Westward Expansion and Native Resistance

Overview

This chapter covers the transformation of the American West from Indigenous-dominated lands to settler-controlled territories through migration, economic expansion, violence, and myth-making, focusing on Native resistance, economic development, and the shaping of American identity.

Indigenous West and Early Expansion

• Native Americans controlled most of the West before the mid-1800s, connected by trade and warfare.
• Post-Civil War, U.S. expansion intensified, violating treaties and relocating Native groups to reservations.
• The West's history involves both triumph for settlers and tragedy for Indigenous peoples.

Post-Civil War Migration and Settlement

• After the Civil War, settlers moved west for mining, land, and economic opportunity.
• Gold and silver rushes in Colorado, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and the Black Hills attracted thousands.
• The bison population was decimated for hides, leading to the rise of cattle ranching.
• Mormons migrated west to escape religious persecution, settling in Utah.
• The 1862 Homestead Act enabled male citizens to claim land; women were mostly excluded.
• Western settlement led to rapid population growth in states like Kansas and Texas.

Indian Wars and Federal Policies

• Conflicts erupted as settlement, railroads, and mining clashed with Indigenous ways of life.
• The Dakota War, Sand Creek Massacre, and Red River War exemplified violent confrontations.
• Federal "peace policy" involved Christianizing and assimilating Native peoples on reservations.
• Boarding schools like Carlisle Indian School aimed to replace Native cultures with American norms.
• Military forced Comanche, Sioux, and others onto reservations after violent resistance.

Beyond the Plains: West and Southwest

• Utes, Paiutes, Navajo, Modoc, and Nez Perce faced displacement, violence, and forced marches.
• Treaty violations and exploitative labor practices decimated Indigenous populations in California.

Economic Expansion: Railroads and Cattle

• Railroads revolutionized settlement and economy, linking the West to national markets.
• The transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, heavily subsidized by the government.
• Dangerous, low-paid jobs, often filled by immigrants, built the railroads.
• Cattle drives moved herds to railheads; cowboys borrowed from Mexican vaquero traditions.
• The cattle industry boomed then declined as railroads reached Texas.

Allotment Era and Native Resistance

• The Dawes Act of 1887 divided tribal lands into individual allotments, undermining tribal sovereignty.
• Unclaimed lands were sold to settlers; Native nations lost most of their territory.
• The Ghost Dance religious movement spread as a response to loss and hardship.
• The Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890 marked the end of large-scale armed Native resistance.

Myth-Making: Rodeos, Wild West Shows, and the Turner Thesis

• Dime novels, rodeos, and Wild West shows popularized myths of cowboys and Native Americans.
• Buffalo Bill Cody and others commercialized frontier life, shaping national identity.
• Frederick Jackson Turner's "Frontier Thesis" argued the frontier shaped American democracy and character.
• Turner's model overlooked diversity, government aid, and nonwhite contributions.

Key Terms & Definitions

• Homestead Act — 1862 law granting 160 acres to settlers for improving and residing on land.
• Reservation — Designated area for Native Americans, often with restricted sovereignty.
• Dawes Act — 1887 law dividing tribal lands into individual plots for Native families.
• Ghost Dance — Native religious movement promising restoration of lost lands and way of life.
• Transcontinental Railroad — First railway connecting the eastern U.S. to the Pacific coast.
• Wounded Knee Massacre — 1890 killing of Lakota Sioux by U.S. Army, ending major Native resistance.
• Frontier Thesis — Frederick Jackson Turner's idea that the frontier defined American identity.

Action Items / Next Steps

• Review associated primary sources for insight into Native perspectives and policy debates.
• Study the impact of the Dawes Act and the Ghost Dance on Native communities.
• Read selections from Turner’s “Frontier Thesis” for understanding of American historical memory.