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Homestead Act of 1862
If a settler had lived on land for five years or more, as well as paid the appropriate fee to do so, they received 160 acres of land for free. After this policy was created, many farmers moved to the Plains to become the owner of the land they settled on. -
Fetterman Massacre
The Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes tricked, trapped, and attacked U.S. army troops headed to Montana on the Bozeman Trail. A leader of the Sioux warriors, known as Crazy Horse, trapped the soldiers to their death. He had a combination of 80 soldiers sent out, and then had hundreds of warriors wait and attack each and every one of them. -
Treaty of Fort Laramie
The Treaty of Fort Laramie was an agreement that was meant to bring peace between whites and the Sioux who wanted to own and live in the Black Hills. The Black Hills were part of the Sioux Reservation but the whites used it for expeditions as well as gold. -
Discovery of 1874
In the Black Hills of the Dakotas, it was said that they contained gold so Custer decided to gather an army and search the hills. Indeed, there was gold and everyone came. The Sioux, who owned the Black Hills, did not approve of all the trespassers and refused to sell the land. -
Battle of Little Bighorn
In 1868, a treaty promising land and peace failed and led to fighting. The government attempted to buy the Black Hills of the Dakotas from the Sioux, but the leader, Sitting Bull, along with Crazy Horse, gathered a tribe of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors near the Little Bighorn River in Montana to fight the U.S. Army, led by George Custer for trespassing. Unexpectedly, Sitting Bull conquered Custer, and the fight for land only become more serious and intense. -
Ghost Dance
After the Dawes Act was enforced, Native Americans were impacted greatly and turned to a prophet, known as Wovoka. This prophet suggested a ritual, called the Ghost Dance that could bring back their power and greatness. This dance was a way for the Sioux to release and express their beliefs that were being taken away. Eventually, reservation officials thought it was necessary to ban the dance, and proceeded to the Sioux's camp to arrest the leader, Sitting Bull, but ended up shooting him. -
Wounded Knee
There was a creek in southwestern South Dakota, known as Wounded Knee where the army fled to in order to gain the Sioux's tools and weapons. Unexpectedly, a shot rang out and struck the area and the army fired on instinct. Over 200 Sioux were murdered and 25 soldiers were also killed. Wounded Knee symbolized the conclusion of armed fights between whites and Native Americans; whites had won.
