Settling into the West
In the late 1800s, white Americans expanded their settlements in the western part of the country. They claimed land traditionally used by native Indians. The Indians were hunters and nomads. And they struggled to keep control of their hunting lands. Both the settlers and the Indians were guilty of violence. The federal government supported the settlers' claims. It fought, and won, several wars with Indian tribes. It forced the Indians to live on government-controlled reservations. The Bureau of Indian Affairs would run the reservations. The army would deal with any groups that did not report to or remain on the reservation. Natives had been pressured for years from advancing white settlement. In 1862 The Sioux had a major uprising, called The Dakota War Uprising. Natives soon surrendered, many were killed. After the Natives were defeated, thousands of settlers stormed west. Some hoped to find new, rich farmland. Others came from other countries and hoped to build new lives in the United States.All the settlers found it easy to get land in the west. In 1862, Congress had passed the Homestead Act. This law gave every citizen, and every foreigner who asked for citizenship, the right to claim government land. The law said each man could have sixty-five hectares. If he built a home on the land, and farmed it for five years, it would be his.