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Time Surrounding Artwork
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The Indian Removal Act
In 1830, the U.S. signed the Indian Removal Act into law. The act was President Andrew Jackson's solution to the indian problem on the frontier. It allowed for the forced relocation of tribes of Native Americans so that white settlers could expand into their lands. -
Black Hawk War
The war was a brief conflict which only lasted three months. It began when the Sac and Fox indians left Iowa and returned to their homes in Illinois. White settlers panicked and the militia was called to locate and return the indians to Iowa. This was also the only time Abraham Lincoln served in the military. -
Trail of Tears
The Cherokee tribe was forced to move from their home lands east of the Mississippi River to modern day Oklahoma. Of the 15,000 people who made the march, 4,000 died due to harsh conditions. Thus, the Cherokee people named the path they followed the "Trail of Tears." -
The Choosing of the Arrow
Sculpted by Henry Kirke Brown, The Choosing of the Arrow depicts an Indian reaching for an arrow from his sling. However, rather than modeling his work after the Indians he was studying, Brown chose to use the idyllic body form of Greek sculpture. -
Ash Hollow Massacre
After soldiers killed a Brule chief named Conquering Bear, 30 soldiers were killed by the Brules, In retaliation, Colonel William Harney used his soldiers to massacre an entire village of Brule. -
Massacre
U.S. soldiers massacred visiting Navajo indians in an unprovoked peacetime attack during a horse race at Fort Wingate, New Mexico. -
Sand Creek Massacre
Also known as Chivington's Massacre, the Sand Creek Massacre occurred after Chief Black Kettle had made peace through peace talks with the U.S. government. Colonel John Chivington ordered his men to attack their camp after they had already raised a white and American flag to surrender. All in the camp were killed except the few who escaped. -
The Old Arrow Maker
Edmonia Lewis, the sculptor of the piece, was of Native American descent herself. She hoped that by giving the Indians a craft, she could associate with them values her patrons would admire. -
Extermination of Buffalo
Plains Indians began to starve because their main food supply--buffalo--were hunted nearly to the point of extinction by white people for sport. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
General George Armstrong Custer led an attack on a force of indians much larger than his own, and as a result he along with his men were killed. In response, the U.S. army chased the indian force around the plains, killing some and taking the rest to reservations. -
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Buffalo Disappear
The Lakota and many other tribes are forced to live on handouts from the U.S. government. -
The Indian and the Lily
When George de Forest Brush painted this piece, he was visiting with a group of Indians that were being held in a camp. Although he could have painted the stuggles they endured there, he chose to paint an ideal world instead of reality. -
Dawes Severalty Act
It allowed the president to reduce landholdings of reservations across the nation by alloting 160 acres to the head of the household and 80 acres to individuals. The extra land could then be opened for settlement. -
Campo Indian Reservation established
It was established near San Diego for the Campo band of Kumeyaay indians. The tribe of 200 indians was given one acre of land to share.
