AP U.S. History The American West

Welcome back to www.educator.com.0000

This lesson focuses on the American west.0002

In this lesson, we are going to talk about the importance of the U.S. frontier during the late 19th century.0007

We are going to see how there is a divide between industrial America and agricultural America.0016

Two different societies are living side by side, and there is obviously tension as well, as industrialization continues to spread.0024

Yet, the settling of the west by European Americans will also involve creating agricultural societies,0035

and farming, and so forth, and cattle ranching.0045

That is going to eventually lead to many major battles against Native Americans, who throughout U.S. history had been pushed farther and father to the west.0049

All these things are interconnected.0060

As Americans continue to reach their goal of manifest destiny in reaching the Pacific Ocean,0062

they are going to be building infrastructure to help settle the west, to tame the west.0074

Railroads will be built, we talked about the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869.0080

And then, we will talk about how the west and the frontier captured Americans' imagination0089

and become central to entertainment.0096

The idea of the Wild West is something that many people are pulled into and entertained by,0100

and it becomes part of American culture and still resonates today.0106

We will talk about relations with Native Americans.0114

Some of the last major battles in the 19th century.0117

The reservation and assimilation policies that were advocated by the U.S. government.0122

Then, we will talk about some of the different groups in the west in the 19th century,0129

miners, cowboys, farmers, and explore how diverse these different groups of people were.0136

We will focus also on the Chinese immigrants in the United States, and how they will help to contribute0144

not only during the gold rush but also on the railroads, and the different struggles that they also faced.0151

Then, we will also talk about how the environment was affected by this widespread settlement, and the birth of the conservation movement.0158

A lot to cover here.0168

One thing to definitely keep in mind when we talk about the history of the American west,0171

is that the idea of the frontier of wide open spaces, if you will.0176

It is central to the American identity.0181

This is something that I think is part of U.S. culture.0187

This will tie into manifest destiny, the idea that it was the Americans destiny to expand into the west.0194

There is obviously a bias here that European American culture is superior,0204

that they are expanding their republican institutions into the west.0212

And they are helping to civilize the west and build the economy.0217

This at all ties in all of these different ideas that work well together to help justify the expansion into the west.0223

Obviously, Native Americans are going to be at the short end of the stick with this type of relationship with the European Americans.0233

During the post Civil War era, the republican vision at the time was to integrate the national economy.0247

And yes, there was a need for the government to help fund internal improvements to connect the country.0253

Whereas the early Republican vision was extremely laissez-faire, especially post Civil War era,0260

we are going to see Republicans advocating for more and more, the government helping to fund,0271

especially railroads and to cooperate with certain land policies, like the Homestead Act that we would be talking about.0280

Railroads will be important to help connect the country, unify it, and this will help businesses, this will help industrialize.0289

It will help move people to the west.0298

Protective tariffs will be very important and a turning away from the laissez-faire approach,0302

to a certain extent, will be part of this Republican vision.0308

But we do see increasingly a public-private partnership emerging more and more.0314

With big business, in fact, will work hand and hand with the U.S. government for quite a time period.0321

And this will eventually lead to what becomes known as the gilded age, where there are some big business that will abuse this relationship0329

and try to make huge profits, and take advantage of the laissez-faire approach, that the government was actually participating in,0337

in terms of not regulating and not breaking up a lot of the monopolies, which we will be talking about more in the next lesson.0349

But it does tie into this lesson as well.0358

Again, laissez-faire to a certain extent, because we do see protective tariffs being put into place by the Federal government0364

that are meant to protect the American industries.0372

We will see a lot of subsidies, federal monies going into the building of railroads, which would be very important.0377

The income fund tariffs will help to address the debt from the Civil War.0385

They need the funding to help build this infrastructure which will be a long-term investment to help the economy.0390

By the end of the 19th century, we see this divide.0398

It seemed as if there are two nations.0401

One that was industrial and one that was the frontier.0403

These are very much interrelated.0408

The final settlement across the Great Plains in the far west was a result of the spread of American industrialism.0410

Very much important point.0419

The Great Plains and the West.0426

These are the two regions that we will be focusing on primarily in this lesson.0430

These are two major ecological regions, east of the Rockies and the Semiarid Great Plains and Arid West, which is west of the Rockies.0434

These two regions became the site of the final stage of the European American occupation of the continental U.S.0444

