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Reservation
The government had passed an act that designated the entire Great Plains as one enormous reservation, or land set aside for Native American tribes. -
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1850 to 1859
The government changed its policy and created treaties that defined specific boundaries for each tribe. Most Native American spurned the government treaties and continued to hunt on their traditional lands, clashing with settlers and miners, with tragic results. -
Massacre at Sand Creek
One of the most tragic events. Most of the Cheyenne, assuming they were under the protection of the U.S. government, had peacefully returned to Colorado's Sand Creek Reserve for the winter. Yet General S. R. Curtis U.S. Army commander in the West, sent a telegram to militia colonel john Chivington that read, " I want no peace till the Indians suffer more" in response, Chivington and his troops descended on the Cheyenne and Arapho about 200 warriors and 500 women and children camped at Sand Creek -
Death on the Bozeman Trail
The warrior Crazy Horse ambushed Captain William J. Fetterman and his company at Lodge Trail Ridge. Over 80 soldiers were killed. Native Americans called this fight the Battle of the Hundred Slain. Whites called it the Fetterman Massacre. -
Treaty of Fort Laramie
The Sioux agreed to live on a reservation along the Missouri River, was forced on the leaders of the Sioux in 1868. Leader of the Hunkpapa Sioux had never singed it. Although the Ogala and Brule Sioux did sign the treaty, they expected to continue using their traditional hunting grounds. -
Gold Rush
Within four years of the Treaty of Fort Laramie, miners began searching the Black Hills for gold. The Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho protested the encroachment on their lands to no avail. In 1874, when Colonel George A Custer reported that the Black Hills had gold "from the grass roots down," a gold rush was on. Red Cloud and Spotted Tail, another Sioux Chief, vainly appealed again to government officials. -
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Red River War
In late 1868 war broke out again as the Kiowa and Comanche engaged in six years of raiding that finally led to the Red River War of 1874-1875. The US army responded by herding the people of friendly tribes onto reservations while opening fire on all others. General Philip Sheridan, a Union Army veteran gave order to, "destroy their villages and ponies and hang all warriors, and to bring back all women and children." -
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 Colonel Custer and his troops reached the Little Bighorn River, the Native Americans were ready for them. Led by Crazy Horse, Gall, and Sitting Bull the warriors with raised spears and rifles outflanked and crushed Custer's troops.By late 1876, the Sioux were beaten. Sitting bull and his refuge took refuge in Canada where they remained till 1881. -
The Dawes Act
The act broke up the reservations and gave some of the reservation land to individual Native Americans 160 acres to each head of the household and 80 acres to each unmarried adult. The government would sell the remainder of the reservations to settlers, and the resulting income would be used by Native Americans to buy farm implements. -
Wounded Knee
Custer's old regiment rounded up about 350 starving and freezing Sioux and took them to a camp at Wounded Knee Creek in South Dakota. The next day, the soldiers demanded that the Native Americans give up all their weapons. A shot was fired from which side it was not clear. The soldiers opened fire with deadly cannon.
