Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
The Plains of America (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Geography and Life in America Before 1835 - Summary
Before 1835, America was home to Indigenous peoples who had lived on the land for thousands of years. The geography of America varied greatly, from forests and grassland to mountains and deserts. The Indigenous people developed unique cultures, languages and ways of life.
The Indigenous people first came into contact with European settlers after 1492. Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer funded by Spain, landed in the Caribbean Islands. Columbus believed that he had found an alternative route to India. This is why Europeans called many Indigenous people ‘Indians’. Some indigenous tribes collaborated with the Europeans. Other tribes came into conflict with the settlers as competition increased for land and resources.
As Europeans from Spain, Portugal, Britain and France settled more areas along America's east coast, many indigenous tribes were pushed towards the Great Plains of America. However, by 1835, Europeans wanted to explore and expand westward, into and past the Plains. This would cause decades of war and upheaval for the Indigenous peoples of America.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Many textbooks and resources refer to the indigenous people of America as ‘Plains Indians’. This is no longer an accepted term, as it does not take into account the vast diversity of the tribes living on the Great Plains. In exam questions, try to use the term ‘Indigenous people of America’ or a specific tribe, for example, the ‘Sioux Nation’.
Where are the Great Plains in America?
The Great Plains are a vast expanse of land in the centre of North America
The landscape is very flat
It is an area of grassland, known as the prairie
The Rocky Mountains border the west of the Great Plains
The mountain range affects the weather conditions and climate of the Great Plains
To the east of the Great Plains are the Appalachian Mountains
The mountains formed a natural barrier which affected the migration patterns of European settlers
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Students struggle to spell keywords such as ‘prairie’ and ‘Appalachian’. Keep practising the spelling of these words until you feel more confident. You could also create a mnemonic for words that you find difficult in this topic. This will help you to remember the order of the letters in each word.
Survival on the Plains
Living on the Plains was incredibly difficult
Challenges with the Weather
Weather condition | Why did this make living on the Great Plains challenging? |
|---|---|
Hot summers | High temperatures could destroy crops and cause issues with dehydration |
Cold winters | Some crops would die from such extremes in temperature. Staying warm would be difficult in the winter |
Strong winds | Settlers would have to build shelters securely to survive the wind. Strong winds could spread fires across the Plains |
Heavy rain and thunderstorms | Heavy rain could flood homes and destroy crops. Thunderstorms could cause grassland to catch fire, which could cause significant destruction |
Drought | In summer, droughts were common in the Plains. This would cause issues with water supplies and growing crops |
Challenges with Tribes
There were many Indigenous tribes living on the Great Plains
Each tribe occupied a loosely organised area of the Plains
A few tribes were incredibly large and known as ‘nations’
Some tribes were sworn enemies who would fight on sight; some were traditional allies
Many Indigenous people came into conflict with European settlers
Due to a lack of resources on the Plains, there was aggressive competition to survive
European settlers mistakenly entered into tribal territories or did not respect tribal boundaries
The Issues of White Settlement Farming on the Plains
When white Europeans began to settle in the Great Plains, they experienced many issues with farming
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