And ultimately, domination of the U.S.0451

As we will see, about 100,000 Native Americans lived on the Great Plains during the mid 19th century.0455

Smallpox, measles ravaged many of the southeastern tribes previously, but many of the Midwestern and Western tribes were less vulnerable.0464

And were very migratory, and lived off of the buffalo in the plains, especially.0474

That is going to become a huge target and a huge area that the European Americans are going to look to expand into.0483

And therefore, the Native Americans are going to have to go according to the expansionists vision.0491

You can have a visual here to see how this breaks down.0502

This is the area of the Great Plains.0506

This is what we would call the Far West, and then the West, and the Rocky Mountains are right here.0510

Again, westward expansion will continue throughout the late 1800’s.0517

The United States had reached its manifest destiny but people were continuing to settle, and states were continuing to be formed.0524

That is going to be a major development.0534

The other major thing that is going to happen is that we are going to see cattle ranching becoming extremely popular,0538

as many of the longhorn cattle will come from Texas and other southern states, southwestern states, what we call today.0544

They are to receive major drives up into the plains which mean that the buffalo are going to have to go.0555

We will see efforts by buffalo hunters and the U.S. government to kill the buffalo.0563

They actually almost went extinct.0572

One of the goals was to expand farming but also to starve out the Native Americans, which was the mindset in the late 19th century,0576

that became much more aggressive toward Native Americans, for the most part.0589

Speaking of Native Americans, here is a map of the Great Plains and West, and Far West.0594

You can see all of the different tribes scattered across the map here.0601

In blue, the major regions where there were reservations that were established.0607

We talked about previously the five civilized tribes that were resettled in what is today mostly Oklahoma.0612

Today, we are also going to talk about some of the other reservations that were created for the Sioux Indians in the Dakotas,0621

and some other regions as well, for instance, around Montana.0629

Those are the main ones we are going to focus on in this lesson, just to give you a few examples.0638

There are several others but those are the ones we are going to focus on here.0641

The Sioux are one of the major tribal groups that we are going to focus on.0650

They are also known as the Lakota people, originally from Minnesota.0655

They were an eastern prairie people who moved westward and depended on the Great Plains for survival.0661

The antelope and buffalo, in particular.0668

They hunted wild game, they became nomadic and hunted.0670

Their religious life was tied to the natural world.0675

God was not a supreme being but instead throughout the universe.0679

There were various spirits tied to nature, and animals were extremely important in a lot of their different myths and traditions.0683

They traded historically with the Pawnees, the Mandans, as well as European Americans.0695

For many years, relations were somewhat peaceful with the European Americans.0702

But as more and more European Americans migrate westward,0707

we are going to see increasing clashes with the Sioux and other Great Plains tribes.0712

European Americans began to have their eyes on Oregon and California.0720

And as you may remember that, California became a state in 1850.0725

In the 1850’s, we are going to see major migrations deep into the west.0733

They are going to travel on the Oregon Trail, many by covered wagon.0740

And American fever took hold as Norwegians and Swedes came to the United States in search of a better life.0744

We will also see in northeastern cities, immigrants coming into the industrialized regions to work in factories.0753

But we will also see immigrant groups looking to farm and start anew.0761

There was tons of land that they viewed for the taking and it was cheap and accessible.0767

Even though it was a hard life being out on the frontier, many were looking to have a new opportunity.0774

We will also see many southern blacks known as exodusters came to Kansas to resettle0781

and escaped the racist south to have farms and have a new life.0793

Then, we will also see Indian country, what was known as Indian country,0801

became the bridge to the Pacific and railroads would help in the process of building that bridge.0804

As railroads were built by the help of Federal government, awarding huge land grants, subsidies,0810

and loans to two major companies that will establish railroad lines.0817

Those being the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific railroads.0823

Also keep in mind that building communications system was all hand in hand with building this infrastructure.0828

Telegraph lines are also important and brought into San Francisco by 1861.0837

Cattle raising became popular.0846

But as I mentioned, the bison had to go.0848

Yes, the herds almost vanished within 10 years.0852

It was particularly gruesome the manner and recklessness in which European Americans, especially, other groups as well,0855

but primarily European American hunters slaughtered the bison.0864

Just for sport, and in some cases, they could make money if they were hired to actually kill the buffalo.0873

Buffalo hunters eliminated the buffalo, in order to make room for cattle and to starve American Indians, as horrible as it sounds.0882

