The making of America: why blood was shed on the plains.

Question 1

GSW: when was the great sioux war?

Answer 1

1875-77.

Question 2

GSW: how did sitting bull encourage war with white americans?

Answer 2

refused to sign a peace treaty.

Question 3

GSW: what happened at the battle of little bighorn?

Answer 3

21 june 1876- george Armstrong Custer and carvery met brigadier general john terry.
custer told to find them and move them towards the army. 25 june custer led soldiers into their camp and sent them in shooting, many Na ran out shocked. soon crazy horse set up counter attack and outnumbered them 4 to 1. whites weapons overheated or jammed. horses bucked and retreated sending shots into the air. tied to retreat but Na closed in for the kill. custer and most of army dead.

Question 4

GSW: how did the amercian government punish and defeat the lakota sioux after the battle of little big horn?

Answer 4

could win battles but not war.
between battles government would control their food and water availability as well as shelter by keeping them on the run. winter of 1876 army tracked them and tracked down all sioux bands even the ones with no involvement in battle, stopped all rations into reservations and then they had to sell their land, crazy horse arrested and killed in 1877 on the pretext he tried to escape, soldiers bayonet stabbed in his back, sitting bull and small band of followers went to Canada by end of 1877 all sioux in america gave in, US government took black hills, and further 40 million acres of Na land.

Question 5

GSW: what factors were involved in starting the war?

Answer 5

gold, treaty, vision, bloodshed.

Question 6

GSW: what did the factor: gold have to contribute to the war?

Answer 6

1868 for Laramie treaty promised no white would enter their land around the black hills of Dakota without permission. 1874 rumours of gold circulated general Custer confirmed and by 1875 thousand went to find it right in their living grounds.

Question 7

GSW: what did the factor: treaty have to contribute to the war?

Answer 7

government officials negotiated to buy black hills for $6 million, red cloud and other chiefs agreed, sitting bull and others refused, US government mad decided that all sioux and allied Indians go onto reservations forts by end of January 1876. sitting bulls Sioux hadn’t made it by the end of spring general Sheridan decided to round them up.

Question 8

GSW: what did the factor: vision have to contribute to the war?

Answer 8

in the spring sitting bull had a vision that they would have a victory over whites. 6 june 1876 sitting bull and crazy horse wiped out army camp by rosebud river, led their people west and set up camp on the little bighorn river.

Question 9

GSW: what did the factor: bloodshed contribute to the war?

Answer 9

6 june first blood shed. smaller camp cheyenne and sioux led by crazy horse attacked advancing army general crook. soldiers heavily defeated and rescued by Shoshone and crow scouts. crook forced to retreat and warriors moved north to join sitting bull on the little bighorn river.

Question 10

SCM: when was the sand creek massacre?

Answer 10

1864.

Question 11

SCM: why were the cheyenne forced to hunt outside of the reservations?

Answer 11

government failed to provide enough food for the peoples as well as refusing to give aid because they accused them of being lazy.

Question 12

SCM: what did chief black kettle offer the white americans?

Answer 12

peace.

Question 13

SCM: what happened as a result of some Na killing whites?

Answer 13

1864- Lincoln granted governor of Colorado permission to raise army of volunteers to fight the Indian threat for a limited period of 100 days.

Question 14

SCM: what was the bloodless third?

Question 15

SCM: what group of military were involved in the bloodless third and who led them?

Answer 15

third Colorado volunteers.
reverend john Chivington.

Question 16

SCM: what sort of person was reverend john Chivington?

Answer 16

preacher and politician who was keen to fight Indians.

Question 17

SCM: what happened as the army of volunteers were ready?

Answer 17

chief black kettle and his southern Cheyenne came to a nearby army fort to discuss peace.

Question 18

SCM: what had happened by the third of September and how did Colorado feel?

Answer 18

hadn’t seen any action and clock was ticking on their 100 days.

Question 19

SCM: where did the cheyenne go following their agreement, to meet who and what happened following that meeting?

Answer 19

following agreement with army black kettle and southern cheyenne went to fort Lyon. when they arrived they were told fort couldn’t support them and sent to make camp at sand creek.

Question 20

SCM: even though cheyenne wanted peace what did the governor feel and why?

Answer 20

not happy.
‘what shall i do with the third Colorado regiment if i make peace.’ ‘they have been raised to kill indians and they must kill indians.’

Question 21

SCM: what event and when gave governor to kill indians?

Answer 21

13 November white settler was killed by a young cheyenne warrior. stung by their reputation of bloodless third Chivington and his men set out for sand creek and revenge.

Question 22

SCM: what happened at the massacre on 29th November?

Answer 22

troops rode down into the camp. women and children ran for cover, black kettle sure of his agreement stood in the centre of camp waving an american flag and calling for his followers not to be afraid- he was wrong. Chivington recorded saying’ kill and scalp all, big and little , nits make lice.’

