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1834
The federal government had passed an act that designated the entire Great Plains as one enormous reservation, or land set aside for Native American tribes. -
1850
The government changed its policy and created treaties that defined specific boundaries for each tribe. -
1864
Clivington and his troops attack the Cheyenne and Arapaho- about 200 adults and 500 -
1866
The warrior Crazy horse ambushed Captain William J. Fetterman and his company at Lodge Trail Ridge. Over 80 soldiers were killed. Natives called this fight the Battle of the Hundred Slain. -
1868
Skirmishes continued until the government agreed to close the Bozeman Trail. In return, the Treaty of Fort Laramie, in which the Sioux agreed to live on a reservation along the Missouri River. Sitting Bull, leader of the Hunkpapa Sioux, had never signed the treaty. Although, the Ogala and Brule sioux did sign the treaty, the expected to continue using their traditional hunting grounds. -
Period: to
1874-1875
In late 1868, war broke out yet again as the Kiowa and Comanche engaged in six years of raiding that finally led to the red River War. The U.S. Army responded by herding the people of friendly tribes onto reservations while opening fire on all others. General Philip Sheridan gave orders "to destroy their villages and ponies, to kill and hang all warriors, and to bring back all women and children." With such tactics, the army crushed resistance on the southern plains. -
1876
The Sioux and Cheyenne held a sun dance, during which Sitting Bull had a vision of solders and some Natice Americans falling from their horses. When Colonel Custer and his troops reached the Little Bighorn River, the Native Americans were ready for them. -
1890
On December 28, 1890, the Seventh Cavalry- Custer's old regiment- rounded up about 350 starving and freezing Sioux and took them to a camp at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. The next day, the soldiers demanded that the Native Americans give up all their weapons. A shot was fired; from which side, it was not clear. The soldiers opened fire with deadly cannon. Within minutes as many as 300, mostly unarmed, Native Americans, including children, were slaughtered by the Seventh Cavalry. -
1874
Colonel George A, Custer reported that the Black Hills had gold "from the grass roots down" a gold rush then began. Red Cloud and Spotted Tail, another Sioux chief, vainly appealed again to government officials in Washington.