That was the mindset back then, that they have to clear out this region and they felt justified that they were helping to civilize this region.0892

Today’s, rational minded people would say this was very cruel and very shortsighted, just immoral on so many different levels.0902

But this was the tactic, in order to expand into the west, and how the west was won.0915

New technologies were also incorporated and encouraged to be used to help promote farming.0922

Steel plows, barbed wire, and strains of hardened kernel wheat.0929

If you may remember that the Great Plains region, what today we would call, not so much to the east but,0937

the Midwest and to the Great Plains, good chunk of the Midwest where there is a lot of farming.0945

Many people thought that there were a lot of opportunities there,0954

so they had to find new ways to work with the hostile environment and dry land.0957

These pioneers, these trail blazers, those who were looking to develop the Great Plains had to come up with new techniques,0968

dry farming techniques, to make the most of the grim situation and make the land productive, so they could subsist and survive.0976

All these different companies, as well as individuals, and government policy, will all come together to help develop the west.0989

Railroads, land speculators, there were all kinds of opportunities for land investors to make a quick buck,0998

to sell land and to buy up land really quickly.1006

Steamship lines in the western states and territories did all they could to encourage settlement of the Great Plains,1009

and do it quickly, so that this would help the United States to become a stronger country.1016

And as I was saying before, the transcontinental railroad will be instrumental in unifying the nation and will finally be complete by 1869,1022

where the two major railroad lines, the Central Pacific and Union Pacific will meet in Utah, promontory point.1033

This is a symbolic picture when they finally complete the railroad and meet at this point.1041

A major historic event that called for a celebration.1050

As a reminder, this is supposed to be 1949, no this is 1849.1058

In 1849 was the Gold Rush.1068

As you may recall that James Marshall found traces of gold in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas.1073

This is going to lead to a huge gold rush, as miners are going to flock to this region, in particular, in California but also in Oregon too.1079

This is going to help the population grow tremendously.1091

The non-Native American population increased almost 20 times in four years.1095

As you could see here, from 14,000 to about 220,000 in 1852.1101

Forty-niners, those California migrants abandoned their homes and jobs and hit the trails to mine gold.1107

Now, if we do see as far as demographics were concerned, most of the miners and most of the settlements were made up of men.1115

There was a huge lack of women and children and families.1125

And then, we will also see many Chinese migrants coming to California and to the Pacific Northwest, as well, in search of gold mountain.1129

For the gold rush, for economic opportunities, many poor Chinese, in particular, came as indentured servants.1139

They would loan money for their passage to California.1147

Here is a picture where you could see Chinese laborers in the mines.1151

You may also recall that, eventually, many of the Chinese workers will be pushed out of the mining1157

because a lot of euro-centric American miners, workers feel that they should have first dibs to those working opportunities.1164

Chinese migrants will have to find work elsewhere.1178

There are definitely ardous work, especially in the railroad building business, that was a laborious, a very difficult type of job to take on.1182

But there were tons of opportunities there, backbreaking work.1193

Actually, many of the Chinese ended up working on the railroad throughout the Sierra Nevada.1198

By the late 1850s, the California gold panned out and other minimal discoveries will eventually help develop the far west.1207

These sometimes were not as emphasized just the gold, silver mining and other industries like copper, lead, and zinc.1217

Remote areas turned into mob scenes of prospectors, traders, gamblers, and prostitutes.1225

Yes, because there were not a lot of women around, as well as saloon keepers.1231

Prospectors made their own codes and often discriminated against different minority groups such as Mexicans, Chinese, and blacks.1235

However, do keep in mind that California, especially, always has a long history of being diverse.1242

Despite these examples of discrimination, we are also seeing people blend and mix, and coexist.1250

But there certainly was discrimination, both are part of the history.1259

Open ranching became popular.1266

Cattle towns capture the nation's imagination as symbols of the Wild West.1268

And again, this will continue and even be glorified even more,1274

when we get to later on in history with the westerns and movies and Hollywood, and so forth.1279

That will kind of take on another life of its own that will draw from this history.1286

The importance of cowboy culture and so forth, in the Wild West.1293

There is a lot of mythology that draws from this history and that was dramatized, and became part of the culture.1298

As I was mentioning, many cattle were driven to Northern regions in the Great Plains.1308

