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Conflict on the Plains
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The Homestead act of 1862
This act gave 160 free acres of land to the settlers who paid a filing fee and were willing to live on the land for five years. This act convinced many farmers and widows to move south into the area of the free acres. Farmers did this to gain more land and widows did this to get land of their own. -
Fetterman Massacre
The Fetterman Massacre was an ambush that was in Montana. Crazy Horse, a Sioux leader, was a decoy luring the military troops into a trap. The Indians that were waiting were the Sioux, the Cheyenne, and the Arapaho. Crazy Horse lured 80 U.S. military soldiers into a trap of hundreds of Indians. The Indians were successful in this ambush -
Treaty of Fort Laramie
A conference was held at Fort Laramie, which is located in present day Wyoming. This treaty was supposed to bring peace between the whites and Native Americans who agreed to settle in the Black Hills reservation in the Dakota Territory. The Black Hills were very sacred to the Sioux. This treaty was signed in the spring of 1868 -
Discovery of 1874
There was a rumour spreading that there was gold in the Black Hills, but the Black Hills were Indian territory. The government tried to buy the territory but the Sioux denied their offer. Their leader held some dirt in his hands and said, "Your not even getting this much." George Custer lead an expedition to check for gold, he was successful and found gold. The Sioux and Cheyenne indians gathered at Little Bighorn River. This lead to the war at Little Bighorn River -
Battle of Little Bighorn
George Custer and an army of 250 soldiers fought an army of thousands of Indians form the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes. Custer under estimated the Indian army. The Inidan defeated Custer and his soldiers. The U.S. army then crushed the Indian uprising. This sent many Indians to reservations and some fled north into Canada. -
Ghost Dance
The Dawes Act changed Native American way of live, they weakened their culture traditions. The Sioux had to go to Wovoka, who is a prophet, and he told them to do the Ghost Dance. The Ghost Dance is a way for the Sioux to express their culture. The reservation officers heard that they were doing this and banned it. They also went to Sitting Bull's camp to arrest him since they thought he started this movement. During a scuffle Sitting Bull was shot. The Indians fled and gathered at Wounded Knee. -
Battle pf Wounded Knee
After the death of Sitting Bull, Lakota Sioux fled in fear and gathered at the creek of Wounded Knee. Wounded Knee is located in southwestern South Dakota. The U.S. army went to collect the Sioux's weapons. No one knows exactly how this war started, but when the U.S. army heard a pistol shot, they fired back. Over 200 Sioux and 25 soldiers died. This war marked the end of the conflict between white and Native Americans.
