Discuss the lives of Plains Indians, the promises made to them, and the reasons why their way of life ended in the second half of the 19th century. (2 paragraph maximum.)
The lives of Plains Indians, also known as Native Americans, were deeply intertwined with the vast grasslands of the central United States and Canada. They were nomadic hunter-gatherers who relied on the buffalo herds for their sustenance, clothing, shelter, and spiritual practices. These nomadic tribes, such as the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Comanche, had complex social structures, a deep connection with the land, and rich cultural traditions.
In the mid-19th century, the lives of Plains Indians drastically changed due to several factors. One significant reason was the westward expansion of European settlers, spurred by the Homestead Act of 1862, which encouraged the migration and settlement of Europeans on Native American lands. This led to the encroachment of settlers on the buffalo hunting grounds, which disrupted the ecological balance and created scarcity of resources for Plains Indians. The U.S. government also implemented a policy of forced assimilation, aiming to eliminate traditional Native American practices and impose European values, religion, and ways of life. The Dawes Act of 1887 further exacerbated the situation by forcibly allotting land to individual Native Americans, breaking up communal ownership and fragmenting tribal communities.
Additionally, military conflicts and broken promises by the U.S. government resulted in the decline of the Plains Indians' way of life. The Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868 had guaranteed the Great Sioux Reservation as their permanent homeland, but it was violated with the discovery of gold in the Black Hills, leading to the Black Hills War. Subsequently, Native Americans faced military campaigns, such as the infamous Battle of Little Bighorn, and were eventually forced onto reservations, where their traditional lifestyles became increasingly difficult to sustain.
In conclusion, the lives of Plains Indians were profoundly affected by the westward expansion, forced assimilation, broken treaties, and military conflicts during the second half of the 19th century. The loss of their buffalo hunting grounds, the imposition of European values, and the fragmentation of their tribal communities ultimately led to the end of their traditional way of life.
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A start from the Internet:
The Plains Indians lived in tipis because they were easily disassembled and allowed the nomadic life of following game. When Spanish horses were obtained, the Plains tribes rapidly integrated them into their daily lives. The Indians began to acquire horses in the 17th century by trading or stealing them from Spanish colonists in New Mexico.