Defeat and demise of the Native Americans of the Plains

Impact of the Gold Rush

The Gold Rush starting in 1848 brought mass migration, often called ‘the 49ers’, to California, encroaching on Native American territories.
The non-Native settlers were merciless in their pursuit of land and resource, disregarding treaties and rights of the Native Americans, leading to numerous violent clashes.

Railway Expansion

The Transcontinental Railroad, completed in 1869, had a devastating impact on the Plains Indians’ way of life, disrupting buffalo herds and traditional hunting grounds.
The railway brought an influx of settlers, miners, and hunters to the West, escalating conflicts over land and resources.

Battles and Conflicts

Sand Creek Massacre (1864): In Colorado, a militia attacked a camp of Cheyenne and Arapaho people, igniting the Indian Wars between Plains Indians and U.S. forces.
Battle of Little Bighorn (1876): General Custer and his men were famously defeated in Montana by Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors, but it sparked a concentrated effort by the U.S. government to subdue the Plains Indians.
Wounded Knee Massacre (1890): The U.S. 7th Cavalry Regiment slaughtered Lakota Sioux people, marking the end of the Native American resistance.

Federal Policies and Acts

The Indian Removal Act (1830) aimed to relocate Eastern tribes to the Western territories, causing immense suffering and death during the forced moves.
The Reservation Policy of the 1850s confined tribes to specified areas, stripping them of their traditional lands and disrupting their nomadic lifestyle.
Dawes General Allotment Act (1887) subdivided tribal lands into small plots for individual families, promoting assimilation and farming at the expense of communal and cultural practices.

Demise of the Buffalo

The destruction of the buffalo, largely by professional hunters for the railway industry, had a catastrophic impact on the Plains Indians who relied upon the buffalo for food, clothing, and materials for shelter.
By the 1880s, the buffalo population had been decimated, reflecting the fate of the Plains Indians themselves.

Cultural Suppression

The U.S. government implemented policies aimed at Americanising Native Americans, including the Indian boarding school system which attempted to erase their indigenous languages, religions, and cultural practices.
The Ghost Dance Movement, a spiritual response to the intense pressure, was brutally suppressed leading to further disenfranchisement and displacement.