West/Immigration
Jenny Lor
Helen Hunt Jackson
Activist for Native American rights and author of Southern California's most enduring historical romance novel Ramona, was born and reared in Amherst, Massachusetts, a school mate friend of the woman who would become Amherst's most celebrated resident, poet Emily Dickinson. Grew up in a literary environment, and was herself a noted poet and writer of children's stories, novels, and essays before turning her considerable intellect and energy to investigating and publicizing the mistreatment of Native Americans, especially the Mission Indians of Southern California.
- Circulate petitions, raised money, and wrote letters to the New York Times on the Poncas'
- Published A Century of Dishonor in 1881
- Wrote Ramona and she died of cancer on August 12, 1885
Morrill Act
Known as the Land Grant College Act. It was a major boost to higher education in America. The grant was originally set up to establish institutions is each state that would educate people in agriculture, home economics, mechanical arts, and other professions that were practical at the time. The land-grant act was introduced by a congressman from Vermont named Justin Smith Morrill.
- The land-grant has improved the lives of millions of Americans.
- In the South, blacks were not allowed to attend to the original land-grant institutions.
- This Act also gave education support directly from the government. This act changed the face of education and made room for our growing and ever changing country and ensured that there would always be money to finance educational facilities.
Dawes Act
Also known as the General Allotment Act of the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887, adopted by Congress in 1887, authorized the President of the United States to survey American Indian tribal land and divide it into allotments for individual Indians. An act to provide for the allotment of lands in severalty to indians on the various reservations.
- The law allowed for the President to break up reservation land, which was held in common by the members of a tribe, into small allotments to be parceled out to individuals.
- The purpose was to protect Indian property rights.
- Signed into law in February 8, 1887.
Chief Joseph
Chief Joseph was born on March 3, 1840, in Wallowa Valley, Oregon Territory. When the United States attempted to force the Nez Percé to move to a reservation in 1877, he reluctantly agreed. Following the killing of a group of white settlers, tensions erupted again, and Chief Joseph tried to lead his people to Canada, in what is considered one of the great retreats in military history.
- Chief Joseph was born Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt in 1840 in the Wallowa Valley.
- In 1855, he forged a new treaty that created a new reservation for the Nez Percé.
- Oct. 5, 1877 at Bear Paw he made his speech of surrender.