During the long drive, Texas ranchers hired cowboys to herd the longhorn cattle north to the railroads,1317

to push them eventually westward across Kansas.1324

That is another reason we want to point out, that Chicago, in fact, will become a major hub for the meat business as well,1329

which is interesting to know, because of its location being somewhat in the middle of the United States, to kill and process the meat.1337

And also to get it delivered effectively and efficiently throughout the nation via railroad.1352

That connects in as well.1360

By the late 1880’s, open range ranching did come to an end.1362

Sheep raising was also popular in the high country of the Rockies and Sierras.1368

Ranching, very important, as well as other forms of agriculture.1373

Cowboys and Buffalo Bill's Wild West, kind of back to the western culture.1382

Cowboys were a very diverse group and more ordinary than the typical popular image.1391

They work long hours under poor working conditions.1398

One of the most famous cowboys who took on a life all of his own, was ex-fighter William F. Cody, who became known as Buffalo Bill.1403

He was an army scout in 1868 war with Native Americans.1415

In 1869, Ned Buntline wrote Buffalo Bill, the King of the Bordermen.1420

This is where Cody is going to actually end up taking on this nickname, and in fact,1429

he is going to become involved in these Wild West shows, where the mythology of what it meant to be in the Wild West,1438

what it meant to be a cowboy was over-glorified and dramatized.1449

Cody was nicknamed Buffalo Bill for hunting buffalo to feed the construction crews of the Kansas Pacific railroad.1456

He was like the quintessential western man and the epitome of the Wild West.1466

The Wild West show offered displays of Buffalo Bill, and also a lot of these participants will show their horsemanship.1474

They were sharpshooters like the famous little Annie Oakley, who was a skilled gunwoman, and real Indians such as Sitting Bull.1485

We will talk about him in a little bit.1496

Annie Oakley, a famous sharpshooter, became famous for her performances.1498

She had a really good shot and she ended up traveling, and even went to the American Exposition in London in 18871504

which was pretty phenomenal for a woman, especially as a young woman.1515

She was kind of the female frontiers women that was glorified and entertaining,1521

and something to be proud about in the U.S., at this point in history.1530

She also performed in vaudeville which is entertainment, kind of specialty shows for working class,1537

middle class people, that included all types of shows, like variety shows, I guess you could say,1546

Burlesque, comedy, song, dance, and other types of entertainment.1554

Here are some more imagery to tie into that.1562

Here you can see Annie Oakley, you could see Sitting Bull.1568

I wanted to read a little bit about Sitting Bull.1576

Sitting Bull was a Lakota chief and holy man under whom the Lakota tribes united in their struggle for survival on the Northern Plains.1579

He was known for being defiant toward American military power and contemptuous of American promises to the end.1590

He was from South Dakota, originally, and he ends up being this legendary Native American.1598

His people were defeated, and we are going to talk about this a little bit later on.1611

He did participate in several wars against the U.S. government but eventually lost.1616

Here you can see how sad he looked.1624

He ends up getting this job in this Wild West show and having to kind of look like a stereotypical Native American,1628

which shows how grim the situation really was.1639

Homesteaders also will become very important and the Homestead Act will be passed in 1862.1653

This law is important that you should know, that offered 160 acres public land to all settlers.1661

This was a great deal, it was a law that offered land for cheap, and in some cases for free1669

if they improved the land, if they lived there and resided there for five years.1679

This caused a mad rush to the central part of the United States and into the West.1686

Many people will come and try to take advantage of this great opportunity.1694

Women even filed 10% of the land claims.1698

Even though, we did see many families coming out, women will also participate in this mad rush.1702

Although again, cowboys, miners, lumber workers, pioneers, tended to be overwhelmingly men,1711

some women accompanied families as homesteaders.1717

The value of domesticity was supported, that a man should be devoted to his wife and children,1723

and inspire or cause him to work hard, to be thrifty and to be responsible.1729

People had to work together in this harsh environment and trying to build a new house, a new home, to establish a farm.1734

That is all going to be part of settling the west.1744

The U.S. Geological Survey helped in 1879 to open up western lands that were also managed under a new Department of the Interior.1748

We are seeing Federal agencies being created that will also help to facilitate the settlement.1758

Speaking of farming, we will see organizations also being created to help farmers in their endeavors.1766

