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In 1834, the federal government had passed an act that designated the entire Great Plains as one enormous reservation, or land set aside for Native Americans tribes.
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Howeever, the government changed its policy and created treaties that defined specific boundries for each tribe.
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General SW. R. Curties, U.S. Army commander in the West, sent a telegram to John Chivington that read, ''I want no peace till the Indians suffer more."
Chivington and his troops attacked on November 29, 1864 and killed over 150 inhabitants, mostly women and childen. -
In December 1866, the warriour Crazy Horse ambushed Captain William J. Fetterman and his company at Lodge Trail Ridge. Over 80 soliders were killed.
Native Americans called this battle Hundred Slain. -
In return, the Treaty of Fort Laramie, in which the Sioux agreed to live in reservation along the Missouri river, was forced on the leaders of the Sioux in 1868. Sitting Bull, leader of the Hunkpapa Sioux, had never singed it.
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In late 1868, war broke out yet again the Kiowa and Comanche engaged in six years of raiding that finally led to the Red River War of 1874-1875. General Philip 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."
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I 1874, when Colonel George A. Custer reported that the Black Hills had gold "from the grass roots down," a gold rush was on.
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In early June 1876, the Sioux and Cheyennee held a sun dance, during which Sitting Bull had a vision of soldiers and some Native Americans falling from their hourses.
In late 1876 the Sioux were beaten. -
In 1887, Congress passed the Dawes Act aiming to "Americaniez" the native Americans. The act broke up the reservations and gave some of the reservation land to individual Native Americans-160 acres to eachhead of household and 80 acres to each unmerried adult.
By 1932, whites had taken about two-thirds of the territory.
