The West Timeline

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Feb 26, 1775

Branch in the federal government that is in charge of keepinga solid relationship between the indians and the government.

Capture of Geronimo

Jun 13, 1829

Goyaałé was the leader of Apache and fought against Mexico and Texas for the expanison into the Apache. Geronimo ended up surrendering to Texan authorities as prisoner of war.

Indian Removal Act

May 28, 1830

On May 28, 1830 the Indian Removal Act was passed. It allowed the president to negotiate with the indian tribe. They wanted their removal from the federal territory west of the Mississippi for ancestral homelands.

Comstock Lode

Mar 14, 1857

A lode of silver was found in Nevada. Evan and Hosea Grosh founded this silver.

Homestead Act

Mar 13, 1862

United States laws that gave an applicant ownership of land at little or no cost.

Little Crows War

Mar 14, 1862

Little Crow was a cheif who made an agreement for the movement of his group of the Dakota to a reservation near the Minnesota River in exchange for goods and certain other rights

Cheyenne Upspring

Mar 2, 1863

Also known as Sand Creek Massacre. Cheyenne attacked wagon trains and stole food. Army reacted by attacking the camp at Sand Creek.

Transcontiental RailRoad

Mar 10, 1863

It wasa 1,907 mile railroad that went across the western US to connect the Pacific Coast to connect with the Eastern US railroad network.

Bear River Massacre

Mar 14, 1863

This massacre took place in present day Idaho. US Army attacked Shoshone.

Sand Creek Massacre

Nov 29, 1864

675 cavalrymen attacked a village of Cheyenne killing over 100 indians.

Red Clouds War

Mar 13, 1866

It was a dilemma between Lakota, North Cheyenne, and Northern Arapaho. They were fighting over the contorl of the Powder River in Northern Wyoming. Indians were victor4ious.

Cattle Drive

Mar 14, 1866

Cowboys would move cattle long distances on horseback. 10 millin cattle were herded from texas to railroads in Kansas.

Fetterman Massacre

Dec 1, 1866

Also known as Fetterman fight, was a battle during Red Clouds War. This battle was between Cheyenne and Arpaho Indians. Indians ended up killing all 81 men, which led to the withdrawl of the United States.

The Lokata War

Mar 14, 1867

Sioux aided the british during the war for independence

Fort Laramie Treaty

Apr 29, 1868

This treaty was signed on April 29, 1868. It was ultimately between the US government and Sioux Nation. The Black Hills was recongnized the the US as part of the Great Sioux Reservation.

Indian Appropriations Act

Mar 3, 1871

It was created to weaken the authority of tribal leaders. This act ended the treatement of tribes as independent, sovereign nations.

Camp Grant AZ Apache Massacre

Apr 30, 1871

Group of Anglo-Americans, Mexican Americans, and Tohono O'odham Indians killed a hundred plus Apache men, women, and children who had surrendered to the U.S.

Battle of Little Big Horn

Jun 25, 1876

Fought in the Montana Ceremony. It was led by Lieutenant Cone Georgre Custer and a band of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors. A lot of tribes had missed the deadline to move to reservations and this created conflict. Custer was unaware of the large about of indians fighting and he soon got outnumbered.

Desert Land Act

Mar 3, 1877

This law was created to promote economic development for arid and public lands in the west. Poeple were able to now able apply for a desert land entry.

Capture of Nez Perce

Jun 1, 1877

A conflict between Nez Perce tribe and the United States army. Refused to give up ancestrial land in Pacfic Northwest and move to an Indian Reservation in Idaho.

Billy the Kid

Aug 17, 1877

Was a frontieer outlaw in the Old American West. he was also a gunman who was involved in the Lincoln County War. Kileld his first person on August 17, 1877.

Pratt Boarding School

Nov 1, 1879

Richard Henry Pratt founded the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in 1879. He wanted Indians to be able to reject tribal culture and adapt to white culture after the indian wars.

A centry of dishonor

Mar 14, 1881

Helen Hunt Jackson created this book to write about all the inequalties of the indians.

Dawes Act

Jan 1, 1887

It had the President of the United States survery American Indian Tribal and then divide the land up for individual indians. It happened so it could stimulate assimmilation of indians to main stream society.

Edmunds Tucker Act

Mar 14, 1887

Main focus was to restrict practices of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Wounded Knee Massacre

Dec 29, 1890

Sioux against US Troops at Wounded Knee Creek. The army demanded the surrender of the Sioux weapons. The Sioux leader was shot.

Forest Reserve Act

Mar 3, 1891

There was debate about public land policy and exploitative logging. They wanted to protect wooded areas as forest reserves. This law was signed by Benjamin Harrison

Bill Cody's Wild Wild West Show

Feb 26, 1893

Cody, known as Buffalo Bill, was a american scout. He played a role as a cowboy in many shows of the Old American West. He was the founder of the Buffalo Bills Wild West and took his company on a world wide tout.

Frontier Thesis

Feb 27, 1893

The Frontier Thesis was an argumenet. It led to the formation of the American Democracy. This Thesis was created by Fredrick Jackson Turner.

Carey Act

Mar 14, 1894

This was an act to let private companies erect irrigation systems in western states and profit the sales of water.