Chapter 16: The Conquest of the Far West The AP instructional strategies discussed below for Chapter 16 of American

History: A Survey focus especially, but not exclusively, on the following themes developed by the AP U ! "istory #evelopment Committee$ American #iversity, American %dentity, Culture, #emographic Changes, and &conomic Transformations This chapter, as well as the primary documents selected below, follow the content guidelines suggested for the fourteenth topic in the AP Topic 'utline Development of the West in the Late Nineteenth Century. Top-Ten Analyti al !ournal. #efining the chapter terms in their (ournals will help students better understand$ The cultural characteristics of the varied populations of the region The settlement pattern of the American frontier and the significance of the frontier in American history The impact that the discovery of gold and silver had both on the )est and on the nation as a whole The development of the cattle industry in the American !outhwest after 1*6+ The methods used by the federal government to reduce the threat of the Plains %ndians and the %ndians, ultimate fate The reasons for the transition from subsistence farming to commercial farming, and the effect of the change on the )est

&ach of the terms below contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the transformation of the -ar )est from a sparsely populated region of %ndians and various early settlers of &uropean and Asian bac.ground into a part of the nation/s political, economic, and social structure As your students define these terms, encourage them to demonstrate why each person, event, concept, or issue is important to a thorough understanding of this chapter Plains %ndians 0uffalo !outhwestern "ispanic societies Californios Chinatowns Chinese %mmigration Act of 1**1 "omestead Act of 1*61 Comstoc. 2ode 0oomtowns The Cattle 3ingdom Chisholm Trail 4ange wars 4oc.y 5ountain !chool )ild )est !hows Cowboy culture -rederic. 6ac.son Turner,s -rontier Thesis Concentration policy 4eservations %ndian )ars !and Cree. 5assacre 0attle of 2ittle 0ig "orn 7host #ance 0attle of )ounded 3nee 8igilantes #awes Act Assimilation 0oarding schools

"ettin# stu$ents starte$ on their %ournals. 4emind students that they must analy9e and synthesi9e their understanding of these terms in two ways$ by creating :Top;Ten< lists of their own within their (ournals at the end of each chapter= and by (ustifying in their (ournal why their terms are essential to an understanding 1

of :The Con>uest of the -ar )est < !ournal entry e&ample. -ollowing is an example of how students might describe :0uffalo< and its importance to an overall understanding of :The Con>uest of the -ar )est < 'uffalo. The buffalo was the economic basis for the lives of the many Plains %ndian tribes 0uffalo meat provided their primary food source= buffalo s.in provided materials for housing, clothing, blan.ets, shoes, and utensils= dried buffalo manure provided fuel= buffalo bones provided arrow tips and .nives= and buffalo tendons provided bowstrings As &nglish;spea.ing Americans moved west into the lands of the Plains %ndians, they impacted the 0uffalo herds, almost to the point of extinction The demise of the herds was directly related to the demise of the Plains %ndians Free-(esponse )uestions. 1 #iscuss the ways in which the lives of the Plains %ndians were affected by governmental actions and technological innovations in the second half of the 1?th century @Adapted from the 1??? AP U ! "istory free;response >uestion A *ome thin#s to loo+ for in the stu$ent response. Possible thesis statement$ )hile the groundwor. for gaining access to %ndian lands was laid by both the 6efferson and 6ac.son administrations, it was not until the middle of the century that the government began enacting dramatic federal policies that opened the )est to white expansion 2ives of Plains %ndians affected by technology The ability of the railroad to bring whites into the traditional homelands of the Plains %ndians greatly influenced the way they lived 5any railroad companies offered low, affordable rates to western settlers to encourage them to settle &ven worse were the gangs of professional buffalo hunters, as well as sportsmen, who too. large shooting expeditions in which they .illed buffalo from the trains 2ives of Plains %ndians affected by governmental actions The reservation policy began in earnest in 1*B1 with the idea of :concentrating< tribes on their own reservations !eparate treaties, often illegitimately negotiated, divided the tribes from one another and made them easier to control As white Americans continued to move west, it was clear that a new policy was needed %n 1*6C, the federal government decided to move all the Plains %ndians into two large reservations one in the '.lahoma %ndian Territory and the other in the #a.otas Dot only were the reservations poorly administered, the %ndians were tric.ed and ca(oled into the new areas that had little resemblance to their tribal homelands 4eservations, however, did nothing to destroy the tribal structure of %ndian culture, something that government officials felt was necessary if %ndians were to be assimilated into white culture To address this concern, Congress passed the #awes Act in 1**C that provided for the gradual end of tribal ownership of land and the allotment of 16+ acres to the head of a family, *+ acres to a single adult or orphan, and E+ acres to each dependent child Additionally, the 0ureau of %ndian Affairs began to set up boarding schools where %ndian children were forcibly ta.en from their families, educated by whites, forced to become Christians, and forbidden to use their tribal languages, practice their tribal rituals, and wear their traditional clothes 2

