The Plains of America (Edexcel GCSE History)

Before 1835, America was home to indigenous peoples who had lived on the land for thousands of years. The geography of America varied greatly, from forests and grassland to mountains and deserts. The indigenous people developed unique cultures, languages and ways of life.

The indigenous people first came into contact with European settlers after 1492. Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer funded by Spain, landed in the Caribbean Islands. Columbus believed that he had found an alternative route to India. This is why Europeans called many indigenous people ‘Indians’. Some indigenous tribes collaborated with the Europeans. Other tribes came into conflict with the settlers as competition increased for land and resources.

As Europeans from Spain, Portugal, Britain and France settled more areas along America's east coast, many indigenous tribes were pushed towards the Great Plains of America. However, by 1835, Europeans wanted to explore and expand westward, into and past the Plains. This would cause decades of war and upheaval for the indigenous peoples of America.

Hot summers

High temperatures could destroy crops and cause issues with dehydration

Cold winters

Some crops would die from such extremes in temperature. Staying warm would be difficult in the winter

Strong winds

Settlers would have to build shelters securely to survive the wind. Strong winds could spread fires across the Plains

Heavy rain and thunderstorms

Heavy rain could flood homes and destroy crops. Thunderstorms could cause grassland to catch fire, which could cause significant destruction

Drought

In summer, droughts were common in the Plains. This would cause issues with water supplies and growing crops