Westward Expansion
What attracted the settlers west?
The California Gold Rush and Comstock Lode
The discovery of gold and silver in the west attracted settlers because they wanted to become rich.
The Battle of Wounded Knee
The Battle of Wounded Knee occurred in 1890 at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. This attack on native Americans by the U.S. military was brought upon after the military had witnessed a religious ritual know as the "Ghost Dance." The military mistook it for a call to war. 150 unarmed natives were killed.
The battle of little bighorn (Custer's Last stand)
The Sioux Indians were beginning to stand against the white settlers. General George Custer led a surprise attack on the Sioux. The Sioux Indians killed the troops along with Custer. Hence the name, Custer's Last Stand.
The Sand Creek Massacre
The Sand Creek Massacre occurred because some Native Americans attempted to rebel against white settlers instead of giving up their land. A small group of Cheyenne Indian ran an attack on some white settlers. They retaliated by killing 270 million Native Americans at Sand Creek, Colorado.
The Dawes Act
The U.S. government wanted to "Americanize" the Native Americans. Make them more main stream and common. The Dawes Act was passed as way to implement this. It disbanded tribal organizations and broke up their land between individual families.
"A Century of Dishonor"
A Century of Dishonor was a book written by Helen Hunt in 1881. It focused on the injustices Native Americans faced from the U.S. government.