At the same time, the 0ureau of %ndian Affairs and the U ! Army encouraged the .illing of buffalo, which, in turn, destroyed the economic and subsistence basis of the Plains %ndians The Army and territorial militia engaged in many federally sanctioned wars against the Plains %ndians, one of the worst of which was the 0attle of )ounded 3nee Possible conclusion$ 0y the end of the 1?th century, the federal government adopted many legislative policies designed to eliminate %ndian resistance to white settlement in the )est The end result gave many benefits to the whites, but none to the indigenous people of the region !uccessful white settlement, then, occurred at the expense of the diverse %ndian peoples of the )est

"ow did the federal government encourage the growth of a capitalist economy in the )estF *ome thin#s to loo+ for in the stu$ent response. Possible thesis statement$ &astern migrants to the )est owed much of their success to federal assistance in the form of subsidies, military protection, and land grants !ubsidies 0eginning in 1*61, Congress began to provide vast subsidies to the railroads in the belief that they would stimulate the national economy #uring the next decades, the federal government gave the railroads 1G+ million acres !tate governments offered the railroads direct financial aid, favorable loans, and more than B+ million acres of land 5ilitary protection The U ! Army was often called to handle many %ndian )ars so that the white settlers could live in peace without interference from %ndians 2and grants The first large federal policy that stimulated western migration was the "omestead Act of 1*61 %t offered a free farm of 16+ acres to any American who needed one %n return, the federal government expected that the new settlers would create new mar.ets and commercial farming enterprises that would benefit the nation as a whole The Timber Culture Act of 1*CG increased homestead allotments to another 16+ acres if the owner planted E+ acres of trees The #esert 2and Act of 1**C provided for the purchase of 6E+ acres of land at H1 1B per acre if part of the holdings was irrigated within three years The Timber and !tone Act of 1*C* authori9ed the sale of non;agricultural land at H1 B+ per acre Possible conclusion$ )ithout the assistance of federal, as well as state, governments, those settlers who moved west may not have survived The federal government urged the immigration of over a million people through their generous land grants, offered the settlers some sense of military protection against %ndians, and offered generous subsidies to the railroads that brought both people and commercial commodities to and from the )est

)hat was the allure of the )est both for migrants from the eastern United !tates and the Chinese immigrants from ChinaF "ow did the migrants and immigrants, romantic notion of the )est contrast with the realities of the )estF *ome thin#s to loo+ for in the stu$ent response. 3

