Lesson 3: Influence of Settlers on American Indians

Key Idea

When Spanish explorers and soldiers first arrived on the coast of California, they unknowingly carried germs that were new to the region. California Indian tribes had no natural protection against European illnesses. As a result, the introduction of a new disease could have a devastating impact on a village or an entire community.

Illnesses like measles and smallpox spread quickly, leading to a dramatic decline in the Native American population. This loss of life weakened tribes' social structures and their ability to resist the newcomers. This period of initial contact and conflict set the stage for the establishment of Spanish missions, which would further transform the lives of California's native peoples.

Key Idea

Spanish soldiers often forced California Indians to move into the missions. Once there, they were not free to leave. In the missions, California Indians were enslaved.

They had to perform forced labor, such as building churches and farming, without pay. They had to give up their old way of life and follow the priests' strict rules. If people tried to escape, they were punished.

Key Idea

The massive influx of miners was devastating for California's native peoples. Miners swarmed onto tribal lands, polluting rivers and destroying forests, which ruined the traditional food sources that tribes had relied on for centuries.

To claim gold-rich lands for themselves, miners and other settlers formed armed groups to attack native villages, forcing survivors off their ancestral lands. This violence, combined with starvation and disease, led to a catastrophic decline in the American Indian population.

Key Idea

After the Gold Rush, the U.S. government made agreements with California Indian leaders. A written agreement like this is called a treaty. The government promised to protect some Indian lands, but it did not keep these promises.

Instead, the government forced California Indians to leave their homes and move to small areas of land. This land was called a reservation. By moving to reservations, California Indians lost the ancestral lands where their people had lived for thousands of years.