-
Period: to
Melissa Rounds (3rd Hour) American Indians and the West
As more and more Americans headed West, conflict with the American Indians occurred. Up to 1890 a series of Indian conflicts occurred, with numerous American Indian leaders emerging. -
Geronimo's Birth
Apache leader who led his people's defense of their homeland against the U.S. military, after they attacked his family. He became a celebrity because of his determination to avenge his family's death. -
Indian Removal Act
Under this law, the federal government provided funds to negotiate treaties that would force the Native Americans to move west. -
Trail of Tears
After the Indian Removal Act was established, U.S. troops forced the Cherokee out of their homes to move out West. This trail that the Cherokee ventured down was called the Trail of Tears. The Trail of Tears started in the fall of 1838, and it is most known for the hardships that were endured by the Native Americans. These hardships included: an 800 mile journey, mostly on foot, brutal treatment of the Cherokee by the Americans, and the long winter. Under these conditions, a quarter of the Chero -
Massacre at Sand Creek
In 1864, most of the Cheyenne assumed that they were protected by the U.S. government, so they peacefully returned to the Colorado Sand Creek Reserve. However, U.S. army commander in the West, S.R. Curtis, stated that he doesn't want any peace with the Native Americans, until they had suffered more. In response to this, U.S. troops attacked the Native Americans at the reserve and they killed over 150 inhabitants, mostly women and children. This was one of the most tragic events of the time. It n -
Crazy Horse Ambush
In response to the invasion of the Bozeman Trail, Crazy Horse, a Sioux warrior to ambush 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, was made after the government agreed to close the Bozeman Trail that had invaded the Sioux hunting grounds. This treaty, in which the Sioux agreed to live on a reservation along the Missouri River, was forced on the Sioux in 1868. Some Native American leaders did not sign the treaty, and some signed the treaty assuming they could still use their old hunting grounds. However, this was not the case and as time went on, the Sioux's land continued to shrink due to invasio -
Gold Rush/Red Cloud
Colonel George A. Custer, in 1874, reported that the Black Hills were filled with gold, and a new gold rush had begun. However, the leader of the Sioux, Red Cloud, along with other chiefs from the Cheyenne and Arapaho protested, but they eventually had to appeal to the governement. -
Custer's Last Stand/Sitting Bull
In early June of 1876, Colonel Custer and his troops reached the Little Bighorn River to search for gold. However, the Native Americans were ready to attack because Sitting Bull had a vision. His vision was that American troops will come to their town and attack. This gave the Native Americans enough time to be armed and ready for the U.S. troops approach. Sitting Bull then led the battle against Custer and his men along with many other warriors and chiefs, including Crazy Horse. Within an hour, -
Wovoka: Ghost Dance
Wovoka was a Native American best known for his Ghost Dance ritual. He introduced this Ghost Dance to many Native Americans and stated that it would keep the "white man" away and bring the buffalo back. So, many Native Americans began this Ghost Dance movement and they eventualy had scared the American settlers, leading to the Wounded Knee Massacre. -
Wounded Knee Massacre
In 1890, Custer's old regiment rounded up over 350 starving and freezing Sioux and forced them to move to a camp at Wounded Knee. Here, the Native Americans were told to give up their weapons. A shot was fired, and without knowing who made the shot and why, an outbreak ensued. Custer's old regiment slaughtered about 300 unarmed Native Americans, including women and children. They left their corpses to freeze on the ground. This unnecessary massacre -
MLA Works Cited
Britannica. N.p., 16 July 2014. Web. 13 Nov. 2014. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/649314/Wovoka "Geronimo." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 13 Nov. 2014.
