AMERICAN BISON

The American bison were near to extinction by 1900, although they numbered more than 60 million when the white man first arrived in their feeding grounds.

Buffalo as the bison were commonly called, were the prime essentials of the Plains Indian's economy.The powerful animal's meat,bones, and hide provided the Indians with food,medicine,clothing and shelter.
At first the white man, too killed the buffalo for meat and hides. But after 1850, as the American Indian war needed its climax, United war neared its climax .United States soldiers began to slaughter the animals in discriminate to force Th Indians to leave their homelands . With the advent of the railroad the killing of the bison became a sport . Travelers would shoot from railroad carriages, leaving the carcases to rot by the tracks in less than 50 years about 50 million buffalo had been exterminated .
The voices of those who wished to save the animal from extinction were heeded just in time. From the few survivors , new herds were reared. Today buffalo are increasing in numbers, with herds totaling several thousand.