civil rights- native americans Flashcards
(48 cards)
how many tribes had been identified around the start of the period?
86
what was the aim of the government up until 1992?
assimilation
how did the Westward expansion worsen the position of NAs?
the belief of manifest destiny: Americans’ god given right to inhabit the rest of the continent
1830 Removal Act relocated tribes, which meant fishing tribes were deprived of their fishing rights
the government did not keep their promises to provide for the NAs and so they rose up in the Plains Wars
when were the Plains Wars?
between 1862 and 1868
when was the Sand Creek Massacre?
1864
when was the massacre at Wounded Knee and how many died?
1890- over 100 NA men, women and children
when and what was the Homestead Act?
1862- gave farmers a free 160-acre plot on the condition that they farmed there, around 20,000 people were settled on the Plains by 1865
how did the expansion of the railways worsen NA position?
encouraged more settlers to move to the Plains, the rail lines disrupted the buffalo herds and increased the hunting of them
how did the government try to achieve assimilation prior to WW1?
educating/indoctrinating, conversion to Christianity, turning NAs into farmers and establishing government reservations
what did the reservations prevent NAs from doing?
practising polygamy, having braves demonstrate their skills, banned herbal remedies, tribal laws abolished and communal living ended
when was the Battle of Little Bighorn?
1876
what was life like on reservations prior to the Dawes Act?
NAs were unable to farm on the bad land, depended on food from the government, many died from infectious diseases like measles, alcohol addiction become common, treated as ‘wards’
BUT some were able to adapt, like the Navajo tribe
when and what was the Dawes Act?
1887- divided the reservations into allotments that were given to NAs, meaning they now owned land but were given full rights as taxpaying citizens
when and what was the Curtis Act?
1898- ended the Five Civilised Tribe exemption
when and what was Cherokee v Hitchcock?
1902- denied the right to live by their laws
when and what was Lone Wolf v Hitchcock?
1903- ruled that NAs were dependent (or ‘wards’) of the state
what was the position of NAs like by WW1?
NAs were living in bad conditions on allotments, and they had lost their right to land and were dependent on the federal government
when was the Indian Citizenship Act and why was it limited?
1924- 2/3 were already citizens due to the Dawes Act
when was the Dance Order?
1921 and 1923
when and what was the Indian Reorganisation Act (Wheeler-Howard Act)?
1934- first move to preserve NA culture and involve them in the administration of reservations- gave the right to religion, right to dances/ celebrations, extension of political rights to women
BUT did not lead to self-sufficiency
what was the policy of termination?
more aggressive approach to assimilation- NAs lost any support they were given by the federal government and encouraged them to move to cities to urbanise
how did termination limit NA position?
literacy rates were low, disease was high, bad accommodation in cities, poorly paid jobs, life expectancy was 20 years less than white Americans and so about 50% returned to reservations
when did termination end?
1969
how did NA position improve between 1969-1992?
some tribes regained their land, able to gain respect for their religions, 30 states passed laws to protect burial grounds
