Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Chapter 15, Lesson 4: Conflicts with the American Indians (pp. 389-393)
I. Indian Ways of Life
B. In other ways, they were very different. Some Plains Indians were warriors while others were farmers. Each had its own language and traditions.
C. Life on the plains was not always peaceful; but as the settlers moved west, they pushed Indian peoples onto each other's lands, causing them to fight even more with each other.
B. Early travelers on the Oregon Trail usually had peaceful contacts with the Plains Indians.
C. As migration increased, settlers killed Indian food sources and brought diseases to the Indians.
B. The government and Plains Indians signed a treaty at Fort Laramie.
C. The government did not live up to its word and the Fort Laramie agreement broke down.
Lesson at a Glance Outline
A. Plains Indians shared a strong belief in the importance of nature and the land.
II. The Indians and the Settlers
A. The U.S. government made land treaties with the Indians, but settlers often ignored these treaties.
III. Government Intervention
A. In retaliation, the Indians began to harass wagon trains.
They wanted the government to pay for damage to their lands.
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