The Second Era of U.S. and American
Indian Conflict
“The only good Indians I ever saw
were dead.”
-General Philip Sheridan (1869)
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from 1776 to 1907, the US Army was involved in
1,470 official actions against Indians.
The vast majority of military Indian fighting under
the auspices of the US government occurred
between 1866 and 1891. During this 25-year period,
the Army was involved in 1,065 combat
engagements with Indians. In total, 948 soldiers
were killed and another 1,058 wounded, as well as
4,371 Indians who were killed and another 1,279
who were wounded.
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The War of 1812
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The U.S. against Britain over the Canadian border
Historians agree that the clear losers were the Indians
Seminole Wars
The longest US involved war between the Revolution and Vietnam
Began as Seminole resistance to President Jackson’s relocation
efforts
 Ended in the elimination of a Seminole threat in Florida
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AND MANY, MANY MORE
The point is: The U.S. had to use the military to enforce the
reservation system .
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Purposes:
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To clear Indians off of valuable territories
To Americanize Indians through settlement, adoption of agriculture,
Christianity, and US government services
Statistics:
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There are approximately 310 reservations (though more than 500
recognized tribes)in the US.
2.3% of land in the U.S. is on a reservation (approx. 55 million acres)
A slight majority of American Indians currently live off of reservations
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Conflict continued between tribes and settlers
moving through tribal territory
Settlers were angry that the vast expanses were
off limits to them
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Sand Creek Massacre (1864)
Many Indians refused to be contained and
assimilated on reservations
Indians wanted the treaty promises respected

Red Cloud’s War
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Red Cloud led an alliance of the
Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho
against the U.S. Army which was
attempting to protect American
settlers in Powder River Country.
Red Cloud’s success in repelling the
U.S. led to the Treaty of Fort
Laramie
"I have listened patiently to the
promises of the Great Father,
but his memory is short. I am
now done with him. This is all I
have to say.“ – Red Cloud,
Oglala Lakota
Crazy Horse
Red Cloud
Little Wolf
William J. Fetterman

Established the Great Sioux Reservation
Included the Black Hills and
 All of Western South Dakota
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The Powder River Country was to be off limits to
all whites
The Sioux shall have "... absolute and
undisturbed use of the Great Sioux
Reservation...No persons...shall ever be
permitted to pass over, settle upon, or
reside in territory described in this
article...No treaty for the cession of any
portion or part of the reservation herein
described...shall be of any validity or
force...unless executed and signed by at
least three-fourth of all adult male Indians,
occupying or interested in the same."
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Gold miners ignored the treaty
and invaded Sioux territory
The U.S. government did
nothing about the invasions
The US continued to attack
Indians who refused to settle
on the Res.
The Great Sioux War of 18761877 begins
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US Army led by General George Custer (aka Long
Hair) and the US 7th Cavalry
Major US defeat, “Custer’s last stand”
General
Custer
Sitting
Bull
Gall
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US government claimed violation of Fort
Laramie Treaty
U.S. seized Black Hills
US rounded up Indians, disarmed them, and
confined them to army forts
Sioux leaders forced to sign under threat of
starvation
The U.S. disbanded Great Sioux Reservation
and turned it into seven separate reservations,
including Pine Ridge Reservation
“An examination shows that no Indians
within the limits of the United States have
acquired any sort of capacity to meet and
cope with the whites in civilized pursuits
who did not gain that ability by going
among the whites and out from the
reservations…”
-Captain Richard Pratt, Founder
of the Carlisle Indian School