Possible thesis statement$ 0y the middle of the 1?th century, the )est began to attract eastern farmers, ranchers, and miners who hoped to find limitless opportunity, wealth, and adventure on the frontier !imilarly, many Chinese immigrants were drawn to the )est in the hopes of a better life Allure for eastern migrants &nglish;spea.ing Americans were drawn to the romantic notions of the )est$ opportunities to find wealth in farming or mining= chances for cattle raisers to gra9e their herds free of charge and unrestricted by private farms= the hope of living in a rugged and dramatic landscape= the promise of a free;spirited lifestyle away from the restraints of civili9ation )hile thousands of migrants had moved to the )est prior to the 1*6+s, millions arrived in the following decades Allure for Chinese immigrants %n the mid;1?th century, the Chinese experienced a great deal of poverty in their homeland and many loo.ed to the United !tates for new opportunities &arlier migrants to California during the 7old 4ush wor.ed in the mines and achieved some success %n the 1*6+s, railroad agents went to China to recruit wor.ers for the railroads 'ver 11,+++ Chinese were eventually employed 4ealities for the Chinese They initially were welcomed, especially into California where by 1**+ they constituted almost 1+ percent of the population 0ut as they became successful in many businesses, many whites believed the Chinese were economic rivals and threats to their economic, social, and political security This belief was strengthened by the fact that many Chinese wor.ers were willing to wor. for lower wages that undercut union wor.ers This was especially the case in California, where as early as 1*B1 the legislature passed a foreign miners, tax that excluded many Chinese and 5exicans from mining )or. on the railroads was difficult and dangerous, as well as short;lived )hen the Transcontinental 4ailroad was completed, thousands of Chinese lost their (obs and many moved to the cities, especially in California, where they filled the lowest;paying (obs servants, uns.illed factory wor.ers, and common laborers !ome opened successful laundries 'f the small number of Chinese women who came to America, many had been sold into prostitution and suffered miserable lives in the cities 0y the late 1*6+s, a great deal of antiChinese sentiment arose, especially in western cities Anti;coolie clubs wor.ed to ban the employment of Chinese, organi9ed boycotts of businesses that employed Chinese laborers, and sometimes violently attac.ed Chinese residents %n 1**1, Congress passed the Chinese &xclusion Act, banning Chinese immigration to the U ! for ten yeas and prohibiting the Chinese already in the nation from becoming naturali9ed citi9ens The law became permanent in 1?+1 4ealities for eastern migrants 2ife for most was rough, wild, and fraught with dangers and hardships 'n the other hand, due to labor shortages, white laborers earned more in the )est than in any other region in the nation !ocial mobility, however, was more difficult in the )est Those who did not own land were highly mobile and too. (obs that had no long;term security )eather was unstable and two draughts in the 1**+s wiped out many ranches and individual investments 2ess than half of the families who too. advantage of the "omestead Act actually remained for the re>uired five years= their lives had been too desolate, lonely, and economically challenging

Possible conclusion$ )hile many eastern migrants who were drawn to the )est found opportunity, many others were so disappointed with the realities of the )est that they returned to the &ast Coast They had been lured by the romantic notion of the )est that was more myth than reality 2i.ewise, many Chinese immigrants created viable communities in urban centers, but most were unable to sustain regular, well;paying wor. They suffered greatly due to federal, state, and local laws that discriminated against them, and various vigilante tactics used against them

,istorians- ,istori al Dete tion- an$ D')s. The following #0I and its supportive primary documents will help students gain a better understanding of how western expansion dramatically changed the lives of the diverse %ndian people living in the -ar )est 4emind your students that when scoring the AP exams, the readers will expect to see a coherent essay that includes two re>uired components$ .ey pieces of evidence from all or most of the documents and a well; organi9ed narrative drawing on .nowledge from textboo. readings and classroom discussion D'): The march of western expansion dramatically changed the lives of the diverse %ndian people in the -ar )est #rawing from your .nowledge of federal %ndian policy and the documents below, what were the federal responses to white encroachmentF )hat were the responses of the %ndian peopleF Do uments: 1. .& erpt from Letter from !ohn (oss to /resi$ent A0raham Lin oln- 1162. @7ilder 2ehrman %nstitute #ocument 72C11GG +1 at http:33444.#il$erlehrman.or#3sear h3$isplay5results.php6i$7"LC1288.92 Permission granted A : beg leave, very respectfully, to represent, 1st That the relations which the Chero.ee Dation sustains towards the United !tates have been defined by Treaties entered into between the Parties from time to time, and extending through a long series of years 1nd Those Treaties were Treaties of -riendship and Alliance The Chero.ee Dation as the wea.er party placing itself under the Protection of the United !tates and no other !overeign whatever, and the United !tates solemnly promising that Protection Grd That the Chero.ee Dation maintained in good faith her relations towards the United !tates up to a late period and subse>uent to the occurrence of the war between the 7overnment and the !outhern !tates of the Union and the withdrawal of all protection whatever by the 7overnment Eth That in conse>uences of the overwhelming pressure brought to bear upon them the Chero.ees were forced for the preservation of their Country and their existence to negotiate a Treaty with the JConfederate !tatesJ Bth That no other alternative was left them surrounded by the Power K influences, that they were, and that they had no opportunity freely to express their views )hat the Chero.ee People now desire is ample 5ilitary Protection for life and property= a recognition by the 7ovt of the obligations of existing Treaties and a willingness and determination to carry out the policy indicated by your &xcellency of enforcing the 2aws and extending to those who are loyal all the protection in your power < 2. .& erpt from Letter from "eor#e 'on#a- :%i04ay Lea$er- 1168. @7ilder 5

