Tension with the Indigenous Peoples of the Plains (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Author
Zoe WadeExpertise
History
What Caused Tension Between the US Government and Indigenous Peoples in America? - Timeline & Summary
From 1830 to 1851, significant tensions existed between the US government and indigenous peoples in America. One key factor was the US government's policy of segregation. The Indian Removal Act aimed to move indigenous peoples to the west of the Mississippi River. President Jackson authorised the government to negotiate treaties with indigenous tribes. Many of these treaties were unfair. This led to widespread resistance among indigenous peoples. Another source of tension was the rapid expansion of white settlements into indigenous territories. Many migrants wanted land and economic opportunities. An example of this is the California Gold Rush in 1848. As settlers trespassed on indigenous lands, conflicts occurred. Many issues centred on land rights, resources and competing interests. Many settlers disregarded indigenous peoples' claims to the land. Sometimes, tension resulted in violence between settlers and indigenous communities. The US government's policy of assimilation also contributed to tensions. The US government forced indigenous peoples to act like white Americans. These policies undermined indigenous cultures and traditions. |
Exam Tip
Many Europeans and Americans called the indigenous peoples of America 'Indians'. This is no longer an accepted term. Please do not use 'Indians' to refer to indigenous peoples in your exam answers. However, in this section, you will have to use the official name for the government policies towards indigenous peoples. Many of the policies use the term 'Indian'. You should write the full title of these acts in your exam answers to show specific own knowledge.
Why did Settlers Want Land in the Plains?
Settlers recognised that the indigenous tribes had some rights to land in the Plains
White Americans believed that they should have land in the Plains because the settlers:
Would improve the land
Indigenous tribes did not improve the land. They lived off of the natural produce of the land
Settlers would grow crops, mine for natural resources and fell trees for timber
Would 'civilise' the area
Settlers viewed the indigenous peoples as 'savages'
Settlers believed that they could make the Plains a part of the USA
Deserved the best land
Settlers felt that they could benefit from land in the Plains
Many white Americans argued that the indigenous peoples should learn how to farm or move on
Land caused conflict between the indigenous peoples and white Americans
To ease tensions, the US federal government aimed to:
Separate settlers and indigenous tribes by creating reservations
Encourage indigenous peoples to assimilate
'Permanent Indian Frontier' and the Indian Removal Act, 1830
From 1830, the US government, under President Jackson, attempted to reduce tension between white Americans and the indigenous population
Government Policies Towards Indigenous Peoples, 1830 to 1834
Date | Policy | Key terms |
|---|---|---|
1830 | The Indian Removal Act |
|
1834 | The Indian Trade and Intercourse Act |
|
The Indian Appropriations Act, 1851
What Caused the US Government's Approach to Indigenous Peoples to Change?
Texas became an official part of the USA in 1845
In 1846, the USA took control of Oregon Country
It had previously jointly occupied the county with Britain
The USA won a war against Mexico in 1848
The USA gained a huge amount of territory in the West, including California
As a result, the 'Indian Territory' was in the centre of the USA
The government wanted US citizens to move into the new territories in the West
Settlers needed the ability to cross the 'Permanent Indian Frontier' without harm
Government Policy Towards Indigenous Peoples, 1851
Date | Policy | Key terms |
|---|---|---|
1851 | The Indian Appropriations Act |
|
Exam Tip
You could be asked to write a narrative account of how US government policy towards indigenous peoples changed from 1830-1851. A narrative account answer should follow CHRONOLINK:
Put the sequence of events in chronological order
Link each section of the narrative to the next event that occurred. You should use linkage terms such as: 'as a consequence', 'this led to' or 'because'
The first section of your narrative should be about the Indian Removal Act. Your link should include process words such as 'affected' and 'worsened' to explain the impact of this act on indigenous peoples and how it led to the Permanent Indian Frontier.
Conflict Over Food
Racism Against the Indigenous Peoples of the Plains
Most white Americans viewed themselves as superior to the indigenous peoples of America
This viewpoint influenced how many settlers treated indigenous tribes
Settler's racist attitudes came from misunderstanding indigenous peoples
Many settlers did not attempt to learn about the indigenous peoples' language, customs and beliefs
Customs such as scalping led settlers to view indigenous tribes as savages
Indigenous peoples sometimes begged for or stole supplies
Many tribal members were forced to do this because the white settlers had monopolised these resources
Not all settlers were racist
For example, the Mormons studied the Pueblo tribe to learn about how to survive in the Salt Lake Valley
Worked Example
Explain the importance of the Indian Appropriations Act (1851) for the indigenous peoples' way of life
8 marks
Partial answer:
The Indian Appropriations Act worsened the indigenous peoples' way of life (1). The act moved indigenous peoples into reservations, reducing the amount of hunting lands they had access to (1). The indigenous people's way of life became worse because they had less access to buffalo. The buffalo were essential to the indigenous peoples' way of life (1). As a result, the Indian Appropriations Act took away an important aspect of the indigenous peoples' culture (1).
Exam Tip
This style of question in the exam paper would be worth 8 marks. An examiner would expect you to write two paragraphs analysing the importance of an event on a wider theme like migration. The worked example shows how you could start an answer for this style of question.
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