Question 23

SCM: how many people died?

Answer 23

by mid-morning 105 women and children and 26 men killed.

Question 24

SCM: what was removed from the dead and what were they used for?

Answer 24

scalps and genitalia taken and used as trophies or hat decorations for some soldiers.

Question 25

SCM: after the battle what happened to Chivington and the volunteers?

Answer 25

within a few months the government had led an investigation. six of his men were arrested and he was forced to resign from the army.

Question 26

LCW: when was little crow’s war?

Answer 26

1861-62.

Question 27

LCW: why were the dakota people short of money and good supplies?

Answer 27

forced to give up 28 million acres of land in exchange for annual payment and a smaller reservation in southern Minnesota. routinely cheated out of money.

Question 28

LCW: what led to the violence erupting?

Answer 28

summer 1862 lack of meet and corn so santee sioux faced starvation. government agent in charge refused to open up emergency stores. chief little crow negotiated with reservation trader and was told’ if they are hungry, let them eat grass or their own dung.’ sioux delegation furious. within 2 days violence erupted.

Question 29

LCW: what happened during the violence?

Answer 29

Sioux attacked farms, towns and even army forts.
around 500 settlers slaughtered by little crows followers and the trader whose words had sparked violence found dead with grass stuffed in his mouth. when their soldiers fought back little crow forced to fight a retreat up river valley. 23 September surrounded and killed. US soldiers cut off his head and scalp and put them on public display.

Question 30

LCW: what happened to the sioux once the fighting was over?

Answer 30

around 300 santee sioux put on trial and sentenced to death.

Question 31

LCW: what was some of the issues with the trials?

Answer 31

evidence was weak and lincoln had to step in and say that only those charged with murder or rape were to be killed.

Question 32

LCW: what were the punishments?

Answer 32

boxing day 1862 38sioux hanged in front of cheering settler crowd, hundred imprisoned, and rest forcibly removed to reservation in dakota territory. many white settlers angry that sioux got off lightly.

Question 33

RCW: when was red clouds war?

Answer 33

1865-68.

Question 34

RCW: how were th lakota sioux scared by the fleeing cheyenne?

Answer 34

after SCM black kettle moved s. cheyenne to safer land. dome fled north into lakota sioux land and brought tales of violence, mutilation which fueld an already tense situation.

Question 35

RCW: when was gold discovered and where which affected lakota?

Answer 35

1862.
montana.

Question 36

RCW: what led to tensions due to finding gold in lakota territory?

Answer 36

one of the gold miners established a trail to mining area but it ran through the hunting grounds of the lakota.

Question 37

RCW: what was the mining trail which ran through lakota land called?

Answer 37

Bozeman trail.

Question 38

RCW: what was the issue with the trail running through lakota ground?

Answer 38

broke fort Laramie treaty of 1851.

Question 39

RCW: what did indians led by red cloud start doing as a result of the fort laramie treaty being broken?

Answer 39

attacking those on the trail.

Question 40

RCW: what was done to try and combat the attacks on those using the trail?

Answer 40

between 1865 and 1866 increased the number of troops sent out to wyoming to try and protect settlers traveling the trail through lakota country.
1866 USA called for meeting at fort laramie to agree a treaty for protecting settlers chief red cloud refused to sign. USA started to established army forts and military presence - step too far for lakota.

Question 41

RCW: what date did which groups launch attacks on army forts?

Answer 41

red cloud, and a number of other lakota leaders such as crazy horse during 1866.

Question 42

RCW: what is an example of an attack carried out on a fort?

Answer 42

captain Fetterman lured out of fort Kearny and entire troop of 80 killed. bodies stripped, scalped and mutilated. one private noted that the party sent to recover the bodies had to walk over the dead soldiers , stuffing their guts back into the corpses before taking them away ont he wagons.

Question 43

RCW: when did red clouds victories last until?

Answer 43

1867 and 1868.

Question 44

RCW: when the US government was forced to give in what happened?

Answer 44

met with indians at fort laramie to sign a treaty.

Question 45

RCW: what did the treaty resulting from the governments give up included?

Answer 45

granted vast amount of land including black hills of dakota to re cloud and lakota sioux. gave guarantee that USD troops and settlers would not enter these lands again without permission.

Question 46

RCW: apart from the defeat being of great humiliation to the government what did others feel was needed and how was this put into place?

Answer 46

some politicians thought the war was a sure sign that a tougher policy against the indians needed. from 1868 control of Indian conflict handled by general Sheridan and sherman- hero’s from union war effort in CW. sherman had clear views about conflict when he wrote to Sheridan in 1868: ‘i..will use all the powers confided in me to end that these indians the enemies of our race and of our civilisation shall not be able to begin and….carry out their barbarous warfare.’