2ehrman %nstitute of American "istory, #ocument 72CB111 at http:33444.#il$erlehrman.or#3sear h3$isplay5results.php6i$7"LC;121 Permission granted A The %ndLianM K his father before him have been used to the chase, altho hard wor., he is proud of it K thin.s to cultivate the soil is only the wor. of hirelings K s>uaws K most of the men are ashamed to wor. in that way 5any a good advice has been given to them, all to no purpose !tarvation will come to him first, before he will cut down trees K dig up roots %t would seem, that they can/t perceive, that when their game is all .illed off, which is disappearing very fast, they will then have to come down to the very lowest depth of degradation, if they are not exterminated, before that time reaches them The little % .now of the whites leads me to thin., that they will not allow their %ndLianMs to roam in their midst much longer as well as all the %nds who live near the white settlements, if the %ndLianM could be induced to see his own good he would learn that the sooner he was removed from the whites, the better it would be for himself K for his children after him "aving lived the most of my life time with the %ndLianMs, % easily perceive that the %ndLianM of today is not the same .ind of %ndLianM that was E+ years ago, altho the same band %n those days we lived and mingled with them, as if we all belonged to one K the same family, our goods often out without loc. K .ey, never fearing anything would go wrong -ar different is it now a days There is that suspicion on either side, that when we hear of 1+ or more %ndLianMs gathered together, we feel anxious K as. each other, what that can mean, if it is not some bad design K on the %ndLianM side, they have always some complaint to ma.e !ome imaginary promise that the 7ovLernmenMt has not fulfilled, has led them to that belief, that the whites are combined to try K destroy them %t appears to us all, that there is something smoldering in the breast of the %ndLianM that it will not ta.e much to set it to a bla9e %f that should ever ta.e place, no one can foretell how far the flames will extend G .& erpt from *pee h of <io4a Chief *atanta at the =e$i ine Lo$#e Coun il of 116>. :All the land south of the Ar.ansas L4iverM belongs to the 3iowas and Comanches, and % do not want to give away any of it % love the land and the buffalo and % will not part with any % have heard that you intend to settle us on a reservation near the L)ichitaM mountains Lin southwestern '.lahomaM % do not want to settle there % love to roam over the wide prairie, and when % do it, % feel free and happy, but when we settle down we grow pale and die A long time ago this land belonged to our fathers, but when % go up to the river, % see a camp of soldiers, and they are cutting my wood down, or .illing my buffalo % do not li.e that, and when % see it, my heart feels li.e bursting with sorrow < E .& erpt from :Treaty of Fort Laramie-? 1161. @:Treaty with the !ioux;0rule, 'glala, 5inicon(ou, Nan.tonai, "un.papa, 0lac.feet, Cuthead, Two 3ettle, !an Arcs, and !antee;and Arapaho,< EO1?O1*6*= 7eneral 4ecords of the United !tates 7overnment= 4ecord 7roup 11= Dational Archives A :A4T%C2& % -rom this day forward all war between the parties to this agreement shall forever cease The government of the United !tates desires peace, and its honor is hereby pledged to .eep it The %ndians desire peace, and they now

