1862

HO M ES T E A D A C T
T H E

T E A D ACT O F 18 6 2 oln in 1862. T

he law en titled

HOM ES Federa l L a w sig n e d by A b ra h a m L in

by the
c
L o u is ia n a P u rchase if they
, the
did
United States
d Act was a e area gained in th g for the deed n filin
The Homestea ac re s o f u nd eveloped land d file for deed of title. Whe ro vements to the
local
1 6 0 -6 4 0 la n d , an u ire d im p
an individual
to prove the g the req
roof of makin to Washington, D.C., and th
e land
g s : fi le a n application, im ide n c y a n d p .
three thin
a d to s ub m it proof of res pplication was forwarded e n u p a rm s a gainst the U.S
h had tak
homesteader e n paid ten dolla
rs, the a
le w ere those who
c e . H e th in e li g ib
land offi who were
c a m e h is . T h e only people
be

Answer the following questions on your graphic organizer:

1. According to these documents, where is free land being given away?

2. How many years can the land be held without taxes, assessment, or interest?

3. According to the document, what are the only costs associated with this offer?

4. DO YOU THINK THE HOMESTEAD ACT WILL HAVE A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE AFFECT ON NATIVE AMERICANS LIVING IN THOSE STATES? WHY?
 1869
N S C O N T I N E N T A L
THE T R A
L R O AD
BREAKING DOWN VOCABULARY

R A I *TRANS = CROSS

*CONTINENTAL = THE CONTINENT

=THE UNITED STATES

TRANSCONTINENTAL =ACROSS THE UNITED

STATES

F RA IL RO A D S 9. The amoun
t of

THE EXPANSION O
p le te d in 1 8 6
as com
a n d west coasts, w t of
t every aspec out the
king the e a s t
d, lin cted just abou h ffe ug
t tr a ns c o nti nental railroa n e x t 2 5 y e a rs. Railroads a factories to consumers thro
The firs ld in the es and
ro ad tr a c k in creased fivefo ted raw materials to factori an d coal industrie
s.
rail s c o nn e c o n , ste e l,
. Railroad ted the ir at Plains with
the
American life o n o f th e ra il roads stimula rs to th e G re
nation. Constr
ucti
o n ti er. T h e y brought sett
le
rk ets. R a il ro ad companies
t of the fr rban m a nts as
o p ro m o te d the settlemen e fa rm s o n the plains to u Irish and Chinese immigra
a ls y linked th also used
The railroads fa rm land. Then the Europe for settlers. They
c h e a p
promise of rtising in
ration by adve eir new transcontinental li
nes.
o te d im m ig
prom ing th
force for build
a cheap labor
Answer the following questions on your graphic organizer:
1. How did railroads affect american life?

2. How did railroads promote the settlement of the frontier?

3. WHAT IMMIGRANT GROUPS WERE USED AS A CHEAP LABOR FORCE?

4. what type of impact might the railroad have on Native Americans living in the states that the railroad ran through? Explain your
answer.
 1860S-1890S
E O F T H E B UF F A L O
THE DECL I N

!
ca. 1873
National Archives

"no story of wildlife decline in North

America is more widely
known than the demise of the buffalo"

!
!
HE B U FF A L O ve America
ns

THE DECLINE OF T s area was home to milliloonres poref bsueffnted more thanigfoht,odP.laFinorsm
! th e N ati
alo an d any

Great Plain ffa rn

. But the bu material culture. Day o uffalo product. By
Much of the a n d hid e s
ff their food c items of of some b
who lived o er one hundred specifi f sight, touch, or smell Non-Indians killed the
ov ut o line. port
it provided o t e v e r have been o lation was on the dec n ju s t fo r the pure s s off
ld n u ws, or e v e e Indian
Indians cou wever, the buffalo pop n struction cre attempted to drive th
0 s , h o ro a d c o etween
the 187 p e lt s , to feed rail ted in the West often n s o f supplies. B
th e ir In d ia e skin
buffalo for m a n d e rs who opera a w a y to deprive the , most often taking th
o m a s lo nd
of it. Army c s by killing the buffalo rs killed 9 million buffa a y o f li fe was ruined a
nd
of desired la 5, only three years, hu
nte dian w
8 7 te . B y th e 1880s the In
1872 and 1 in was lains.
v in g th e c a rcass to rot an settlement of the P
and lea r Ameri c
e w ay w a s cleared fo
th

Answer the following questions on your graphic organizer:

1. In what ways did native americans use the buffalo?

2. According to the above picture (with the railroad), how do did the coming of the transcontinental railroad impact the buffalo?

