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Homestead Act of 1862
An act passed by the Congress that gave away 160 free acres to a settler who had paid a filing fee. He also lived on the land for five years. This event caused farmers to move to the west to own the land by settling on it. This event also bought in thousands of settlers to the west. -
Fetterman Massacre
Crazy Horse, a Sioux military leader, acted as a decoy to lure the troops into an ambush. The troops were manning a fort from the Bozeman Trail in Montana. Crazy Horse tricked the commander of the fort to send about 80 troops in pursuit. They were ambushed by awaiting warriors. The Indian warriors killed the whole army detachment. This was a win for the Native Americans. -
Treaty of Fort Laramie
Occurred at Fort Laramie, which is now at present day Wyoming. The treaty's purpose is to make peace with the Sioux Indians. The Sioux Indians agreed to settle in the Black Hills reservation in the Dakota Territory, and to stop attacking the whites. This was a win for the U.S. government. -
Discovery of 1874
A search for gold that was led by General Custer in the Black Hills in the Dakotas. There was gold, and this was a bad thing because the white people promised the Indians that they would not settle or occupy the land. The Sioux protested the prospecting for gold. When the U.S. government offered to buy the land, Sitting Bull, an important Sioux leader, refused. This led to later problems. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
Custer decided to lead an attack on the Indians who would not leave the reservation in dream of having the glory of leading a major victory. He did not succeed, however. Thousands of Sioux and Cheyenne Indians defended and killed all of Custer's 250 men. This was the biggest and last win for the Native Americans -
Ghost Dance
An Indian ritual that Wovoka, a propet, said could regain their greatness if they preformed this ritual. When the ritual spread, the reservation officers were alarmed at the ritual and banned it. The officers believed Sitting Bull was in charge of the dance, so the police came to arrest him. During a fight, though, Sitting Bull was shot. -
Wounded knee
Several hundred Lakota Sioux fled to a creek called Wounded Knee in southwestern South Dakota after Sitting Bull's death. Then, on December 29, 1890, the army went to Wounded Knee to collect the Sioux's weapons. Although no one knows why the fighting started, a shot of a pistol rang out and the army fired back. 200 Sioux and 25 soldiers were killed. This battle was the end of the conflict between the Native Americans and the whites.
