American West GCSE History Revision

Question	Answer
Why did Nations like the Sioux move to the great Plains? Reason 1... Key Enabling Factor/Pull Factor	Originally, there were NO HORSES in America. By the 1680's and 1690's Indian Nations like the Sioux and Cheyenne had horses. Once they had horses they were able to move out onto the Plains to live and hunt the Buffalo far more easily. (Nomadic Lifestyle.) Horses TRANSFORM their way of life as they are able to give up farming in the river valley and rely upon hunting instead. Quick transport to cover vast areas of land.
Why did Nations like the Sioux move to the great Plains? Reason 2... Necessary but not sufficient as without Push	The Europeans who came to America also brought with them new diseases such as Cholera and Small Pox. Disastrous impact on Indians as Native Americans had NO RESISTANCE to these diseases. The Sioux, Cheyenne and others moved West onto the Great Plains to escape from these diseases and to survive. Smallpox Epidemic 1830 - half the Indian population of Mississippi Valley population died.
Why did Nations like the Sioux move to the great Plains? Reason 3... Necessary but not sufficient as without Push	Trading Goods: Goods brought by traders also had an important impact on Indian life. Guns changed the balance of power in Indian warfare. Guns in the hands of enemies such as Ojibwa was a factor that helped drive the Sioux out onto the Great Plains. Fled to the Plains to escape this threat.
Landscape On The Plains...	-Grasslands and Rivers. -North: The Black Hills (wooded hills surrounded by the 'badlands') -Vegetation, West: Short Grass, East: grass grew taller. Prairie grass in some of the river valleys and areas closest to Mississippi there was woodland, Berries, root plants and wild fruit grew. South: Land became drier, grass replaced by semi-desert plants such as mesquite.
Climate On The Plains...	Extremes of temperature. Strong winds all year round. Winter: Winds brought blizzards of freezing cold. Summer: Very hot, drying up land and rivers. Harsh weather, lack of trees, wind and an absence of water meant the Plains were well suited to the hunters way of life.
Wildlife...	Variety of animals and birds: deer rabbits and most importantly the BUFFALO.
The Mississippi...	First Frontier, physical barrier separating fertile Appalachian mountains and Eastern lowlands from the Barren Desert that was the Great Plains. Stretches the whole length of the USA and is between a mile and up to 11 miles wide. Long and hard to cross and land on the other side is considered useless.
Obstacles for white settlers wanting to cross over and live on the Great Plains...	Harsh Weather: extremely hot or extremely cold/windy. Lack of Trees. Scarcity of Water. Lack of fertile land for farming.
What were the Black Hills?	An area of mountainous terrain in the northwest of the Great Plains. The Sioux considered this land SACRED. High Places were close to the spirit world. Holy men went to seek guidance from the Spirit world. The dead were taken here for burial. The Sioux had retreated there to be saved from, 'the great flood.'
Sioux Living Arrangements...	Spent most of the year travelling, hunting and camping with their band. This would consist of between ten and fifty families, each living in their own tipi. Different roles for men and women.
Roles of the Men...	Men were responsible for hunting, looking after horses, warfare and protecting the band. Judged by their skills as hunters, warriors and horsemen.
Roles of the Women...	Women were responsible for the tipi, for preparing food and fetching water and for making clothes and other items. Judged by skills at crafts and as home makers. Women were highly valued as the bearers of children.
Children...	Children were highly valued. Future of the band. Didn't go to school but learnt the skills they would need from parents and other relatives. Taught to ride at an early age. Boys taught to hunt using bows and arrows whilst girls were taught to maintain a home. Children had to learn how to survive on the Great Plains.
Old People...	Gave advice in council and passed on the history of the people. Helped to bring up children. Became too old and too weak to keep up and got left behind. Survival of the band is of greater importance than an individual.
How did the Tipi solve the problems of living on the Great Plains...	- Could be taken down and packed for transport in 10 minutes. This made it an ideal home for people who were frequently on the move. - in the summer the tipi bottom could be rolled up to let air in. - In the winter it could be banked with earth to keep the tipi warm. - The tipi's conical shape made it strong enough to resist the strong winds on the Great Plains.
Why were horses so important to the Plains Indians?	- Changed the nature of warfare. - enabled warriors to raid over much larger distances and gave a new reason for warfare which was stealing horses. - Led to war skills and horsemanship becoming an important measure of bravery and status in the Plains society. - The horse was vital to life on the Plains as individuals counted wealth based on the number of horses they owned. - Many different roles: transport for home and family, use in hunting and warfare.