3. why was the destruction of the buffalo so detrimental to the native american way of life?
 1887
IV E A M E R I C A N S :
N A T TH E D A W E S
S E R V AT I O N S A N D
R E
ACT m their lands
onto

RESERVATIONS
m e ri c an s fro
g Native A the tribe
s from which kets,
llo w e d a p o licy of pushin a n th e la n d
ment fo smaller th od, blan
1 83 0 -1 8 90 , the U.S. govern t. Reservation lands were ral government promised fo y hunters, not
From the Wes e fede ditionall
v e rn m e nt re servations in ted of undesirable land. Th a ti ve A m e ricans were tra
g o s is ms, since N
and often con h tribal custo
was removed clas h e d w it
this policy
and seed, but
farmers. mainstream c h
ulture.

THE DAWES ACT

d o p tin g th e
ation”-a es. Eac
c an s u n d e rg o “Americaniz lished Native American trib expected
tive Ame ri e act ab o ans were
e re form e rs urged that Na anize Native Americans. Th te p ro p ert y. Native Americ
Som eric priva
t sought to Am nd as its own enship.
The Dawes Ac 160 acres of reservation la of life were given U.S. citiz
en ay
family was giv . Those who adopted this w
n d
to farm the la

THE DAWES ACT

U.S. PERCEIVED INDIAN PERCEIVED
BENEFITS TO LOSS TO
INDIANS THEMSELVES
U.S. Citizenship Loss of Indian
Independence

Ownership of Land Have to give up

(land could not be communal living and
taken by train way of live (nomadic)
expansion,
homesteaders or
settlers)
Schooling for children Takes children away
from family

...the real aim of [the Dawes Act] is to get at

Assimilation to be Loss of cultural identity
the Indians land and open it up for Americans (Civilizing
resettlement..." the Indian)
-Senetor Henry M. Telling Survival of Indians as Death of Indian as
American people Indian people

Answer the following questions on your graphic organizer:

1. was the reservation system a positive or negative for native americans? why?

2. Blast from the Past!!! what was the first indian removal that forced native americans westward?

3. list two benefits the u.s. felt the dawes act provided for native americans? list two losses native americans felt the dawes act brought
them?
 1890
WOUN D E D K N E E

n-
WOUNDED KNEE a c o n s ta n t battle with no
ngaged in
s e rv a ti o n s . These tribes e 1 8 6 0s and 1870s
.
n e d to re t th e la te
refused to be
confi ughou
Many Indians k in g tr o o p in stallments thro
and attac ey
ia n s , ra id in g settlements , w h o a ss u re d them that th
In d t Wovoka
, a n d tu rn e d to the prophe n c e. As the Ghost
Dance
te 1 8 8 0 s G h o st D a
in the la ed the
e S io u x b e c a me desperate f th e P la in s if they perform o v e m e n t an d attempted to
Th minance o us of the m
re tu rn to th eir original do a u th o riti e s were suspicio m o v ement. In a fig
ht
would m il ita ry r o f th e
ins, Indian offi
cials and e the cente
w e p t th e P la w h o s e c a b in had becom
s ar hero
c h ie f S it ti n g Bull, a Sioux w y shot.
arrest ull w as accidentall ee.
u ts id e th e c a bin, S itti n g B
c an tr o o p s a t Wounded Kn
o y Ameri
d ia n s w e re slaughtered b s e n tially conquere
d and
8 9 0 , 3 0 0 In s w e re e s
ber 29, 1 s Indian
o w e e k s la ter, on Decem d ia n re s is ta nce; the Plain
Tw lic end to In
m a s s a cre w as the symbo t decade.
This
a ti o ns th ro ughout the nex
serv
moved into re

Answer the following questions on your graphic organizer:

1. in the 1860s and 1870s, why did indian tribes engage in constant battle with non-indians?

2. What did the sioux believe would happen if they performed the ghost dance?

3. why do you think indian officials and military authorities were suspicious of the ghost dance?

4. what happened to the plains indians after the wounded knee massacre?