The extermination of the buffalo, particularly the American bison in the 19th century, can be attributed to several key factors:
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Commercial Hunting and Market Demand: The demand for buffalo hides, bones, and meat surged due to the expansion of the railroads and the growing population in urban areas. Entrepreneurs found lucrative opportunities in hunting buffalo to supply the burgeoning market, leading to extensive and unsustainable hunting practices.
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Displacement of Native American Tribes: As settlers moved westward, Native American tribes that relied on buffalo for sustenance were forcibly relocated, often to reservations. This reduced the traditional management of buffalo herds by these communities, contributing to the decline in buffalo populations as their migratory patterns were disrupted.
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Government Policies and Military Campaigns: The U.S. government saw the extermination of the buffalo as a strategy to undermine Native American tribes, as their reliance on buffalo for food, clothing, and tools was integral to their way of life. Military campaigns against buffalo herds were aimed at weakening Indigenous resistance and facilitating westward expansion.
Together, these factors contributed to the rapid decline of the buffalo population, leading to their near extinction by the end of the 19th century.