Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · History
Course version: 1HI0 · Version from Sept 2016
Key topic 1: The early settlement of the West, c1835–c1862 - 3 Conflict…
Full specification wording
Option P3: Key topic 1: The early settlement of the West, c1835–c1862 - 3 Conflict and tension: Reasons for tension with Indigenous peoples of the Plains, including US government policy and the 'Permanent Indian Frontier'. The significance of the first Fort Laramie Treaty (1851). The Indian Appropriations Act (1851).
Tension between Indigenous peoples and white settlers grew due to conflicting views on land ownership.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 1HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 2
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Tension between Indigenous peoples and white settlers grew due to conflicting views on land ownership. US government policy initially aimed to separate groups via the 'Permanent Indian Frontier', moving eastern tribes west. As white migration increased, this boundary was breached. The first Fort Laramie Treaty (1851) was significant as it shifted policy towards concentrating tribes in specific territories, allowing safe passage for migrants and building forts in exchange for annuities. The Indian Appropriations Act (1851) furthered this by legally establishing reservations, fundamentally altering the nomadic lifestyle of Plains Indians and laying the groundwork for future conflict as promises were broken and land was encroached upon.
What earns the marks
- Identify the 'Permanent Indian Frontier' as the initial policy of separation that failed due to westward migration.
- Explain the terms of the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty, including safe passage for settlers and the introduction of annuities.
- Analyse the significance of the Fort Laramie Treaty in ending the Permanent Indian Frontier and beginning the reservation system.
- Describe the Indian Appropriations Act (1851) as the legal mechanism that funded and established reservations for Plains Indians.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Confusing the first Fort Laramie Treaty (1851) with the second (1868).
Put it right: Ensure you specify that the 1851 treaty focused on safe passage and defined territories, not the creation of the Great Sioux Reservation.
Stating that the Permanent Indian Frontier successfully prevented conflict.
Put it right: Explain that the frontier was quickly undermined by white migration along trails crossing Indian lands.
Believing the Indian Appropriations Act gave land to white settlers.
Put it right: Clarify that the Act allocated funds to move western tribes onto reservations, restricting their nomadic lifestyle.
Exam tips
- When discussing significance, focus on how the Fort Laramie Treaty changed the relationship between the US government and Plains Indians.
- Link the failure of the Permanent Indian Frontier directly to the increasing numbers of migrants travelling the Oregon Trail.
- Use the Indian Appropriations Act to demonstrate the shift in US policy from separation to concentration and assimilation.
Try the lesson
The start of the Option P3: Key topic 1: The early settlement of the West, c1835–c1862 - 3 Conflict and tension: Reasons for tension with Indigenous peoples of the Plains, including US government policy and the 'Permanent Indian Frontier'. The significance of the first Fort Laramie Treaty (1851). The Indian Appropriations Act (1851). lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
What was the main purpose of the 'Permanent Indian Frontier' established by the US government in the 1830s?
Listen
Tension between Indigenous peoples and white settlers grew due to conflicting views on land ownership. US government policy initially aimed to separate groups via the 'Permanent Indian Frontier', moving eastern tribes west. As white migration increased, this boundary was breached. The first Fort Laramie Treaty (1851) was significant as it shifted policy towards concentrating tribes in specific territories, allowing safe passage for migrants and building forts in exchange for annuities. The Indian Appropriations Act (1851) furthered this by legally establishing reservations, fundamentally altering the nomadic lifestyle of Plains Indians and laying the groundwork for future conflict as promises were broken and land was encroached upon. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Identify the 'Permanent Indian Frontier' as the initial policy of separation that failed due to westward migration. Explain the terms of the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty, including safe passage for settlers and the introduction of annuities. Analyse the significance of the Fort Laramie Treaty in ending the Permanent Indian Frontier and beginning the reservation system. Describe the Indian Appropriations Act (1851) as the legal mechanism that funded and established reservations for Plains Indians. A common slip: Confusing the first Fort Laramie Treaty (1851) with the second (1868). Instead, Ensure you specify that the 1851 treaty focused on safe passage and defined territories, not the creation of the Great Sioux Reservation. Exam tip: When discussing significance, focus on how the Fort Laramie Treaty changed the relationship between the US government and Plains Indians.
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Government policy
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Permanent Indian Frontier
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Annuities
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Indian Appropriations Act (1851)
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See every definition
- Government policy
- The approach that initially aimed to separate groups via the 'Permanent Indian Frontier', moving eastern tribes west, and later shifted towards concentrating tribes in specific territories.
- Permanent Indian Frontier
- The initial policy of separation that was breached as white migration increased and was quickly undermined by white migration along trails crossing Indian lands.
- Annuities
- Payments given in exchange for allowing safe passage for migrants and building forts, as set out in the first Fort Laramie Treaty (1851).
- Indian Appropriations Act (1851)
- The legal mechanism that funded and established reservations for Plains Indians, restricting their nomadic lifestyle.
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Test your understanding of Option P3: Key topic 1: The early settlement of the West, c1835–c1862 - 3 Conflict and tension: Reasons for tension with Indigenous peoples of the Plains, including US government policy and the 'Permanent Indian Frontier'. The significance of the first Fort Laramie Treaty (1851). The Indian Appropriations Act (1851).
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