pledge their honor to maintain it Article P% %n consideration of the advantages and benefits conferred by this treaty and the many pledges of friendship by the United !tates, the tribes who are parties to this agreement hereby stipulate that they will relin>uish all right to occupy permanently the territory outside their reservations as herein defined, but yet reserve the right to hunt on any lands north of Dorth Platte, and on the 4epublican -or. of the !mo.y "ill river, so long as the buffalo may range thereon in such numbers as to (ustify the chase And they, the said %ndians, further expressly agreeQThey withdraw all pretence of opposition to the construction of the railroad now being built along the Platte river and westward to the Pacific ocean, and they will not in future ob(ect to the construction of railroads, wagon roads, mail stations, or other wor.s of utility or necessity, which may be ordered or permitted by the laws of the United !tates A4T%C2& P%% Do treaty for the cession of any portion or part of the reservation herein described which may be held in common, shall be of any validity or force as against the said %ndians unless executed and signed by at least three;fourths of all the adult male %ndians occupying or interested in the same Q A4T%C2& P8% The United !tates hereby agrees and stipulates that the country north of the Dorth Platte river and east of the summits of the 0ig "orn mountains shall be held and considered to be unceded %ndian territory, and also stipulates and agrees that no white person or persons shall be permitted to settle upon or occupy any portion of the same= or without the consent of the %ndians, first had and obtained, to pass through the sameQ< B .& erpt from :@n-mut-too-yah-lat-lat? AChief !osephB *pee h at Lin oln ,all in Washin#ton D.C.- 11>C. @Published in North American Review, 8ol 11*, %ssue 16?, pp E11;EGE Courtesy of Cornell University/s Making of America A :5y friends, % have been as.ed to show you my heart % am glad to have a chance to do so % want the white people to understand my people !ome of you thin. an %ndian is li.e a wild animal This is a great mista.e % will tell you all about our people, and then you can (udge whether an %ndian is a man or notQ there came a white officer, who invited all the De9 Perce to a treaty council After the council was opened he made .nown his heart "e said there were a great many white people in the country, and many more would come= that he wanted the land mar.ed out so that the %ndians and white men could be separatedQ 5y father, who represented his band, refused to have anything to do with the council, because he wished to be a free man "e claimed that no man owned any part of the earth, and a man could not sell what he did not own 5r !paulding too. hold of my father/s arm and said, RCome and sign the treaty,= 5y father pushed him away, and said$ R)hy do you as. me to sign away my countryF %t is your business to tal. to us about spirit matters, and not to tal. to us about parting with our landQ% will not sign your paper,, he said= Ryou go where you please, so do %= you are not a child, % am no child= % can thin. for myself Do man can thin. for me % have no other home than this % will not give it up to any man 5y people would have no home Ta.e away your paper % will not touch it with my hand,Q 5y father had become blind and feeble "e could no longer spea. for his people %t was then that % too. my father/s place as chief %n this council % made my first speech to white men % said to the agent who held the council$ R% did not want to come to this council, but % came hoping that we could save blood The white man 7

has no right to come here and ta.e our country we will defend this land as long as a drop of %ndian blood warms the hearts of our men , The agent said he had orders, from the 7reat )hite Chief at )ashington, for us to go upon the 2apwai 4eservation, and that if we obeyed he would help us in many ways RNou must move to the agency,, he said % answered him$ R% will not ,Q -or a short time we lived >uietly 0ut this could not last )hite men had found gold in the mountains around the land of winding water They stole a great many horses from us, and we could not get them bac. because we were %ndians The white men told lies for each other They drove off a great many of our cattle !ome white men branded our young cattle so they could claim them % labored hard to avoid trouble and bloodshed )e gave up some of our country to the white men, thin.ing that then we could have peace )e were mista.en The white man would not let us alone % only as. of the 7overnment to be treated as all other men are treated %f % can not go to my own home, let me have a home in some country where my people will not die so fast )hen % thin. of our condition my heart is heavy % see men of my race treated as outlaws and driven from country to country, or shot down li.e animals % .now that my race must change )e can not hold our own with the white men as we are )e only as. an even chance to live as other men live )e as. to be recogni9ed as men )e as. that the same law shall wor. ali.e on all men 2et me be a free man and % will obey every law, or submit to the penalty )henever the white man treats the %ndian as they treat each other, then we will have no more wars )e shall all be ali.e ; brothers of one father and one mother, with one s.y above us and one country around us, and one government for all < 6 .& erpt from DDa4es A t-? 111>. @:An Act to provide for the allotment of lands in severalty to %ndians on 4eservations,< E?th Congress, !ession %%, 6 #ecember 1**C A :0e it enacted by the !enate and "ouse of 4epresentatives of the United !tates of America in Congress assembled, That in all cases where any tribe or band of %ndians has been, or shall hereafter be, located upon any reservation created for their use, either by treaty stipulation or by virtue of an act of Congress or executive order setting apart the same for their use, the President of the United !tates be, and he hereby is, authori9ed, whenever in his opinion any reservation or any part thereof of such %ndians is advantageous for agricultural and gra9ing purposes, to cause said reservation, or any part thereof, to be surveyed, or resurveyed if necessary, and to allot the lands in said reservation in severalty to any %ndian located thereonQ !ec B That upon the approval of the allotments provided for in this act by the !ecretary of the %nterior, he shall cause patents to issue therefor in the name of the allottees, which patents shall be of the legal effect, and declare that the United !tates does and will hold the land thus allotted, for the period of twenty;five years, in trust for the sole use and benefit of the %ndian to whom such allotment shall have been made, or, in case of his decease, of his heirs according to the laws of the !tate or Territory where such land is located, and that at the expiration of said period the United !tates will convey the same by patent to said %ndian, or his heirs as aforesaid, in fee, discharged of said trust and free of all charge or incumbrance whatsoeverQ And provided further, That at any time after lands have been allotted to all the %ndians of any tribe as herein provided, or sooner if in the opinion of the President it shall be for the best interests of said tribe, it shall be lawful for the !ecretary of the %nterior to negotiate with such %ndian tribe for the purchase and release by said tribe, in conformity with the treaty or statute under which such reservation is held, of such portions of its reservation not allotted as 8

