Before Americans
The great Bison in the plains
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Life in the plains before westward expansion was organized. There were trade alliances between the tribes, they all co-existed and helped and relied upon one another. Natives had hunting domains for buffalo, antelopes, and, smaller game, these areas were a vital aspect to the culture, economy, and, lives of the Native Americans. The Natives also co-existed with nature, the way of the land developed the natives culture and religion of the tribes, they believed everything fit into the universe with a role to play and because of this it is one of the most prominent reasons the Natives remained so faithful to the land.
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When Westward Expansion Begun
When Americans came into their land it was at first thought prophecy. That it was fate they would learn from each others very different culture, however this mentality changed fast. The Natives' food supply was being taken and hunted down to feed those working on the transcontinental railroad and because of this, Bison, the great symbol of the plains(according to most tribes beliefs) went nearly extinct. This enraged the Natives who had strong beliefs involving the bison. The Natives where pushed out to the plains by the Indian Removal act of 1830. By the time trails (Oregon, Santa Fe, etc.) were established Natives had had enough. They began to attack wagons that traveled through their territory to discourage emigrants. Outpost and smaller settlements in Natives land were raided. In 1860 the U.S. no longer recognized the west as a large Native reserve and began trying to break them down into separate smaller tribal reserves. Some tribes accepted their fate, however many fought back. An estimated total of 100,000 Natives fought the States for control of the west. Many skirmishes, massacres, and executions(involving scalping) finally got some tribes to comply to the reservations, but nomadic tribes refused to be confided. Tribes began to unite and attack American Troop forts that were posted along the trails. In 1874 the 'Red River War' had begun. American troops and Cheyennes fought a fierce campaign during the winter in Kansas. The Apaches fought a similar 'war' in modern day Arizona and New Mexico until 1886 when their leader, Geronimo, surrendered. These battles were relatively easy in comparison to America's previous wars but the Sioux tribe proved difficult. In the Northern Plains region once gold was discovered the federal government sent General George Armstrong Custer's forces to hunt and eliminate all Sioux not in reservations. At the battle of little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand, Custer divided his troops among the area in small units. Unexpectedly a vastly larger army of Sioux outnumbered and killed Custer and all his men. This was a crushing defeat for the U.S. and they had to switch tactics to picking off Sioux away from the main group in small battles of attrition. Natives saw a grim, inevitable future and lost the will to resist. Most tribes, after years of fighting, finally complied to reservations. Tribes that moved westward to avoid this were later put in reservations once gold in California was discovered.
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General George Armstrong Custer
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