After the Civil War, more settlers moved into West Texas. This area was called the frontier. It was the western edge of settlement in Texas. Many Native peoples already lived there and used the land.

As more settlers arrived, conflict grew. Settlers built homes and ranches. They also used trails and land that Native groups depended on. Both groups wanted to live, travel, and hunt in the same places.

Forts and the Army

To help settlers and protect travel routes, the U.S. Army built forts across the frontier. These were military posts. Soldiers at the forts guarded roads, mail routes, and nearby settlements.

The forts also helped the government control the land. They made it easier for more settlers to move west. This changed life on the frontier even more.

Buffalo and Big Changes

One major change was the loss of buffalo. For many Plains Native peoples, buffalo were a big part of daily life. They provided food, clothing, and tools.

Then commercial buffalo hunting grew. Hunters killed buffalo to make money. They sold hides and other parts. Huge buffalo herds were destroyed.

This harmed Native peoples in a serious way. When the buffalo were gone, it became much harder to live as they had before. Hunger and hardship spread across the Plains.

War on the Southern Plains

Fighting increased as Native groups tried to protect their land and way of life. The most important conflict in this lesson is the Red River War. It took place in 1874 and 1875.

In this war, the U.S. Army fought Southern Plains Native peoples. Native groups resisted the loss of their land and the destruction of the buffalo. But the army had more supplies and soldiers.

By the end of the war, Native resistance on the Texas Plains was mostly broken. This was a turning point. It ended much of the freedom Native peoples had to move and live on the Plains.

Forced Moves to Reservations

After the war, many Native peoples were forced to leave Texas. The government ordered their relocation. This means people were made to move from one place to another.

They were sent to a reservation, which was land set aside by the U.S. government for Native peoples. Many were moved to Indian Territory, in present-day Oklahoma. This land was far from their homelands in Texas.

Life on reservations was very different. Families could no longer follow buffalo herds across the Plains. They had less freedom, and many traditions became harder to keep.

How Texas Changed

These changes opened more land to settlers, ranchers, and farmers. Towns and trails grew across the frontier. The army forts, the loss of buffalo, and the war all helped change who controlled the land.

For settlers, the frontier seemed to be growing. For Native peoples, it meant losing homes, food sources, and freedom. The history of the Texas frontier includes both movement west and the painful effects of forced removal.