such tribe shall, from time to time, consent to sell, on such terms and conditions as shall be considered (ust and e>uitable between the United !tates and said tribe of %ndians, which purchase shall not be complete until ratified by Congress, and the form and manner of executing such release prescribed by Congress$ C .& erpt from William T. ,orna$y- *uperinten$ent of the National Eoolo#i al /ar+- The Extermination of the American Bison, 111C. @2ibrary of Congress, American 5emory )ebsite at http:33memory.lo .#ov3ammem3n$lpe$u3features3timeline3risein$34est30ison.htm lA :The primary cause of the buffalo/s extermination, and the one which embraced all others, was the descent of civili9ation, with all its elements of destructiveness, upon the whole of the country inhabited by that animal -rom the 7reat !lave 2a.e to the 4io 7rande the home of the buffalo was everywhere overrun by the man with a gun= and, as has ever been the case, the wild creatures were gradually swept awayQ The secondary causes of the extermination of the buffalo may be catalogued as follows$ @1A 5an/s rec.less greed, his wanton destructiveness, and improvidence in not husbanding such resources as come to him from the hand of nature ready made @1A The total and utterly inexcusable absence of protective measures and agencies on the part of the Dational 7overnment and of the )estern !tates and Territories @GA The fatal preference on the part of hunters generally, both white and red, for the robe and flesh of the cow over that furnished by the bull, @EA The phenomenal stupidity of the animals themselves, and their indifference to man @BA The perfection of modern breech;loading rifles and other sporting fire;arms in general The buffalo supplied the %ndian with food, clothing, shelter, bedding, saddles, ropes, shields, and innumerable smaller articles of use and ornament %n the United !tates a paternal government ta.es the place of the buffalo in supplying all these wants of the red man, and it costs several millions of dollars annually to accomplish the tas. /ossi0le evi$en e: )hite response to the effects of western expansion on the %ndian people Three types of responses are evident in the documents$ a federal treaty @-ort 2aramie TreatyA defining reservation land= a Congressional Act @#awes ActA allotting former reservation land= and a letter from a federal employee that is concerned with the demise of both the buffalo and the Plains %ndians All three use paternalistic language indicating that the federal government is the ultimate power The Treaty of -ort 2aramie provides better benefits for white Americans than for the %ndian Dations The whites get a huge tract of, while the %ndians are restricted to reservations and forced to :relin>uish all right to occupy permanently the territory outside their reservationsQbut yet reserve the right to hunt on any landsQso long as the buffalo may range thereon in such numbers as to (ustify the chase < They also must :expressly agree< that they :will not in the future ob(ect to the construction for railroad, wagon road, mail stations, or other wor.s of utility or necessity, which may be ordered or permitted by the laws of the United !tates < Thus, even though the federal government promises that cession of any land cannot be executed without permission of :at least three;fourths of all adult male %ndians,< land can be ta.en for :wor.s of utility or necessity < The 9