Although U.S. farmers struggled, modern techniques and equipment were used.1775

They were able to sell their goods to world markets.1779

Chicago being the railroad hub, facilitated this.1782

Yes, the meat packing industry became hugely popular and profitable.1786

By 1900, about half of the nation's cattle and sheep, 1/3 of its wheat came from the Great Plains.1795

This was a success story.1802

There were obviously some concerns, environmental costs certainly were a major issue1806

that we are going to see eventually come to a head as over-farming is going to take place.1812

And a lot of farmers do not rotate their crops properly.1819

And eventually, this will cause the dust bowl, we will get to that a little bit later, which will be part of the Great Depression.1824

When there is a huge drought across the Great Plains and the soil becomes useless,1835

and stripped of its nutrients, and the people are unable to farm.1843

Environmental cost will multiply.1851

Something to keep in mind, as wasteful anti-biodiversity practices continued, monoculture, growing the same thing over and over,1853

not good in the long run, not sustainable.1862

But there were organizations in the 19th century that help farmers along.1867

One of them being the Grange, this kind of the short name.1872

The formal name is the National Grange of the Patrons of Husbandry,1877

that was founded in 1867 by Oliver Kelley.1881

This and other Grange organizations help to improve the social lives of farm families, by providing social events, bring people together,1885

give them the sense of community to establish cooperative programs, insurance programs.1893

To help protect them and help their investments.1899

And mail order house, catalogs for different department stores, and stores that would sell equipment for farming and that would be useful.1912

Montgomery Ward, that is not around anymore, it was around when I was a kid,1923

was one of those companies that was very useful for farmers.1929

Some pictures of the famous Grange.1935

As you can see here all the different things that the Grange participated in,1942

helping with farming techniques, social events, even education in some cases.1948

We are going to go back to Native Americans.1958

As European Americans continued to expand, incursions into lands increased from the 1850’s onward, Native Americans will resist the best that they could.1961

But the Federal government was relentless and formulated a new policy.1974

First of all, Peace Commission was created in 1867 to step up and negotiate an end to the fighting,1979

and negotiate treaties by which the western Indians would cede their lands and move to reservations.1986

This is like the final vision to kind of take care of the so called Indian problem.1993

Which is really that they were there, that they were here on this land that European Americans wanted to move on to.2002

An agency was created, the Bureau of Indian affairs, the Federal Agency that would deal with a Native American policy.2011

And American-Indians under its guidance would be wards of the government until Native Americans learn to walk on the white man's road.2022

In other words, assimilate and adapt to mainstream American culture.2033

Some will, but many want to also live or just completely live the way of Native Americans.2043

That is obviously going to be a huge conflict, as the idea of cultural pluralism was not truly embraced at this time.2055

It was more of a social Darwinism and competition and survival of the fittest,2067

and a eurocentric vision, for the most part.2071

Here in the map, you could see how the amount of land that the Sioux actually had in 1868,2078

ends up shrinking more and more as time passes by 1877.2087

And then by 1889, it is even scattered into the smaller regions.2091

Reservations were created.2097

We have talk about some of these before, like in Oklahoma, for the five civilized tribes.2099

In the Dakota, the southwest Dakota territory, for the Lakota Sioux.2105

Oklahoma to the southern plains Indians and five other major southern tribes, the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, Cherokee, and Seminole.2112

Others went to the Apaches, Navajos, I believed that is Utes, in the southwest, and to the mountain Indians in Rockies and beyond.2122

There were famous series and engagements that was known as the Red Cloud War in 1868.2135

This eventually came to an end.2144

Chief Red Cloud and General William T. Sherman signed the Fort Laramie treaty,2146

which ends this war that was along the Bozeman Trail in Montana.2152

The U.S. agreed to abandon the forts along the trail, and grant enormous parts of the Wyoming,2157

Montana, and Dakota territory to Native Americans.2163

Reservations will be set up there as well.2167

These territories are meant to be reserved for Native Americans where they are to live freely.2170

But again, many of these tribes were demoralized and being forced into one certain area,2179

and oftentimes being pushed off their ancestral homelands.2188

Here is a famous quotation by Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce.2192

I am tired of fighting, our chiefs are killed, Looking Glass is dead.2198

Toohulhulsote is dead, the old men are all dead.2204

It is the young men who say yes or no.2208

He who led the young man is dead, it is cold and we have no blankets.2212

The little children are freezing to death.2217

My people, some of them, have run away to the hills and have no blankets, no food.2220

