Flashcards: Westward Expansion

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Reservation system

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A system where Native Americans were confined to specific areas of land by the U.S. government.

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Plains Wars

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A series of conflicts between Native American tribes and the U.S. government over land and resources in the Great Plains.

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Battle of Little Bighorn

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A significant battle in the Black Hills in 1876 where Native American forces led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse defeated and massacred George Custer and his troops to the last man.

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George Custer

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A U.S. Army officer who led troops in the Battle of Little Bighorn and died at the hands of the Native American forces led by Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.

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Sitting Bull

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A prominent Native American leader and chief of the Lakota Sioux who played a key role in the Battle of Little Bighorn.

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Crazy Horse

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A Native American war leader of the Oglala Lakota who fought against U.S. forces in the Plains Wars and the Battle of Little Bighorn.

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Wounded Knee Massacre

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A tragic event in 1890 where U.S. troops killed hundreds of Lakota Sioux whom were largely unarmed, marking the end of major Native American resistance.

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Assimilation

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The process of integrating Native Americans into American society, often by erasing their cultural identities.

Note: Usually assimilation is a natural, organic process that takes place slowly over time.

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Ghost Dance

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A spiritual movement among Native Americans that aimed to bring about renewal and hope by restoring buffalo to the Plains.

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Displaced

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The forced removal of Native Americans from their ancestral lands due to U.S. policies and expansion.