Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2016
Last exams 2025
The Fort Laramie Treaty, 1851 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
How Important was the Fort Laramie Treaty? - Summary
The Fort Laramie Treaty aimed to establish peace and territorial boundaries between indigenous tribes and the US federal government. This was vital for white settlers as they moved westward.
The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 was significant. It represented an attempt by the US government to ease tensions between white settlers and indigenous peoples. It also recognised the territorial rights of indigenous tribes. However, this was only achieved by placing tribes into reservations. This would become a serious issue when the US government made these reservations smaller.
The treaty failed to achieve its intended objectives. Warfare between tribes continued. White settlers continued to ignore Indigenous territories. They settled, farmed, hunted and built on tribal lands. White migrants also travelled on land well away from the Oregon Trail. The US government promised that the Army would prevent white settlers from doing these actions. In reality, the US Army did not intervene. As a result, conflict and tension between white settlers and indigenous peoples remained an issue on the Plains.
Why was the Fort Laramie Treaty Passed?
By 1851, the tensions between white settlers and Indigenous peoples became dangerous
White settlers acted aggressively toward Indigenous peoples
There was increased competition for food and resources in the Plains
White settlers did not feel safe
Factors that Caused the Fort Laramie Treaty
Problems with Creating the Fort Laramie Treaty
The Terms of the Fort Laramie Treaty
Agreements made by the Indigenous peoples | Agreements made by the US government |
|---|---|
To stop wars between tribes | To protect the Indigenous peoples and their land from the actions of white settlers |
To not attack migrants travelling through their land | |
To allow railway companies to survey their land | |
To allow the government to build roads and places to station troops | To give each tribe an annuity of $50,000 for upholding the terms of the Fort Laramie Treaty |
To pay compensation if any tribal members break the terms of the Fort Laramie Treaty |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
The American West paper tests you on your specific knowledge of the period. Try to remember key aspects of the Fort Laramie treaty, for example, the annuity of $50,000. This will show the examiner that you have in-depth knowledge of the American West, a key assessment objective for this course.
The Significance and Issues of the Fort Laramie Treaty
Why was the Fort Laramie Treaty Significant?
The Fort Laramie Treaty:
Attempted to designate land for each tribe
This was the first step towards reservations
Insisted that the Indigenous peoples accept white settlers and government interference on their land
This went against the 'Permanent Indian Frontier', created in 1834
Made the Indigenous tribes more dependent on the US government
The tribes had to stick to the terms of the Fort Laramie Treaty to receive their annuity of food and products
The treaty terms did not allow the Indigenous peoples to travel outside of their land. This further restricted their ability to find food and resources
What Problems did the Fort Laramie Treaty Cause?
Not all tribal members stuck to the Fort Laramie Treaty
Even if the chief of the tribe signed the agreement, each band chose whether to follow the treaty or not
Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse refused to agree to the treaty
Many tribal representatives did not understand the terms of the treaty
Some tribes did not have the treaty translated to them
There were different interpretations of landownership
As a result, many tribes misinterpreted the treaty
The US government did not respect the treaty
When the Sioux complained about the size of their hunting grounds, the US government said that all tribes could hunt on each other's territory
This showed that the government did not take the boundaries seriously
It was the first step in creating smaller reservations
Worked Example
Explain one consequence of the Fort Laramie Treaty (1851)
4 marks
Answer:
One consequence of the Fort Laramie Treaty was how it created future conflict between the indigenous peoples and the US government. The Fort Laramie Treaty was written in English and gave each tribe a reservation to live on. This caused conflict because some tribal leaders did not agree or understand the terms of the treaty. This made it more likely that tribes would break the terms of the treaty either accidentally or on purpose. Therefore, the Fort Laramie Treaty created more tension and issues with the indigenous peoples of America.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This question has previously asked you to explain two consequences. In the American West exam paper for 2025, this question will ask you to explain one consequence. However, there will be two different "Explain one consequence of" questions each, worth four marks.
The "Explain one consequence" question tests how you can explain your wider knowledge of the period. Once you have studied more of the course, you may be able to add more specific evidence to your answer. An example could be the Little Crow War.
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