No one knows where they are, perhaps freezing to death.2226

I want to have time to look for my children and see how many of them I can find.2230

Maybe I shall find them among the dead.2236

Hear me, my chiefs, I am tired.2238

My heart is sick and sad, from where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever.2241

Here you can get a sense of feeling defeated and sad for his people who are suffering and cold,2250

and poor and do not have access to a good life, and they are tired of fighting.2259

Chief Joseph who was leader of the Nez Perce, who fought off the United States army in a series of several heroic engagements2269

until they were cornered and forced to surrender eventually in Montana, near the Canadian border in 1877.2278

Fighting intensified in the mid 1870’s, we will see in the Dakota region, especially.2289

Native Americans fought on for years.2299

The office of Indian affairs, another Federal Agency, ordered the Sioux to vacate their hunting grounds2301

and to withdraw to the reservation but they resisted.2311

On June 25, 1876, George Custer pursued a reckless strategy which led to his troops and him,2317

attempting to surprise attack Sitting Bull, who was leader of the Sioux.2329

However, Custer's troops were annihilated by Crazy Horse, who was the leader of the Sioux2335

and his fellow warriors and the Cheyenne at the battle of Little Big Horn.2340

This was a win for the Native Americans.2346

Custer was extremely bitter from this conflict and starts to plan for revenge.2350

And that is what will eventually happen less than 20 years later.2360

We will see that eventually the Sioux will give up and move on to the reservation.2366

By 1877, Federal agents forced the tribes to cede the western third of their reservation.2371

As I showed you previously on the map, where you could see the shrinking of the amount of land that they had occupied previously.2377

During the Grant administration, there were Christian reformers who although patronizing,2392

were well intentioned, looking to help assist Native Americans.2400

Then, they will have an influence to a certain extent over U.S. policy with Native Americans.2406

They will help advocate for education.2413

You can see the religious influence as well, and religious indoctrination of American Indians,2418

who may not be gung ho or want to embrace these religious beliefs.2423

But nonetheless, this is what a lot of these people advocated for.2429

One of the great examples to illustrate this was the Carlyle Boarding School that was established in 1879.2433

This was an effort to force Native Americans to assimilate, to indoctrinate them with the white ways,2444

with Christian religion, to get Native Americans to dress in European clothing, to learn English, to be educated, in this way.2452

But there were problems with the boarding school campaign, whose corruption, racism,2465

denominational infighting, that eventually reduced its effectiveness.2471

Some white Americans were sympathetic, but again often patronizing to the cause of American-Indians, such as Helen Hunt Jackson.2477

She is one of the most famous advocates.2488

She wrote a book called Century of Dishonor which was an influential book, which told the story of an unjust treatment of the Indians.2491

A long history of unjust treatment of Native Americans.2502

She advocates for assimilation and citizenship into the U.S., that they need to be treated as equals.2506

Here is a picture of her famous book, the Century of Dishonor.2525

The Bureau of Indian affairs did train children to farm, prepare them for citizenship,2532

advocated for Indians to embrace private property in severalty.2538

The idea of private property is very important, and the idea of dividing up tribal lands2543

that were previously communal for the whole tribe.2551

This attempt was to say, let us treat them as equals, and maybe if we divide up the land2556

and they followed the path of having nuclear families like the mainstream American family, that this will help them in the long run.2562

But in fact, it was not helpful at all, and in fact, many Native Americans ended up, this had a very divisive effect.2572

Some sold off their land and they ended up losing more land even more than they had originally, under the reservation system.2580

This Dawes act is going to be another major law that will have a huge effect on Native American lands.2588

This will carve up tribal lands and declared that family heads would be allotted a 160 acre of lots2599

and individuals will also receive smaller plots.2605

Land will be held in the government trust for 25 years, at which time the Indians would become U.S. citizens.2609

There is the citizenship element.2615

Remaining reservations were sold off and proceeds would go toward Indian education.2617

But of course, a very biased Eurocentric, Euro-American type of education that did not respect2624

and incorporate Native American culture and history, and so forth.2635

Helen Hunt's efforts although well intentioned, did not have a positive effect on Native Americans.2644

Then, the famous Ghost Dance broke out.2653

Many Native Americans were devastated by these huge land losses, many Native American peoples encouraged the Ghost Dance,2659

which was a ritual to prepare for the regeneration of Native American civilization.2666

