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Government Restricts Native Americans
Act designated the entire Great Plains as one enormous reservation, or land set aside for Native American tribes. -
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Goverment Changes Mind
The government changed its policy and created treaties that defined specific boundaries for each tribe. -
Massacre At Sand Creek
General S.R. Curtis, a US Army commander in the West, wanted no peace until the Indians suffered more. In respose, Chivington an his troops descended on the Cheyanne and Arapaho-- about 200 warriors and 500 women and children-- camped at Sand Creek. This attack killed over 150 inhabitants, mostly women and children. -
Battle of the Hundred Slain
Crazy Horse ambushed Captain William J. Fetterman and his company at Lodge Trail Ridge. Over 80 soldiers were killed. -
Treaty of Fort Laramie
The Treaty of Fort Laramie , in which the Sioux agreed to live on a reservation along the Misssouri River, was forced on the leaders of the Sioux. -
Black Hills Gold Rush
Colonel George A. Custer reported that the Black Hills had gold "from the roots down". After this, a gold rush was on. Red Cloud and Spotted Tail vainly appealed again to government officials in Washington. -
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Red River War
The US Army responded by herding the people of friendly tribes onto reservations while opening fire on all others. General Phillip Sheridan, a Union Army Veteran, gave orders "to destroy their villages and ponies, to kill and hang all warriors, and to bring back all women and children." The Army crushed resistance on the Northern Plains. -
Custer's Last Stand
The Sioux and Cheyenne held a sun dance, during which Sitting Bull had a vision of soldiers and some Native Americans falling from their horses. When Custer and his men reached the Little Bighorn River, the Native Americans were ready for them. The Native Americans, led by Crazy Horse, Gall, and Sitting Bull, outflanked and crushed Custer's troops. In just an hour, Custer and all of his men were dead. -
The Dawes Act
Congress passed the Dawes Act, aiming to "Americanize" Native Americans. This 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 adullt. The government would sell the remainder of reservation to settlers, and the resulting income would be given to the Native Americans to buy farm implements. -
Battle of Wounded Knee
The Seventh Calvary rounded up about 350 starving and freezing Sioux and took them to camp at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. The soldiers demanded that the Native Americans give up all their weapons. A shot was fired so the soldiers opened fire with deadly cannon. Within minutes, the Seventh Calvary slaughtered as many as 300 mostly unarmed Native Americans, including children. This is know as the Battle of Wounded Knee.
