Analyze the Political, Economic, and Social Factors Which Account for the Disappearance of the Plains Indians Considering the Period from 1865-1890

FRQ8: Analyze the political, economic, and social factors which account for the disappearance of the Plains Indians considering the period from 1865-1890.

After the Civil War, whites overcame the Plains Indians’ fierce resistance and settled the Great West. Successive waves of miners, cattlemen, and farmers had populated the Great Plains and mountainous west. By 1890, there was no longer a frontier line of settlement, and the long frontier phase of American history came to an end. Economic, political, and social effects all led to the disappearance of the Plains Indians including, the growing Transcontinental railroad, the constant battles between the United States and the Indians, and the Dawes Act.

A major economic effect that led to the disappearance of the plains Indians was the growing transcontinental railroad. As the railroad grew and spread west, Americans were excited to finally have faster and easier transportation of goods. In addition, they built new towns along the railroads, which acted as great places for trade and shipment. However, an unintended, or disregarded, consequence occurred from the growing railroad: trains constantly killed off buffaloes and the people in the new towns also killed the buffalo off. As a result, many buffalo rotted leaving the Indians without food supply. In addition, they no longer had buffalo hide for clothing. Furthermore, they could no longer trade buffalo among their tribes and other tribes. Clearly, American economic incentive led to the destruction of the buffalo, which left the Indians starving, freezing, and unable to trade.

Political effects also led to the disappearance of the Plains Indians. Some of the political effects included constant wars between the Indians and the United States, the battle, or massacre, of Wounded Knee, and the United States constantly trying to force the tribes on to reservations. These were all results of the government and the people favoring western expansion.