Indian Frq for Ap Us History

In the 1830’s the Plains Indians were sent to the Great American Deserts in the west because the white men did not think they deserved the land. Afterwards, they were able to live peacefully, and to follow their traditions and customs, but when the white men found out the land they were on were still good for agricultural, or even for railroad land they took it back. Thus, the white man movement westward quickly begun. This prospect to expand westward caused the government to become thoroughly involved in the lives of the Plains Indians. These intrusions by the white men had caused spoilage of the Plains Indians buffalo hunting styles, damaged their social and cultural lives, and hurt their overall lives. The lives of the Plains Indians in the second half of the nineteenth century were greatly affected by the technological development and government actions.

The development of the transcontinental railroad was the most devastating technological development that affected the Plains Indians. Although the railroad was powerful and helpful to the white man, it was not for the Plains Indians. The transcontinental railroad was the reason why the westward movement of the white man happened so quickly. With the white man moving westward they found valuable land for agricultural, which to be the Plains Indians land, and they found a lot of gold mines. During the time of the building of the transcontinental railroad a lot of white man killed the buffalo. They found that as a sport, and even to use it to harm the Plains Indians. At that time the buffalo was a main source of food, fur, and a hunting lifestyle for the Plains Indians and by the white man killing it off it effectively hurt them. The white man killed the buffalo in large amount of numbers that they almost made them go instinct, and they hurt the Plains Indians huge. Although the Plains Indians did kill the buffalo for their food and furs, their hunting did not have a large impact on the buffalo population. Also, the transcontinental railroad went through the land that the Plains Indians lived on. They were forced to move into smaller areas that were designated by the government. A lot of wars happened over this issue, and over the issue of gold being on their land. For example, The Great Sioux War was over gold being on the Plains Indians land and the white man wanted it. Therefore, the development of the transcontinental railroad was the most devastating technological development that affected the Plains Indians because the main source of food supply was shorted, and they were moved off their land for agricultural, transcontinental land, and gold mining.

As a result of the white man’s expansion, the Plains Indians were force to alter their hunting lifestyle to an agricultural lifestyle. The white man destruction of the buffalo left a few buffalo’s by the 1870’s, so hunting was no longer an option for the Plains Indians. The government was successfully able to turn the Plains Indians to agricultural based, thus, they begun assimilating the Plains Indians into their culture. Congress enforced the Dawes Severalty Act in 1887, which divided the Plains Indians reservations into small farms. Thus, they forced