Study Notes
Early Tensions
- Level:
- GCSE
- Board:
- Edexcel
Last updated 24 Oct 2017
Although it was very rare for Plains Indians to attack white settlers, whites greatly feared Plains Indians. Plains Indians often raided neighbouring tribes for resources. Sometimes white settlers would get caught in-between these conflicts and assume the Plains Indians were threatening them. Furthermore, the vast majority of white settlers were strongly racist towards Plains Indians. They believed they were savages who were inferior to the white race and that they would soon be dominated by whites.
Although it was very rare for Plains Indians to attack white settlers, whites greatly feared Plains Indians. Plains Indians often raided neighbouring tribes for resources. Sometimes white settlers would get caught in-between these conflicts and assume the Plains Indians were threatening them. Furthermore, the vast majority of white settlers were strongly racist towards Plains Indians. They believed they were savages who were inferior to the white race and that they would soon be dominated by whites.
From the Plains Indians perspective, migrants presented a very real threat to their way of life. The migrants greatly disrupted their buffalo hunting; they killed large numbers of buffalo for meat, and often spooked the buffalo causing them to stampede. Additionally, the migrant’s livestock left little grass for the Plains Indian’s horses.
There were some positive interactions between white settlers and Plains Indians. For example, some Plains Indians lived among the white settlers to learn more about them. However, this sort of interaction was very rare. The vast majority of white settlers and Plains Indians had little understanding of each other’s way of life. This meant they often regarded each other’s actions with suspicion.
You might also like
The Permanent Indian Frontier
Study Notes
Western Expansion
Study Notes
Indian Appropriations Act 1851
Study Notes
Impact of Railroads on Plains Indians
Study Notes
Impact of Cattle Industry on Plains Indians
Study Notes
Impact of Gold Rush in Plains Indians
Study Notes
Reservations
Study Notes
Little Crow's War 1862
Study Notes