When white settlers of European origin arrived in Montana, Indians of the Arapaho, Assiniboine, Atsina, Blackfoot, Cheyenne, Crow, Bannock, Flathead, Kalispel, Kutenai, Shoshone, Sioux, Mandan and Nez Percé tribes lived in this area.. During the 18th century, French hunters and fur traders had activities in this region, but the region was not colonized until the expedition of Lewis and Clark (1804-1806), organized by Thomas Jefferson to learn about the Louisiana territories acquired by France.
In 1847 the American Fur Company built the first permanent settlement in Fort Benton on the banks of the Missouri River. The discovery of gold in 1859 and 1862 resulted in the arrival of thousands of settlers and miners who founded Bannack, Diamond City and Virginia City. In 1864, Montana was organized as a territory.
- See ejiaxing.org for Montana state facts, including geography, climate, flora and fauna as well as major cities.
The opposition of the Indians to the settlements of the settlers caused a constant confrontation between the two groups. The arrival of herds of cattle from Texas, and the opening of the Northern Pacific Railroad, helped to increase the fighting between the new settlers and the Indians of the region. In 1876, the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes defeated General George Armstrong Custer’s Seventh Cavalry troops at the Battle of Little Big Horn. The Indian triumph, however, was short-lived, as the US army managed in a few years to definitively impose itself on the Indian tribes of the region.
In the winter of 1886, much of the cattle imported from Texas did not survive the cold, which resulted in the end of large-scale farming in Montana. Yet, the Montana territory continued to thrive thanks to its great mineral wealth (gold, silver and copper), which is why in 1889 the United States Congress accepted Montana as a new state of the Union. From the earliest years, the Anaconda Corporation was the protagonist of the economic life of Montana, exploiting its mineral and forest resources and managing the railway and finances.
In 1916, the citizens of Montana chose Jeanette Rankin, the first woman in the nation to hold this post, for the United States Congress. In 1941 you were the only person who voted against declaring war on Japan after the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Montana suffered the effects of the Great Depression, which began in the financial crisis of 1929, although several public works were funded under the New Deal, the federal public intervention program promoted by Roosevelt. These projects included the construction of the Fort Peck Dam, whose function was to facilitate irrigation in the region, and also to create employment. The World War was able to restore Montana’s economy thanks to the strong demand for its agricultural and mining products. After the war, agriculture continued to mechanize itself to make up for the shortage of manpower, as young people moved to urban centers and to new oil companies. of gas and coal. The Anaconda Alumnium Company contributed to this process by inaugurating a large plant for the production of bauxite and aluminum in 1955.
State of Montana: what to see
The northernmost of the states in the Rocky Mountains is Montana, with its high peaks of snow-covered living rock, verdant valleys and boundless plains that stretch beneath its famous “big sky”. It is a state full of large spaces and majestic landscapes.
- See itypemba.com to learn specific information about Montana geography.
Bozeman – In beautiful scenery, surrounded by rolling green hills, pine forests, and snow-capped peaks, Bozeman is perhaps the coldest town in Montana. Brick pubs and boutiques line historic Main Street. Its prime location at the foot of the Bridger and Gallatin Mountains makes it one of the best cities in the state for outdoor pursuits.
II Glacier National Park extends about 3885 km2. Few American national parks are as magnificent and pristine as Glacier. Created in 1910, Glacier can easily be compared with Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon.
- See Countryaah.com for a full list of counties in Montana.
Here towering glaciers descend along the mountain sides, tracing glittering paths through the mountainous landscape full of crevasses. Dense fir forests border the cliffs, and beyond the tree line lies the deserted tundra. In addition to the splendid mountain scenery, it is renowned for its historic “parkitecture” lodges, and for the spectacular road called Going-to-the-Sun Road, the only paved road in the park. The management of the park has made the place accessible, but authentically wild (there are no inhabited centers within the park). Among a multitude of outdoor attractions, the park is particularly known for its lakes, which are ideal for boating and fishing. Although Glacier’s tourist numbers are relatively high, few visitors stray from Going-to-the-Sun Road, and nearly all visit between June and September. The park is open all year round; however, most services and Going-to-the-Sun Road are only open from mid-May to September.
The 3,885 square kilometers of Glacier are divided into five regions, each identified with a ranger station: Polebridge (northwest); Lake McDonald (southwest), including the west entrance and the village of Apgar; Two Medicine (southeast); St Mary (east); and Many Glacier (northeast). To reach the Canadian part of the national park it is necessary to take the Chief Mountain International Highway.
Little Bighorn– Billings is the starting point for visiting the Little Bighorn National Battlefield. Here, on the Little Bighorn River, on June 25, 1876, an important battle took place between the US Army regiment commanded by George Armstrong Custer and the Indians of the Cheyenne and Sioux tribes. The US troops consisted of 600 soldiers, while the Indians were many more. Custer had in fact mistakenly underestimated the number and soon the US units were surrounded by the Indians led by the Sioux leader Crazy Horse. In the battle, violent but overall very short, all the soldiers were massacred.
Great Falls– Picturesque between the Rocky Mountains to the west and the Little Belt Mountains to the east, this town owes its name to the Missouri River, which flows over 150m into a series of rapids and five waterfalls as it flows through the city. The city is best known for its two museums. The Charles M. Russell Museum traces the history of the West, and the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center, dedicated to the explorations of the Corps of Discovery, the protagonists of the epic expedition led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. Downstream from the city lies one of the most pristine stretches of Missouri.
Cultural Tourist Places – The most important cultural institutions in Montana are: the Museum of the Historical Society of Montana, in the town of Helena; the Bozeman Museum of the Rockies; the Museum of the Indian Plains, in Browning; and the Yellowstone Art Center, in Billings. Most of these Montana museums are dedicated to preserving and remembering the work of the pioneers. Montana preserves some places of historical and cultural interest such as, scenarios where famous battles took place between Indian tribes and the United States army, such as that of Little Bighorn, where General Custer died in 1876, and that of Big Hole, which happened a year later.
Among the wonders of the state also, the Yellowstone National Park, which also extends into Idaho and Wyoming, and the Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area.
