How Did Technology Affect The Plains Indians

The lives of the Plains Indians were heavily influenced by governmental action and technological innovations in the second half of the 19th century. As settlers moved to the Plains, conflict between the settlers and the Plains Indians arose. This, in turn, led to a lost of culture of the Plains Indians. Although new technology came to the West and the government enforced treaties, in the Plains Indians best interest, however, it actually was the very force that caused dissimulation within the Plains Indians’ community. Governmental actions such as setting up reservations and the Dawes Act worked in the new settlers best interest. Technology advances such as the Railroad and weapons were major advances that played a major impact on the Plains Indians’ lives. To begin with, lives of the Plains Indians were affected by the settlers by government actions. One act in particular was the Dawes Act which destroyed tribal culture. This act provided for the gradual elimination of tribal ownership of land and the allotment of tracts to individual owners. By splitting up reservations into smaller units that were given to individuals from the

Railroads, for example, were something that the Plains Indians despised; so much hat they would attack the workers of the railroads because they did not want the railroad to go ahead. The railroads allowed for hunters to kill buffalo. This caused the areas to become slaughterhouse capitals. Also thriving was the iron and steel production. This contributed to the production of the airplane and automobile. Transportation, because of these advances, would become the best it had ever been. Many opportunities followed this in production and with these inventions, the country was more connected than ever. It is ironic that while the country was becoming more and more connected, the Plains Indians were separated into their own entities at a greater