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Battle of Little Bighorn
The Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as Custer's Last Stand took place between the Plains Indians of the great Sioux Nation and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States. This was an unexpected victory for the Natives, as Custer expected a much smaller number of them, and as a result he and his 250+ men were killed, giving the victory to the Natives. -
The Great Railroad Strike of 1877
Beginning in Martinsburg, West Virginia, waves of railroad workers went on strike for 70 days to protest their wages that had been cut for the third time that year. This strike spread to other states such as Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland, Illinois and Missouri, as the unrest and destruction began to increase significantly. At the end of the two months, there were about 100 total deaths from the workers. -
The First Real Rodeo Takes Place
In Pecos, Texas in 1883 as a way of settling an argument, two ranchers met and competed against one another in their own rodeo competitions. This is today recognized as the first real rodeo, and from this point on they grew increasingly popular, being planned around national holidays and having their own designated "seasons." -
Dawe's Act/ General Allotment Act is Passed
The Dawe's Act, named after Massachusetts Senator Henry Dawes, was passed in 1887 and gave the President of the United States the power to take Native American land holdings and divide it up amongst tribal leaders and Native individuals. This was in an attempt to "civilize" the Natives by mimicking a civil, professional situation in which the Natives would have to partake should they wish to keep their land. -
Lakota Land of South Dakota Becomes the 40th State
The land that belonged to the Lakota tribe by a treaty became the 40th state in the United States in 1889 after many white landowners came in, claiming nearly all Native reservation land. As food rations were cut, a severe drought set in changing the future of the Lakota tribe and all other Natives of the region. -
The American Frontier is Closed
As the American West population grew to a staggering number by the year 1890, the Census Bureau declared that the American frontier was officially closed, that is there would no longer be a line distinguishing the "wild west" from modern American society. -
The Panic of 1893
At this time in the country's development, this was the biggest economic depression they had faced so far. Lasting four years until 1897, the American public suffered greatly in all areas; economically, socially, culturally and politically. It ultimately led to the political realignment of 1896, and was a result of a widespread wheat crop failure. -
William Jennings Bryan receives the Democratic presidential nomination
Nebraska congressman, Illinois native, and three-time presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan was given the Democratic presidential nomination in 1896. The most notable and likely reason for his nomination was the national speaking tour he partook in earlier that year, promoting the idea of coining silver for free, but it was also his skill in moving a crowd that got many on his side.