The Western Frontier

1
The Western Frontier

• Challenges and Conflict on the Plains

2
What are some of the factors that led to
increased settlement of the Great Plains?

• Railroads
• Desire for new farm and ranch land
• Homestead Act
• Timber Culture Act
• Desert Act

3
What challenges faced Homesteaders on the Plains?

• Isolation
• Natural disasters
• Blizzards
• Droughts
• Insects/Pests
• breaking the soil

• Access to markets
• Lack of ground water
• Drove the need for effective windmills

4
Why were there conflicts sometimes between
Homesteaders and Cattle Drivers?

• Competition
• As more homesteaders settled the Plains there was
  less
• Grazing land
• Access to water
• Range wars would sometimes take place

5
Why were there conflicts between Plains Indians
and US Government?

• Settlers and miners wanted to use Native American
  lands
• As a result, the US government created the
  reservation system
• Examples
• The Sioux Wars of the 1860s and the Fort Laramie
  Treaty of 1868
• The Nez Perce and Chief Joseph

6
How did the Government handle the conflicts with
Native Americans?

• Reservation System
• Prevented Indians from hunting buffalo
• Deprived Indians of many cultural traditions
• Goal was to assimilate Indians into American
  society

• Dawes Act
• Split up reservations
• Hoped to encourage farming amongst the Plains
  Indians
• Excess land was sold to other settlers
• Money generated from sales went to Indian
  boarding schools