Question

Which statement best describes the impact of the discovery of gold on American Indian territory in the 1850s and 1870s?
War broke out among American Indian groups when warring chiefs signed new treaties with the government.
War broke out when white settlers pressured the government to take the land from American Indians.
War broke out among American Indian groups when some groups sold their land to the government.
War broke out when white settlers tried to buy land from warring American Indian groups.

Answer 1

War broke out when white settlers pressured the government to take the land from American Indians.

Explanation: Gold discoveries (e.g., California in 1848–49 and the Black Hills in the 1870s) brought waves of prospectors onto Indian lands. Settler pressure led the government to ignore or revise treaties and force removals, producing armed conflicts like the Plains and Sioux Wars.