Skip to main content

Why the US Army tried to exterminate the bison

1,609,075 Views

585 Questions Answered

Best of Web

Let’s Begin…

In the mid-1800s, a cultural belief known as “manifest destiny” dictated that white settlers were the rightful owners of the entire North American continent. In order to clear the land for white settlers, the US Army engaged in violent scorched-earth tactics against the Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains. One big part of that campaign: bison. Vox digs into the animal’s near-extinction.

Why was the extermination of bison crucial to manifest destiny?

Sign in to answer question

About TED-Ed Best of Web

TED-Ed Best of Web are exceptional, user-created lessons that are carefully selected by volunteer teachers and TED-Ed staff.

Meet The Creators

More from The World's People and Places