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**Theme:** Native Americans **Topic:**Plains Indians in the second-half of the nineteenth century **Free Response Question**: How were the lives of the Plains Indians in the second half of the nineteenth century affected by technological developments and government action? Introductory Paragraph **Setting:**American Indians had continually been pushed further and further west, we pushed back and isolated even more by westward expansion, European settlers, and the reservation system. **Basis for Analysis**: The Government made treaties with the Indians and said it was going to be Indian-friendly, but actually attempted to assimilate if not isolate American Indians and replace their culture with “white” and “American” cultures. **Partitions**: Politically, they were forced west by railroads and then isolated in an attempt to keep area safe and more profitable for settlers and Indians had no sovereignty in reservation system. Socially, their ways of life and livelihood were changed and became dependant on the government. Economically, their sole supply of food and commodities was nearly wiped out, and were forced to resort to an agrarian profession they knew nothing about, fell into deep economic despair. **Thesis:**<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">The Plains Indians in the late 1800’s were forced into an unusual and totally new lifestyle by both technology and the government that abandoned and disregarded their social and political values and traditions.

<span style="background-color: #e1ff00; color: #ff4700; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 17px; text-align: left;">**Partition 1:** Political Issues

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Forced from homeland by influx of settlers due to Trans-continental Railroad <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Wave of settlers brought disease and also new hunting technologies (rifles) lead to near extinction of buffalo (main food + commodities source) <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Government wanted to make western area safer and more profitable for settlers, isolated Indians in the “reservation system” – Treaties of Fort Laramie and Fort Atkinson <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Government changed way of life; from hunting to farming, from communal to individualistic <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Became dependent on the government

<span style="background-color: #808000; color: #e1ff00; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: left;">**Partition 2:** Social Issues <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">After success of the Homestead Act (160 acres to yeoman farmers with families), government tried to help Indians with the Dawes Severalty Act <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Dawes Act broke traditional Indian living assortments from community living to individualistic family living <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Added to the takeaway of Indian hunting traditions and transition to agriculture <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Attempt of government to assimilate Indians and eliminate their culture and way of life. <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Grievances of the US Government toward Indians revealed in Helen Hunt Jackson’s novel, //A Century of Dishonor//

<span style="background-color: #0000ff; color: #00ff00; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;">** Partition 3: ** Economic Issues <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">New increase in expansion companied with new rifle technology leads to demise of American Buffalo <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Buffalo was the predominant source of food, clothing, weaponry, housing, and ceremonial goods for American Indians <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Eliminated that option for livelihood of Indians <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Forced to resort to agriculture in Government Reservations <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Became dependent on government for supplies and knowledge for farming <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">With the Dawes Act, government backed out and hoped to make Indians independent, deepened economic despair

<span style="background-color: #800080; color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 23px; text-align: left;">General Information: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; display: block; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Duration: 1850-1900 (Civil War – Progressive Era) <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Very racist and prejudiced time <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Still conflict/skirmishing with Indians and settlers/Government on the western frontier <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Rights of Indians not respected, large goal of government/society was to assimilate Indians <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Desire to preserve Indian culture or way of life not evident <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16px;">Eventually led to some Progressive Era reforms