1. Native American Wars

2. Massacre at Sand Creek Sand Creek Reservation in Colorado
“I want no peace until the Indians suffer more.” General S.R. Curtis
Troops killed over 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho
Mostly women and children

3. Death on the Bozeman Trail
Trail that ran through Sioux hunting territory.
Sioux Chief Red Cloud wanted to end settlement of the trail.
Crazy Horse ambushed soldiers and killed over 80.
Treaty of Fort Laramie: Sioux must live on a reservation along the Missouri river.
Sitting Bull never signed the treaty, other leaders did but still expected to use their hunting grounds.

4. Red River War Kiowa and Comanche raided settlements for 6 years.
U.S. Army forced people of friendly tribes onto reservations.
Open fire on all others.
“Destroy their villages and ponies, kill and hang all warriors, bring back all women and children”
Army crushed resistance on southern plains.

5. Gold Rush Miners began searching the Black Hills for gold.
Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho protested.
Colonel George A. Custer said the hills had a significant amount of gold.
Red Cloud and Spotted Tail appealed to the government in Washington

6. Custer’s Last Stand (Little Big Horn)
Sioux and Cheyenne held a sun dance, Sitting Bull had a vision of soldiers and some Native Americans falling from their horses.
When Troops reached Little Big Horn and Native Americans were ready for them.
Led by Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and Gall
Warriors outflanked Custer, within an hour Custer and all his men were dead.

7. Dawes Act
Assimilation: plan under which Native Americans would give up their beliefs and way of life and become part of the white culture.
Aiming to “Americanize” the Native Americans.
Broke up reservations and gave some land to individuals – 160 acres to head of household, 80 to each unmarried adult.
Sell the remaining land to settlers, income used to buy farm implements.
By 1932, whites had taken 2/3 of territory set aside for Natives, Native Americans received no money from the sell of these lands.

8. Destruction of the Buffalo
Biggest blow to Native Americans way of life.
Tourist and settlers shot buffalo for sport.
U.S. knew buffalo hunters were destroying the Plains Indians’ main source of food, clothing, shelter, and fuel.
1800 = 65 millions buffalo
1890 = fewer than 1000 remained
1900 = a single herd of wild buffalo left

9. Battle of Wounded Knee
Ghost dance movement spread, arrest of Sitting Bull orders, Bodyguard shot a soldier, Sitting Bull killed.
December 1890: the 7th Cavalry rounded up 350 starving and freezing Sioux and took them to Wounded Knee Creek.
Soldiers demanded the Natives give up their weapons.
Opened fire, within minutes 300 unarmed Native Americans were slaughtered.