The homestead act, the mass killing of buffalo, and the completion of the transcontinental railroad are most closely associated with the decline of the

Plains Indians

The Plains Indians are a Native American group who has traditionally lived in the Great Plains and the Canadian Prairies. Some well-known tribes are the Cheyenne, Comanche, Lakota, Kiowa and Apache.

These groups were nomadic or semi-sedentary, and their movement patterns generally followed those of the buffalo. Their reliance on buffalo was huge, as they obtained most of their clothing and food from them. The American government encouraged the extermination of buffalo in the 19th century as a strategy to control the Plains Indians and force them into reservations.

The Homestead Act was a system of land grant passed in May 1862. It allowed any American, including freed slaves, to claim up to 160 free acres of federal land. These grants were combined with the construction of the first transcontinental railroad (1893-69). Both events greatly altered the territory of the Plains Indians, forcing them to relocate.

booker t. washington was an educator who established the tuskegee institute. washington argued that african americans should learn trades that would offer them the opportunity to be progressive citizens. instead of fighting against discrimination, washington argued that african americans should use their education and knowledge to become self-sufficient in american society and not in competition with white americans.

w.e.b du bois was the founder of the niagara movement and later the naacp, du bois disagreed with washington. he argued that african americans should consistently fight for racial equality.

ida b. wells was a journalist who wrote about the horrors of lynching in the south. wells work could be considered muckraking as it led to the development of the anti-lynching campaign.