Wovoka was a famous Paiute holy man who encouraged people to participate in this ghost dance which was this ritual where singing, dancing,2672

just meant for Native Americans to go back to their roots, to celebrate their culture, to have a sense of themselves and to not give up.2685

And it had an empowering effect on people.2695

But we are going to see that many skeptical, fearful, racist whites who were observing this ghost dance,2698

heard about the ghost dance, became frightened, suspicious.2708

This is going to also inspire Custer to take a stand.2713

This will culminate when Custer tries to regroup, and the U.S. government in fact is going to go in2724

to what would become known as Wounded Knee.2734

This, sometimes is known as the battle, it is also called the Massacre at Wounded Knee.2738

This erupts when soldiers attempt to disarm a group of Wovoka’s followers who are participating in the ghost dance.2743

This was a huge slaughter, men, women, children were killed.2752

A horrific attack, it definitely was more of a massacre than a two sided battle.2759

This is the final chapter in the western Indian wars that occurs in 1890.2767

This symbolized the last chapter of all the Indian wars that took place from the Civil War2782

until the Massacre in 1890, and left a negative effect.2790

Ever since then, there have not been any other major battles.2796

The Native Americans were defeated after this.2802

Very symbolic and important in U.S. history and in Native American history.2806

Although, a bitter legacy, undoubtedly.2812

Moving on to different groups that were also helping to build, and settle, and develop the West.2820

Railroad workers, miners, and cowboys, in addition to Native Americans too.2829

The West was very diverse with Chinese who came into the U.S. between 1850 and 1880.2837

In 1868, the Senate approved a treaty permitting unrestricted emigration from China.2843

Many Chinese did come into the United States.2852

They worked on the railroad, especially in the central railroad, Central Pacific, I should say.2855

They eventually were involved in the Sierras, as I was saying previously.2860

Worldwide Asian migration began in the mid 19th century because of poverty.2868

Many came as indentured servants.2873

The Six Companies in San Francisco's Chinatown, steered new arrivals to jobs and provided social and commercial services.2876

Many worked in gold fields, then on the transcontinental railroad, and then in other industries.2883

A huge amount of Chinese came into the United States.2890

But then we saw a backlash that culminated in the passing of a very exclusionary law called the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.2894

It is pretty self explanatory.2906

Though the Chinese had a good reputation for their work habits, worked very hard on the railroad, in the goldfields, etc.,2909

there were whites who were racist, the Workingman's parties in particular, other nativist groups that were racist toward them,2916

and did not want to compete with these immigrants for jobs, pressured the government to pass this law, the Chinese Exclusion Act.2924

That barred, kind of shut the doors to Chinese immigrants from coming into the United States.2933

That is going to be in place for quite awhile and would not be changed until the 1950’s.2940

Afterwards, Japanese immigrants came to dominate the state's agricultural labor force,2950

until a similar backlash occurred and closed all population flow in 1908.2956

Part of the story of how the U.S. government tweaks and controls immigration.2961

Just to show you some primary sources here as well, illustrating the biased and anti Chinese sentiment during the 19th century.2976

Here you will see Uncle Sam kicking out a Chinese man, Golden Gate of Liberty.2990

And then, this also includes other groups, notice, Communist, Nihilist, Socialist, Fenian, and Hoodlum, welcome,2995

but no admittance to Chinamen.3002

Industry, order, peace, sobriety, the only one barred out.3005

This one is a bit sympathetic.3011

Enlightened American statesman, we must draw the line somewhere, you know.3015

Just kind of highlighting the anti-Chinese sentiment and the problems with that.3021

Onto a more sunny subject, Golden California.3028

California has a very unique location, Mediterranean climate, environment, and the history of California definitely set apart.3035

Californian's created their own cultural tradition, very diverse.3046

Mark Twain and Bret Harte who are traveling throughout the United States, writers,3051

celebrated their make or break optimism of the mining camps.3056

While others like Helen Hunt Jackson wrote about the Spanish past and glorified in the book Ramona.3060

We will see that railroads will be important in helping to develop California.3068

The southern Pacific railroad and good farming conditions will help California grow tremendously.3073

Mediterranean climate, long growing season, will eventually lead to a real estate boom.3079

