1. Why did the Indians lose the struggle for the Plains?

2. 1. Treaties and wars

3. Conflict between whites and Indians was partly because they did not understand each other.

4. Robert McGee was scalped by a Sioux chief in 1864 – the photo was taken in 1890.
When the incident happened, McGee was transporting supplies to a US army fort.
1. Write a headline to accompany this picture in an eastern newspaper.
2. Write a short explanation of the incident by Chief Little Turtle who committed this act.

5. There were two main views of how to solve ‘the Indian problem’…
NEGOTIATORS wanted to reach agreement with the Indians. This was the feeling of many politicians in the East.
EXTERMINATORS believed the Indians were savages and best dealt with by the Army. This was the view of many such as homesteaders, ranchers and soldiers.
Why the difference?

6. The Permanent Indian Frontier
By 1840 all Indians had been moved beyond a ‘line’, which was known as The Permanent Indian Frontier. This really meant they had the whole of the Great Plains as a kind of vast ‘reservation’.
Why did this not last?

7. Cycle of conflict INDIANS SIGN PEACE TREATY
SETTLERS, MINERS, RAILROAD COMPANIES - BREAK TREATY
INDIANS ATTACK SETTLERS ETC.
ARMY CALLED IN TO PROTECT SETTLERS ETC.
ARMY DEFEAT INDIANS

8. Battle of Little Bighorn 1876
Fort Laramie Treaty 1851
Fort Wise Treaty 1861
Little Crow’s War 1862
Cheyenne Uprising 1863
Sand Creek Massacre 1864
Red Cloud’s War
Fetterman’s Trap 1866
Medicine Creek Treaty 1867
Fort Laramie Treaty 1868
Battle of Little Bighorn 1876
Conflict -
The Indian Wars

9. Fort Laramie Treaty 1851 Fort Wise Treaty 1861 Government Aim
Government promise
Indian promise
Fort Laramie Treaty 1851
Government Promise
Indian agreement
Fort Wise Treaty 1861

10. Fort Laramie Treaty 1851
Government Promised:
Land along foothills of Rocky Mountains would be Indians’ forever.
$50,000 a year for 10 years.
Government wanted to stop Indians (Cheyenne & Arapaho) attacking wagon trains on the Oregon Trail.
Indians promised:
Stop attacking wagon trains.
Allow building of roads and military posts (forts)

11. Fort Wise Treaty 1861
In Rockies
Government Promised:
A small reservation between the Arkansas River& Sand Creek.
Government wanted to stop Indians attacking rail surveyors & travellers & give up their land along the Rockies.
Indian Chiefs:
Agreed terms.
BUT could not force their people to do so.

12. The main clashes

14. Little Crow’s war – Santee Sioux
At start of reservation system.
Poor harvest followed by no payment from govt. led to 12,000 facing starvation.
Settlers, Indian agency & soldiers attacked August to September 1862.
Unable to get a large enough force to defeat army.
Defeated by October.
38 hung (3 completely innocent).
2000 of rest put on a reservation of barren land, unfit water & scarce food.

15. Sand Creek Massacre 29th November 1864
The Cheyenne, under Black Kettle, had similar problems to Little Crow’s people.
They attacked wagon trains but harmed no-one and just took food.
After 3 years there was an agreement and Black Kettle thought he was under Army protection.
His camp at Sand Creek was attacked by Colonel Chivington at dawn.
450 men, women, children and babies were massacred – despite flying white flags of surrender.
Just a little note: This was during Civil War. Chivington and his men were NOT professional soldiers.

16. Red Cloud’s war – Sioux & allies
Gold discovered in Dakota in 1862 and miners crossed Sioux lands – breaking Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851
Sioux attacked travellers on Bozeman Trail up to 1866.
Govt. arranged peace talks but also built forts which RC attacked.
Working with several Sioux bands & some Arapaho & Cheyenne kept soldiers in Fort Kearney and travellers away, BUT better equipped soldiers stopped Fort being captured.
‘Fetterman’s Trap:’ Captain Fetterman left Fort Kearney with 80 soldiers to protect a wagon train of building materials. They were wiped out in a trap.

17. Fort Laramie Treaty 1868
1868 govt agreed to withdraw from forts and created Great Sioux Reservation – an area to be completely free of whites.
Red Cloud was pleased – he believed he had won.
The Black Hills of Dakota – sacred to Cheyenne, Arapaho and the Sioux were now protected.

18. Sitting Bull – The Great Sioux War
1876
1874 General George Custer led an expedition into the Black Hills. He was protecting railroad surveyors and looking for gold. Gold was found.
Prospectors swarmed in. The Treaty with Red Cloud was broken.
Govt. offer $ for sacred land which Sioux refused.

19. December 1875 Sioux ordered to return to reservation.
7,000 Sioux, Arapaho & Cheyenne do not (cannot?).
February 1876 – order given that all Indians outside reservation to be treated as ‘hostile’.
Indians attack an Army Camp at the Rosebud River and then move west to set up camp on the Little Bighorn River.
U.S. Army defeated at Battle of Little Bighorn.
Indians split up into bands after their victory, but then hunted and attacked through autumn and winter.
Some surrender. Sitting Bull goes to Canada.

20. Make a brief note on each event of (at least 2) key points
Fort Laramie Treaty 1851
Fort Wise Treaty 1861
Little Crow’s War 1862
Cheyenne Uprising 1863
Sand Creek Massacre 1864
Red Cloud’s War
Fetterman’s Trap 1866
Medicine Creek Treaty 1867
Fort Laramie Treaty 1868
Battle of Little Bighorn 1876
Conflict -
The Indian Wars