AMERICAN EXPERIENCE WITH DAVID McCULLOUGH, THE: THE WAY WEST: THE APPROACH OF CIVILIZATION {EPISODE TWO} (TV)
Summary
One in this documentary series hosted by David McCullough. This program entitled "The Approach of Civilization," the second episode in the four-part documentary "The Way West," examines how the building and rapid advancement of the Transcontinental Railroad was a catalyst to the extinction of the Native Americans of the Great Plains territory. Narrated by Russell Baker, the documentary includes commentary from historians and writers as well as voice-over readings of documentated accounts from the period. This episode covers the following topics of interest, among others: the migratation west following the Civil War which had unified the North and the South; why the largest military campaign was launched against the Sioux Indians by General John Pope; how the Sioux and Cheyenne Indians countered General Pope's attack by killing almost all of the United States soldiers; how the government's attempts to bribe the Native Americans out of their sacred land didn't work, partly because of the strategic political genius of the Sioux leader and warrior Red Cloud; how much money was required to keep the railroad construction at its steady pace; the many towns, dubbed "Hell on Wheels," that sprouted as the railroad workers built through territories; how the sacred buffalo ranges of the Native Americans were destroyed by the railroad and by the many hunters led by William F. Cody, later known as "Buffalo Bill"; how the railroad construction never stopped despite barbaric attacks by the Native Americans; why General George Armstrong Custer was brought in to "exterminate" the Native Americans; how General Custer's behavior turned erratic and unstable, and led to his suspension from the Army for a full year; how the government decided to place the Native Americans on controlled reservations in 1867 in order to stop the brutal fighting; how Red Cloud defied the government's plans and embarrassed officials with his savvy; how General Custer was employed, even though his suspension was not over, to permanently rid Kansas of all Native Americans so the railroad could move on; how General Custer, unaware of the white flag of truce, surprised the Cheyenne Indians at the Battle of Washita and brutally slaughtered almost the whole reservation, including the women and children; the historic meeting at Promontory Summit, Utah, of both sides of the Transcontinental Railroad -- the Union Pacific and Central Pacific -- on May 8, 1869; how the completion of the railroad added to the elimination of the Native Americans and the buffalo ranges; and the increasing scarcity of free Native Americans as the railroad began building new lines.
Cataloging of this program was made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 1996.
Details
- NETWORK: PBS
- DATE: May 8, 1995 9:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:26:43
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:45464
- GENRE: Public affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Cheyenne Indians; Indians of North America; Public affairs/Documentaries; Railroads - U S; Sioux Indians; U S - History --1865-1921; Indigenous Peoples Collection
- SERIES RUN: PBS - TV series, 1988-
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Judy Crichton … Executive Producer
- Lisa Ades … Producer
- Ric Burns … Producer, Director, Writer
- Matthew Butcher … Co-Producer
- Norman Cohen … Associate Producer
- Brian Keane … Music by
- David McCullough … Host
- Russell Baker … Narrator
- F. Murray Abraham … Voice
- Philip Bosco … Voice
- Sam Elliott … Voice
- Gene Jones … Voice
- Amy Madigan … Voice
- E.G. Marshall … Voice
- Matthew Modine … Voice
- Chris Murney … Voice
- George Plimpton … Voice
- Frances Sternhagen … Voice
- Wes Studi … Voice
- Eli Wallach … Voice
- M. Emmet Walsh … Voice
- Stephen E. Ambrose
- John Carter
- Cody, William Frederick "Buffalo Bill"
- Joe Medicine Crow
- Custer, General George Armstrong
- Charlotte Black Elk
- Ian Frazier
- Thomas McGuane
- General John Pope
- Red Cloud
- Harold Schindler
- Robert M. Utley