History of American Indians: Exploring Diverse Roots by McCoy Robert R.; Fountain Steven M.;

Author:McCoy, Robert R.; Fountain, Steven M.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ABC-CLIO, LLC
Published: 2017-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

CONFLICT AND RESISTANCE IN THE WEST

While fighting occurred between Confederate and Union forces in Indian Territory and Kansas, other Indian communities were faced with many trials and decisions during the Civil War that set the stage for further conflict after the war. Conflict occurred throughout the West, but native people on the Plains and in the Rocky Mountain West faced increasing trespass from whites traveling through their territory to reach points further west, especially places where gold had been discovered. These travelers disrupted food supplies, killing animals and disturbing or destroying plant resources and crops. They also used these resources without regard to the people who inhabited the region. Conflict often arose between native people and transient whites, low-key at first and then boiling over after prolonged abuse and exploitation of Indian homelands.

Prior to the outbreak of the Civil War, miners and settlers streamed into lands west of the Mississippi River. Numerous conflicts and wars occurred just prior to the Civil War, often resulting from the actions of miners and settlers eager to exploit the mineral resources and land of native people. Two examples of these conflicts are the Rogue River War in Oregon and the Northern Paiute War in Nevada and Idaho. In 1855–1856, hostilities erupted between native communities along the Rogue River, as settlers and miners attacked Indian villages, desiring revenge and access to land. Raids and attacks continued through 1856 when the Rogue River Indians were defeated by the U.S. Army and were removed to various reservations throughout Oregon. In early 1860, prospectors and Northern Paiute, Shoshone, and Bannock fought for four months over treaty breaches and increasing violence and incursions by whites in the region. While an uneasy truce was negotiated in 1860, tensions simmered in the region, exploding once again with the Bannock War in 1878.

Once secession occurred and the Civil War erupted, the U.S. government recalled most troops from the West and concentrated forces in the East to counter Confederate armies near Washington D.C. The void in military presence was often filled by militias comprised of inexperienced local recruits with small contingents of regular army soldiers. These units were frequently undisciplined and used the situation to move against Indian communities and force them from their homelands. Despite the fighting in the East, settlers, miners, and other emigrants continued to stream West, increasing pressure on native communities and raising the potential for conflict in many regions in the West. When confronted with Indian resistance, they repeatedly called on territorial governments and the federal government to protect them. This protection most often came in the form of poorly trained militias and military forces that only added fuel to the fire. Local officials and military officers responded to these demands, since the Lincoln administration was preoccupied with the fighting in the East and the problems of administering conquered Confederate territory.

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