#awes Act explains the manner in which allotment will be carried out, as well as the fact that it will be held :in trust< for each :%ndian for whom such an allotment shall have been made< for 1B years Paternalism and s.epticism is clear when compared with the re>uirements in the "omestead Act of a Byear trust period -urther, the Act stipulates that the U ! government can purchase any non;allotted lands %n this way, the government is assured that if %ndians do not accept their allotment, that those lands would be severed from %ndian control and bought by the U ! The "ornady piece which is critical of these federal actions and angry over the failure of the government to protect both the buffalo and the %ndians laments the :total and utterly inexcusable absence of protective measures and agencies on the part of the Dational 7overnment and of the )estern !tates and Territories < "e >uestions a governmental policy that destroys the %ndians, sustenance and then spends :several millions of dollars< to ta.e care of :the red man < %ndian response to white encroachment All four of the documents refer to negotiations andOor agreements with the :white man,< agreements that were bro.en on many occasions All have similar hopes that the government will honor their treaties and treat them with respect At least one of the letters as.s for federal protection in the face of continuing problems with the whites %n the 4oss letter to President 2incoln, we clearly hear a plea for protection as the Chero.ee Dation is caught between the two ma(or forces of the Civil )ar that are not (ust moving onto their land, but vying for their involvement in the war the Confederate !tates, which used :overwhelming pressure< to force them to (oin their cause, and the Union "e pledges respect and friendship toward the Union, refers to past treaties, and recogni9es the semi;sovereign status of the Chero.ee Dation :The Chero.ee Dation as the wea.er party placing itself under the protection of the United !tatesQ< "e begs the treaty obligations will be honored and that the Union Army will protect his people from the Confederate Army The other letters as. for nothing, and instead ob(ect to federal policies establishing reservations, promoting assimilation, and destroying their land, buffalo, and forests %n 7eorge 0onga,s letter, we hear ob(ection to federal %ndian policy that forces %ndian men to wor. the land and fear that they will be :exterminated < "e explains that in the '(ibway culture, :to cultivate the soil is only the wor. of hirelings K s>uaws K most of the men are ashamed to wor. in that way < "e laments the rapid disappearance of the buffalo, and is fearful that the whites :will not allow their %ndians to roam in their midst much longer < "e recogni9es that the lives of %ndians have changed dramatically from E+ years earlier and warns, :something is smoldering in the breast of the %ndian < 3iowa Chief !atanta expressed all of these feelings at the 5edicine 2odge Council of 1*6C "e vows that he will not :part with any< land or the buffalo by being herded onto a reservation !ettling down would ma.e his people :grow pale and die < Chief 6oseph describes his efforts, and the efforts of his father, to hold onto the De9 Perce land 0oth refused to relin>uish their land and felt that the white man had :no right to come here and ta.e our country < 0ut all his efforts were to no avail )hen he gave his speech, he had lost his land and now as.ed the government :to be treated as all other men are treatedQthat the same law shall wor. ali.e on all men < %f he could be free, he promised to :obey every law, or submit to the penalty <

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Creative .&tensions. 1 0efore reading Chapter 16, have the students observe all the photographs, paintings, and maps that visually describe the )est Then, begin a class discussion about what these images tell them about the )est )hy do they thin. that 6ohn 7ast,s American Progress is one of the most famous paintings of the eraF )hy have some people called this painting an excellent example of American propagandaF #o they thin. that the textboo.,s visual representation of the )est offers an idealistic or realistic picture of the )estF )hat other images might they have included in this chapterF After reading Chapter 16, give the students an assignment in which they find and read one short story or :tall tale< about the )est After reading the story, have them write a two;page paper discussing what it tells them about the emerging American character both good and bad 'n the day the assignment is due, begin a class discussion about what your students collectively found about the American character As. them if these characteristics are consistent with what they .new about Americans before the end of the 1?th CenturyF #o they thin. these are characteristics of Americans in the 11st centuryF !tage a classroom debate on any one of the following$ Resolved: Resolved: Resolved: Resolved: Resolved: Resolved: E The )est was a land of refuge and opportunity for the Chinese and "ispanics The Transcontinental 4ailroad was a positive contribution to the growth of the )est The demise of the Plains %ndians was a result of good intentions %ndian reservations protected Dative Americans The Chinese &xclusion Act was unconstitutional Custer got what he deserved

2.

