natives resistance to the whites oppressing them. For years the US government continued to try and get rid of Indian culture, and even sent many Natives to boarding schools. -
Bureau of Indian Affairs Boarding Schools
The Bureau of Indian Affairs established Native American boarding schools in the late 19th century. Children in these schools were immersed into European-American culture, by being forced to change haircuts, not being able to speak their own language, and by having their names replaced with European names. These schools were very harsh on the students and most eventually closed down.
