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Great Plains
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. -
Boundaries
The government changed its policy and created treaties that defined specific boundaries for each tribe. Most Native Americans spurned the government treaties and continued to hunt on their traditional lands, clashing with settlers and miners-with tragic results. -
Massacre At Sand Creek
Massacre at Sand Creek, was on of the most tragic events. Most of the Cheyenne, assuming they were under the protection of the U.S. government, had peacefully returned to Colorado's Sand Creek Reserve for the winter. Yet General S. R. Curtis, US Army commander in the West, sent a telegram to militia colonel John Chivington that read, "I want no peace till the Indians suffer more." In response, Chivington and his troops descended on the Cheyenne and Arapaho. The attack at dawn killed over 150. -
Death On The Bozeman Trail
The Bozeman Trail ran directly trough Sioux hunting grounds in the Bighorn Mountains. The Sioux Chief, Red Cloud had unsuccessfully appealed to the government to end white settlement on the trail. In December, Crazy Horse ambushed Captain William J. Fetterman and his company at Lodge Trail Ridge. Over 80 soldiers were killed. Natives call it the Hundred Slain. Whites called it the Fetterman Massacre. -
Treaty of Fort Laramie
Skirmishes continued until the governmet agreed to close the Bozeman Trail. In return, the treaty, in which the Sioux agreed to live on a reservation along the Missouri River, was forced on the leaders of the Sioux. Sitting Bull never signed it. Although the Ogala and Brule Sioux did not sign it, they still expected to hun on the same grounds. -
Gold Rush
Within 4 years of the of the Treaty of Fort Laramie, miners began searching the Black Hills for gold. The Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho protested to no avail. Once George Custer announced there was gol all over, the rush was on. -
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Red River War
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 US army responded by herding the people of friendly tribes onto reservations while opening fire on all others. General Sheridan a Union Army Veteran, gave orders to destroy villages and ponies, to kill and hang all warriors, and bring back all children and women. -
Custers Last Stand
The Sioux and Cheyenne held a sun dance, during which Sitting Bull had a vision of soldiers and some Natives falling from their horses. When Colonel Custer and his troops reached the Little Bighorn River, the Natives were ready. The Natives outflanked and crushed Custers troops, within and hour him and his troops were all dead. -
The Dawes Act
Congress passed the Dawes Act to Americanize the Native Americans. The act broke up the reservations and gave some of the reservation land to individual Native Americans- 160 acres to each head of household and 80 acres to each unmarried adult. The government woul take the remainder of the land and sell it to settlers, and the money would be used to buy farm equipment for the Natives. -
Wounded Knee
Custer's old regiment rounded up roughly 350 starving and freezing Sioux and took them to a camp at Wounded Knee Creek. The next day, the soldiers demanded all of the weapons. A shot was fired and the soldiers opened fire with deadly cannon. With minutes they slaughtered 300 unarmed Natives. They left all thebodis to freeze on the ground.
