The Battle of the Little Big Horn Flashcards
In what year did white settlers enter Dakota Sioux hunting grounds while building the Northern Pacific Railroad?
1874
Who was sent to protect railroad builders from Plains Indian attacks in Dakota Sioux lands?
George Custer and the Seventh Cavalry
What did George Custer do while protecting railroad builders in Dakota Sioux lands?
Prospect for gold in the Black Hills
What did the US government offer the Dakota Sioux in September 1875 for the Black Hills outright?
$6 million
What did the US government offer the Dakota Sioux for the right to mine minerals in the Black Hills?
$400,000 a year
How did the Dakota Sioux respond to the US government offering money for the Black Hills
Rejected - Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull refused to even meet with the officials
What did the government order the Dakota Sioux to do in December 1875? Did they do this?
Return to their reservations within 60 days
No - deep snow meant they couldn’t (even if they wanted to)
How many Dakota Sioux had build lodges outside their reservations by spring 1876?
7,000
How many warriors did Custer’s 600 cavalrymen find in the valley of the Little Bighorn in June 1876?
2,000
What order was Custer given when he found the camp of 2,000 warriors? Did he follow it?
Wait for reinforcements
No - he led 200 of his men into the valley
What happened to Custer and his 200 men who entered the valley of the Little Bighorn
They were all killed
What did the public think the government should do to the Plains Indians BEFORE the Battle of the Little Bighorn?
Reach agreements with them
How did the Battle of the Little Bighorn change the view of the white American public towards the Plains Indians?
They were now seen as a real threat, not as weak savages
What choice did the white American public think the Plains Indians should have after the Battle of the Little Bighorn?
Assimilate or die
What were the three main consequences for the Plains Indians following the Battle of the Little Bighorn?
1) Plains Indians must be kept on their reservations
2) Previous treaties could be ignored - the Plains Indians had forfeited the right to have treaty deals (The Sioux gave up the Black Hills)
3) Military control of the Plains Indians must be maintained - the Sioux’s weapons and horses were taken
What happened to the number of soldiers and forts in Plains Indian lands after the Battle of the Little Bighorn?
Increased