Eventually, because of the widespread development, environmental movement formed3085

after the destruction of the environment that resulted.3090

This started to strike the interest of several writers that were influenced by transcendentalist ideas and thinkers like John Muir.3095

In 1890, California's National Parks were established in an effort to conserve, to protect a lot of the lands,3106

and to set aside lands so that they will be enjoyed by the public but not exploited.3116

As many of the redwoods, in fact, were being cut down.3122

Some of those trees were thousands of years old and took a very longtime for them to grow.3127

And although there were a lot of loggers who were able to make huge profits,3132

many environmentalists were very concerned about the negative effects they would have on the environment and its people.3137

We will see the first major wave in environmental activism starting to emerge.3145

Rampant over-development will lead to a preservation movement by Congress.3153

In 1864, Congress gave 10 square miles of the Yosemite Valley to California for public use.3159

And further to the north, in 1872, Congress set aside 2 million acres of Wyoming's Yellowstone Valley as a park for tourism.3166

These pictures here are from Yellowstone, where you can see the famous geysers.3176

Here a picture of John Muir who was very much instrumental in forming the Sierra club and wrote prolifically about the west.3184

Here you could see a huge redwood being cut down and how huge this tree was.3195

We finally made it into the assessments section.3202

This is a long lesson, so let us get to it.3207

This one is by Helen Hunt Jackson, writer, activist for American-Indians, A Century of Dishonor.3210

Here we go, there is not among these 300 bands of Indians which has not suffered cruelly3217

at the hands of either of the Government or of white settlers.3224

It makes little difference, however, where one opens the record of the history of the Indians,3229

every page and every year has its dark stain.3234

But neither time nor place, makes any difference in the main facts.3239

Colorado is as greedy and unjust in 1880, as was Georgia in 1830 and Ohio in 1795.3244

President after President has appointed commission after commission to inquire into and report upon Indian affairs.3255

These reports are bound up and that is the end of them.3262

All judicious plans and measures for their safety and salvation must embody provisions for their becoming citizens, as fast as they are fit.3266

Cheating, robbing, breaking promises, these three are clearly things which must cease to be done.3275

The actions referred to in Georgia in 1830 are strongly associated with the policies of which of the following?3287

Henry Clay, William Henry Harrison, John Marshall, or Andrew Jackson.3295

The answer is Andrew Jackson.3304

Which of the following does Helen Hunt Jackson propose as a solution?3307

A presidential commission, citizenship for Native Americans, safe reservations, or new legislation.3312

The answer is citizenship.3321

Partially in response to Jackson’s A Century of Dishonor,3326

a new Federal government policy for American-Indians was enacted in which of the following laws?3330

The Dawes Act, the Reservation Act, the Indian Removal Act of 1830, or the Assimilation Act.3336

The answer is the Dawes Act.3344

Example 2, John Cook, soldier, hunter, author of Buffaloes and Indians.3351

That evening, there was a general discussion regard to the main subject in hunters minds.3358

Colorado had passed stringent laws that were practically prohibitory against buffalo-hunting.3364

The Legislature of Kansas did the same, General Phil Sheridan was then in command of the military department of the Southwest.3372

When he heard of the nature of the Texas bill for the protection of the buffaloes,3379

he told them that instead of stopping the hunters, they ought to give them a hearty, unanimous vote of thanks.3385

These men will do more in the next year, to settle the vexed Indian question.3391

They are destroying the Indians commissary.3396

But there are two sides to the question.3400

It is simply a case of the survival of the fittest.3402

Too late to stop to moralize now, and sentiment must have no part in our thoughts from this time on.3406

According to Cook, a strong support for the continued hunting of buffalo in the late 1870’s was made by which of the following?3423

Meatpackers, railroads, cattle ranchers, or the U.S. Army.3431

The answer is the U.S. Army.3436

The efforts to protect the buffalo herds in the 1870’s were directed3442

by which of the following movements that was developing in that decade?3448

Grange, Conservationists, Assimilationists, or National Labor Union.3452

Conservationist.3460

The last question, Cook’s philosophy toward the buffalo hunting in their future of American-Indians shows the influence of the idea of,3462

Assimilation, Social Darwinism, Laissez-Faire, or Communalism.3470

This one, we are going to get into a little bit more next time.3482

But the idea of Social Darwinism and survival of the fittest.3484

And that, we are done with our lesson on the American West.3490

Thank you for watching www.educator.com.3495