Who treated the sick in Plains Indians Nations?	The Medicine Man. - Carried herbs. - Believed there to be a strong connection between religion and every aspect of their lives including their health. - Believed the medicine man to cure sickness because he could use the power of the spirits. - Medicine used practical remedies: ointments and potions made from herbs. - Plains Indians knew the medical properties of more than 2000 plants. - Medicine Men were consulted not only about medical matters but also about every aspect of tribal life from when to hunt the Buffalo to when to go to war. - They charged high fees.
How important was the Buffalo to the Plains Indians... Multifunctional. Very important as the Buffalo was SACRED and allowed them to live their nomadic lifestyle. PRIMARY FOOD SOURCE and BUILDING MATERIALS FOR HOME	- Tongue: used as a hairbrush and also eaten raw as a delicacy. - Dung: used for fuel (buffalo chips) and smoked by men in special ceremonies. - Heart: Cut from the body and left on the ground to give new life to the herd. The Buffalo was SACRED mans relative who gave his life so that the people could live. Heart could also be eaten raw so that warriors could take the strength and power of the buffalo. - Tanned hide: TIPI COVERS. Buffalo used to create the adaptable home of the Indians. - Bones: Used for arrowheads, tools and war clubs. Sinews: Used for bowstring and thread.
How did the Plains Indians hunt buffalo? (before the introduction of the horse)	BEFORE the introduction of the horse. Plains Indians hunted the Buffalo in two ways. Method 1: Warriors crept up to the grazing buffalo and would shoot them with arrows. Buffalo herds would allow wolves to approach quite close to them, so the Plains indians would sometimes disguise themselves in wolf skins. Method 2: To stampede a buffalo herd into 'buffalo jumps' so that the animals were trapped in narrow valleys or driven over a cliff and killed.
Hunting the Buffalo with horses...	Arrival of horses meant they could kill greater numbers of Buffalo. The hunt was carefully organised and policed by members of warrior societies. Two or three successful hunts a year were sufficient to feed and shelter the band. When the hunt began, the warriors would surround or stampede the Buffalo and kill them by firing arrows at the running animals. Each warrior marked his arrows so that the Buffalo he killed could be identified. Besides ensuring the survival of the tribe, the warriors could also gain honour and prestige from their skills in hunting. In order to get close enough to kill the animal the hunter had to put himself and his horse in considerable danger.
Buffalo Dances...	Before setting out to hunt. They would hold a ceremonial Buffalo dance which could last for many days. They would dress as the buffalo and copy their movements. The purpose of the dance was to call upon the spirit world for help in their hunting and to call the Buffalo herd closer to them. They believed this would bring them good luck and ensure a successful hunt.
What Beliefs did the Plains Indians Have? The Spirit World...	The Sioux believed in WAKAN TANKA, the Great Spirit. He had created the world and all that lived. All living things had spirits of their own. Spirits were very important to the Sioux and they believed the spirits could influence their lives.
Beliefs: Circles...	The Sioux believed in the circle of nature. They were physically surrounded by the circle of the horizon, the circle of their councils, the circle of their tipis, the circle of their shield, the circle of the sky, sun and moon. And of course the circle of life.
Beliefs: Sacred Land...	Believed they came from the land just like the plants and animals. When they died they believed they returned to the land and this land couldn't be owned, it was part of life itself. They called the land their mother and said that ploughing land was like ripping their mother's breast. High places that were close to the spirit world were particularly sacred. For the sioux the Black Hills were sacred. This was where the first sioux were saved from the great flood. Place where they took the dead for burial and it was there where the holy men went to seek guidance when the nation had an important decision to make. The Sioux were prepared to fight to the death over their sacred land and land ownership became a tense issue in the period of 1840-1870.
Beliefs: Visions...	One way to contact the spirits was through visions. Everyone wanted to receive visions and their adult name was often given based on visions. Girls received visions after their first menstrual cycle and received training from the medicine woman on how to contact the spirits with control. Boys would use sweat lodge and then pray and go without food to receive their visions. These vision would help the sioux throughout their lives.
Relationship with the environment...	- Land sacred so treated it with respect and didn't want to alter it. - Didn't believe the earth could be owned. - White men exploits the land whereas indians work in unison. - Humans are all dependant on nature. - Treat nature and environment like family referring to it as their, 'mother'. - Religion of the Sioux also affected their attitude to land and they have a strong belief in the after life and the spirits. - Didn't farm the land and instead hunted. - Felt they were united with the land and when they died became a part of it. Retuned to the ground. - Black Hills are an example of their sacred land. - Sioux's attitude to the land generally misunderstood by the whitman. Without nature they could only survive not live. - Conflict over land questioning the civility of the whitman.
Dances and Ceremonies...	Sun Dance, Buffalo Dance, Scalp dance and Ghost Dance. Sun Dance: Used when the whole tribe needed to contact the spirits. Most famous ceremony was used to seek help and guidance from the spirit world. Buffalo Dance: Before hunting would dance the buffalo dance to draw the herd nearer and lead to a more successful hunt. Scalp Dance: After a victory in war would dance the scalp dance to celebrate and to thank the spirits for their help.
