Westward Expansion Questions

1. What are some of the main reasons that the federal government's policy of assimilation failed?

Think About:
Native Americans' way of life
Cultural differences
Attitude of whites toward Native Americans
Government promises

The main reason the government's policy of assimilation failed was because they were trying to get the Native Americans to give up their beliefs and way of life and become part of the white culture, but that idea was not liked by the Native Americans and they didn't want to become
"Americanized". Another reason assimilation failed was because the Native Americans had received no money from the lands sold from the Dawes Act.

2. How successful were government efforts to promote settlement of the Great Plains? Give examples to support your answer.

Think about:
The growth in population on the Great Plains
The role of railroads in the economy
The Homestead Act

Government efforts were quite successful for promoting settlement on the Great Plains. Because cattle ranching became a profitable investment, many cattle ranchers settled on the Great Plains, which caused more and more people to invest in cattle ranching, having more people settle there.