What happened during the Indian Wars, 1862-1868? Starter: Identify 5 factors that would cause Native Americans to rebel during this period. Challenge: Which one would be the most influential in shaping their behaviour? In this lesson, we will: Describe what happened in Little Crow’s War, Sand Creek Massacre and Red Cloud’s War Explain how one event lead to another. Explain how the Battle of Little Bighorn led to the final destruction of the Indian people.

Learning Task One All targets Read through each of the boxes on the worksheet your teacher has given you: Cut them out, and arrange them in chronological order. Draw a timeline on the A3 piece of paper provided Once you are happy with the order (or had it checked), glue them down! Targets 7-9 Collect a mini-whiteboard. Spend time reading through your timeline and then trying to explain how each event led to another: Little Crow’s War Sand Creek Red Cloud’s War Targets 4-6 Collect a mini-whiteboard. Spend time reading through your timeline then: How did Sand Creek lead to Red Cloud’s War? How did Little Crow’s War lead to Sand Creek? Targets 1-3 Go through your timeline, and highlight key words, phrases, names, and dates. On a mini-whiteboard, try to write down 2 bullet points about each key event without looking at your notes.

After raiding the storehouse, the Indians attacked settlers and army forts. Against Little Crow’s orders the men slaughtered settlers including women and children. 600 were killed. Due to poor quality soil, the crops failed in August 1862. Due to the government delaying their payment, they had no money to buy food. Reservation Agent refused to give them food – same with local traders. Little Crow and other chiefs decided to rebel as the US army was still fighting the Civil War. They raised an army and raided the storehouse – stealing food and provisions before burning it down.  

Hearing off this slaughter, the governor of Colorado was determined to kill and destroy all hostile Indians. He ordered Colonel Chivington to ride out with a band of men to kill Indians.   Eventually, 400 Sioux warriors were put on trial and sentenced to death. President Lincoln insisted that only those proven to be guilty of rape or murder should be executed – 38 men.   Because of the attacks, the tribes were punished by being moved onto a reservation. However many white people were keen for revenge – they offered money for the scalps of any Dakota Sioux.  

On 29th November 1864, Colonel Chivington led 700 men on a raid into Black Kettle’s camp. The Indians had put up a white flag of truce, but they were all killed. 130 men, women, children and babies were killed. Their bodies were scalped and other body parts were taken as trophies by the soldiers.   In 1866, thousands of people were flooding into Montana to look for gold. This violated the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851). Red Cloud felt threatened by this after Sand Creek, so met in 1866 to discuss a new treaty.   Indians passed on the story of this slaughter across the Great Plains. Many Dog Soldiers felt threatened by this. One such tribe keen to protect their way of life was Red Cloud’s tribe.  

Whilst at the meeting, Red Cloud discovered that building materials had been brought to build forts – he realised it didn’t matter what was decided they would build anyway. Angered by this, he decided to rebel.   Red Cloud and many Lakota Sioux raised an army in rebellion (Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse) For two years they attacked soldiers and other workers building forts along the Bozeman Trail. In total Red Cloud’s War involved almost 3,000 Indians against 700 US soldiers. In 1866 they won a massive victory at the Fetterman massacre. Because the Indians appeared to be winning, the US government decided to offer a new treaty. The Fort Laramie Treaty was signed in 1868 – US agreed to close the Bozeman Trail.. It was recognised that the Great Sioux Reservation was to be protected from whites – no white man could settle there would their permission.  

What caused another wave of rebellion? Six years later, in 1874, the Northern Pacific Railroad was finally reaching Indian land in Dakota, so the U.S army under the leadership of George Custer was tasked with protecting them. However, Custer used this as a chance to look for gold in the ancient Indian lands of the Black Hills. As a result, thousands of prospectors flooded into the area which broke the Fort Laramie Treaty. The US government offered to buy the land for $6 million, but this was rejected. Feeling betrayed, thousands of Sioux and Cheyenne warriors left their reservations and joined two rebel leaders: Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. More than 7,000 Indians had gathered between the Powder River and Rosebud River. Chief Sitting Bull performed a Sun Dance and had great vision of victory over the whites which gave them confidence.

The Battle of the Little Bighorn The US army planned to attack the Indians to force them back onto their reservations in 1876. Custer’s scouts found a camp of 2,000 warriors in the Little Bighorn valley. With his 600 men, Custer was told to find the camp and wait for reinforcements. He decided to attack. He split his 600 men into groups of 200 and tried to pursue the women and children to use as hostages. Led by Crazy Horse, the Indians managed to cross the Rosebud river and take the right directly to Custer. Greatly outnumbered, all of his 200 men were killed. The news of Custer’s defeat send shock waves throughout America. Many people began to see the Indians as a threat and demanded they assimilate or die (become like us, or be killed)

There was massive pressure on the US government to crush the Indians There was massive pressure on the US government to crush the Indians. As a result, the army was sent in to the Plains and forced them onto their reservations. The government threatened to stop feeding them if they didn’t give up the Black Hills, Powder River Country and the Big Horn mountains. All of their weapons and horses were also taken. The Indians were forced to live under military rule. As a result of this, Plains Indians were feeling very down and weak. Looking for an answer, many turned to an Indian called Wovoka who preached “the Ghost Dance” – if they performed it, the white people would be wiped away by a great flood of sand. Because of this promise, the Ghost Dance spread very quickly throughout all the reservations. This caused the President to become very worried of another rebellion like 1876. In reaction, he demanded the army go round the Plains to take control. At this point, Sitting Bull was shot and killed.

On 29th December 1890, the army caught a band of Indians led by Chief Big Foot and forced them to the Wounded Knee Creek. Under orders from the President, they demanded all the weapons from the tribe. Angered by this, one warrior refused and some began to perform the Ghost Dance. Confused by this, shooting began. In 10 minutes, 250 Sioux were killed. Half of the dead were women and children. Many Americans were happy with this – after Little Bighorn they believed Indians were too wild to control. Some even thought it was justified in revenge for Custer’s death. The Indian people were now truly defeated.

Learning Task Two All targets On your timeline, add in the key events of 1874-1890. It should include: Gold in the Black Hills Little Bighorn and impact Wovoka and Ghost Dance Wounded Knee Massacre Targets 7-9 Collect a mini-whiteboard. Spend time reading through your timeline and then trying to explain how each event led to another: Little Bighorn Ghost Dance Wounded Knee Targets 4-6 Collect a mini-whiteboard. Spend time reading through your timeline then: How did Little Bighorn lead to Ghost Dance? How did Ghost Dance lead to Wounded Knee? Targets 1-3 Go through your timeline, and highlight key words, phrases, names, and dates. On a mini-whiteboard, try to write down 2 bullet points about each key event without looking at your notes.