Why did the Plains Indians go to war? Beginning	Indian warfare was a series of raids by relatively small groups of warriors. Raiding parties would typically set out from a village three or four times a year. Number of reasons for raids: Steal horses, to seek revenge and to destroy their enemies. They DID NOT want to conquer land in the way that the settlers did later on. War DID NOT happen in the cold winter months when snow covered the Great Plains. Wars happened in the summer when they had built up their food supplies by hunting the Buffalo.
Reasons for war End	Later wars were fought to defend the Plains Indians way of life against the threat from white settlers and soldiers. In some of these such as Red Cloud's war, the Sioux were forced to fight in Winter as well as Summer.
Weapons Used...	- Bow and arrow quiver - Amulet - Body painting - Horse - Shield - War Shirt - Rifle - Coup Stick - Feathers - Lance
How dangerous was warfare?	Scalping- took scalps as evidence of their success in Battle. - In warfare, warriors of Plains Indians often took scalps to achieve honour. They might also just tap an enemy in battle with a stick rather than kill him, this was called 'counting coup.' Generally war hadn't been as serious to begin with as fighting didn't continue until one side won or a peace treaty was signed. The arrival of the white men begun to see more serious forms of war as they were fighting for their way of life.
Why did they scalp their enemies?	Evidence of success in Battle. Scalps were dried and hung as trophies outside their tipis. Also used to decorate war gear - shirts, lances and shields. Also believed if they lost their scalp they couldn't go into the afterlife. Mutilation of dead enemies to leave them disabled in the afterlife. Also wore eagle feathers to show their success in warfare.
Attitudes towards warfare...	Individuals took part in warfare because: - Opportunity to prove their bravery and to gain personal glory. - Might enable them to enter a warrior society or to gain a wife. - By capturing horses and weapons they could also become wealthy. - For leaders: Crazy horse and Sitting Bull - a way to test their spiritual power and 'medicine' and to increase their standing in a tribe. A successful leader was one who brought back horses and captives and who didn't lose many warriors. If chiefs were not successful warriors would not follow them. Plains Indians didn't consider it heroic to die in battle. It was more important to stay alive as a provider for their family and tribe and to avoid losing their scalp.
Manifest Destiny	By the 1840's white Americans began to think that Americas future lay west in these new lands. These idea became even more attractive in 1849 when GOLD was discovered in California and people rushed to the area to get rich quickly. Main justification for going west was MANIFEST DESTINY.
Manifest Destiny - What?	Manifest Destiny: Societies duty towards god. The US was destined to dominate the entire continent. To protect the land which God has given them for survival.
Manifest Destiny: When?	The phrase, 'Manifest Destiny' was first used in December 1845 by the editor of the 'New York Morning News.' However the idea that America's future lay west originated from earlier in the 1840's. Idea of moving west made more attractive by discovery of gold in 1849 and this was known as 'Gold Rush.'
Manifest Destiny: Why?	White Americans believed that they were better qualified to develop the West as they believed they were more civilised and wanted to spread their ideas to the West. They also believed it was their duty to god and to America to go West. They also wanted Christianity to spread across all of America. Anyone who apposed it was a traitor to the US and God.
Manifest Destiny: Where?	1840s: White Americans increase size of US by spreading to: - Texas, Oregon, California. Between 1820 and 1840: Americans only crossed the Great Plains to go to the West of America which they thought held better land and opportunities. In 1840 however start to settle in prairies (Great Plains) in the centre of the continent which were home to the Plains Indians.
Manifest Destiny: Who?	People of US - freedom loving people. 1840's: won land in Texas and California from the Mexicans and from the British in Oregon. Began to think that America's future lay West in these new lands. Americans believed they were better qualified to developed the west than Indians because they were more civilised and knew how to use land.
Manifest Destiny: How?	White Americans travelled West in a wide array of of transport including wagons and trains. Did this to show the Indians their modernised inventions and how they could improve the way of life in the West. White Americans believed that civilisation and liberty were essential so they wanted to improve technology (trains and wagons) and education in the West.
Different Ways Of Life...	White Americans see the Indians as backwards and through the arrival of Manifest Destiny now see it their duty. Homes: Useful for life on plains but not as developed as the settled homes. Children: Didn't go to school and get educated instead learnt skills such as hunting. Multiple Wives: A sin to christians Polygamy but normal for indians. Leave old people behind: sin to leave for the dead but for Indians is necessary for the benefits of the tribe. Multiple Gods/Spirits: One god almighty. Sun Dance: Savage cannot understand reasoning. Hunting instead of farming: doesn't understand sacred land believes they are wasting it by not farming fertile land.

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