Conduct a film :teach in < 0egin by giving a homewor. assignment in which students watch a "ollywood western of their choice Then, have them write a two; page paper in which they compare and contrast the "ollywood version with the facts presented in their textboo. 'n the day the assignment is due, have students participate in a :teach in < 4andomly divide students into several groups of six students each %n each group, each student will :teach< their film to their classmates telling them what was romantici9ed and realistic about the movie, explaining what they learned about the )est, and discussing why they would or would not recommend the movie to their classmates At the end, have each group select one person to present his or her movie to class on the next day As. the B or 6 students selected to bring a brief clip from the movie to add to their class presentation the following day "ave the students conduct research about the lives of any of the following and write a wee.;long diary from the perspective of the character they select$ a commercial farmer, a white miner, a Chinese immigrant, a woman living in a western community, a Texan cattle driver, a sheep rancher, a cattle rancher, a vigilante, a Plains %ndian, a californio, a cowboy, a Plains %ndian, and a subsistence farmer 'n the day the assignment is due, divide the students into several groups of five students each ma.ing sure that five different characters are represented in each group "ave the students share highlights from their diaries and discuss what they collectively tell them about life in the )est As. students to learn more about the building of the Transcontinental 4ailroad and 11

the way in which it affected the )est "ave them begin by examining two sources in Chapter 16$ the photograph :The Transcontinental 4ailroad< @p E*GA, and the painting :"eld Up 0y 0uffalo< @p EBEA Then, have them read the 5ay 11, 1*6? editorial in the Atlanta Constitution available in the 'nline 2earning Center, Chapter 16 @Clic. on :Primary 4esources< and scroll down to :Atlanta Constitution !A Dext, have them access the :2and Advertisement< poster from 1*C1 in the P!%, #ocument 1GC -inally, have them access two online sources available through the 2ibrary of Congress, American 5emory )ebsite$ :0uilding the Transcontinental 4ailroad< at http:33memory.lo .#ov3ammem3n$lpe$u3features3timeline3risein$3 railroa$3trans.html and :)hat California 4ailroads "ave #one< at http:33memory.lo .#ov3ammem3n$lpe$u3features3timeline3risein$3 railroa$3phillips.html. 'nce they have examined all the sources, begin the following discussion$ )hat do these sources tell you about the conse>uences of building the Transcontinental 4ailroadF )hat do they reveal about the psychological importance of the railroad to the American sense of nationhoodF "ow do they demonstrate that the railroad would lead to the end of the frontierF C !how the mini;documentary, JThe Curtis 2egacy$ #ocumentary or 5ythF< available in the P!%, #ocument 1EC %f you do not have computer access in your room, ta.e students to the computer lab and have them watch it there Then, as. the following$ )hat are the .ey points of the documentaryF "ow do the photographs support these pointsF "ow do these images reveal white America/s misunderstandings about Dative AmericansF "ow do Curtis/ consciously constructed images endanger our ob(ective understanding of Dative American historyF "ow could Curtis/ wor. be used to explore stereotypes long;held by white AmericaF !elect portions of the Chinese &xclusion Act @!ee P!% #ocument 1B1A to read aloud to the students while they follow along on the overhead pro(ector Then, begin a discussion on the following$ %s the Chinese &xclusion Act of 1**1 constitutionalF #oes the Constitution envision this role of the federal government in domestic affairs of the United !tatesF "ow does the government (ustify this extraordinary intervention against this group of immigrantsF )hy did people fear Chinese immigrationF )hat groups of immigrants do people fear in contemporary AmericaF )hyF #ivide the class into three groups miners, ranchers, and farmers "ave each person in each group respond to a letter from a young relative from Philadelphia who writes that he or she is tired of the crowded city and wants to (oin them out )est %n their responding letter, students will describe the opportunities, challenges, and conditions of life in their specific region= the precise location of their settlement, living >uarters, surrounding countryside, and climate= and the social conditions as well as his or her prospects for marriage and family life Then, write another letter describing the same things to either a 5exican, American %ndian, Chinese, or African;American correspondent 'n the day the assignment is due, have students meet in their groups to discuss how their letters were similar and dissimilar 'verall, what do their letters tell them about life in the )estF

9.

10. %nvite students to watch any of the following three movies each of which have varied interpretations of American %ndians at home either with their family or with a group of friends from class$ "hey #ied $ith "heir %oots &n' (ittle %ig Man' Son of the Morning Star )hat does this production tell you about the ways that the American cinema portrays American %ndians in the 1?th centuryF #o you thin. this film was a realistic portrayal of an historical eventF )hy or 12

why notF 0e specific %n your opinion, is this movie of any real use to understanding this period in American historyF 0e specific about how and why or why notF

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