Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Conflict on the Plains, 1862-1868 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Was War with the US Government the Only Option for the Indigenous Peoples of the Plains? - Timeline & Summary
Indigenous tribes wanted to negotiate treaties with the US government to protect their interests. Treaties such as the Fort Laramie Treaty established boundaries and guaranteed rights. In the short term, this helped relations between Indigenous tribes and the US government. The US government later broke agreements with the Indigenous tribes. The government encouraged white migrants to trespass and settle on Indigenous lands. This led to increased tensions between Indigenous tribes and settlers. The US government did not protect the tribes as they had promised to do. Many tribes felt that they had no option but to defend themselves by force. Indigenous leaders such as Little Crow, Red Cloud and Sitting Horse led resistance movements against the US government. The Indigenous tribes fought for their land rights and cultural survival. War was not the desired outcome for Indigenous tribes. However, it became a necessary response to the threat posed by the US government's policies and actions. |
The Little Crow War, 1862
What Caused the Little Crow War?
Little Crow was the band chief of the Dakota Sioux
In 1862, tensions between the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Little Crow's band resulted in armed conflict
Actions | How did this cause conflict? |
|---|---|
In 1851, the Dakota Sioux signed a treaty with the US government. They gave up 24 million acres of land for a $1.4 million annuity |
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The number of white settlers increased rapidly in Minnesota |
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Corrupt agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs ran the Dakota Sioux's reservation |
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In 1858, the government forced the Dakota Sioux to give away half of their reservation land in exchange for money to pay off their debts |
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Examiner Tips and Tricks
Many Europeans and Americans called the Indigenous peoples of America 'Indians.' This is no longer an accepted term. Please do not use 'Indians' to refer to Indigenous peoples in your exam answers. However, in this section, you will have to use the official name for the government policies towards Indigenous peoples. Many of the policies use the term 'Indian'. You should write the full title of these acts in your exam answers to show specific own knowledge.
Events of the Little Crow War
The Sand Creek Massacre, 1864
What Caused the Sand Creek Massacre?
Actions | How did this cause conflict? |
|---|---|
In 1858, gold was discovered in the Colorado Territory |
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In 1861, the Arapaho and Cheyenne chiefs signed the Treaty of Fort Wise |
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Black Kettle set up camp in Sand Creek to negotiate with the government. He believed that he was under army protection |
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Events of the Sand Creek Massacre
John Evans hired Colonel Chivington to attack Black Kettle and his tribe
On 29th November 1864, Chivington:
Led an army of 700 men on horseback into Black Kettle's camp
Ignored the camp's white flag of surrender
Massacred over 130 men, women and children
Scalped the victims and displayed their body parts in local saloons
Black Kettle escaped, telling other tribes about the massacre
The Dog Soldiers continued to attack forts and white settlers in the Colorado Territory
The US government agreed to a new treaty in 1865. It promised:
A large reservation for the Cheyenne and Arapaho near the Arkansas River
Generous payments were made to the survivors of the Sand Creek Massacre
In 1867, the government backed out of the treaty
The tribes moved to a reservation half the size agreed upon in 1865
The government paid no compensation to the survivors of the Sand Creek Massacre
The tribes could use their old hunting grounds
Black Kettle died in another US Army massacre in 1868
Red Cloud's War, 1866-1868
What Caused Red Cloud's War?
Red Cloud was a respected war chief of the Lakota Sioux
By 1866, Red Cloud decided to fight against the US government
Actions | How did this cause conflict? |
|---|---|
In 1862, gold was discovered in Montana |
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In 1866, the government called a council. They wanted the Lakota Sioux to allow people to travel on the Bozeman Trail |
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Events of Red Cloud's War
Worked Example
Explain the importance of Red Cloud’s War (1866–1868) for relations between the Indigenous peoples and the US government
8 marks
Partial answer:
Red Cloud's War was important for US-Indigenous relations because the US government had to recognise the power of the tribe. Red Cloud's War was a two-year conflict that combined forces from the Lakota Sioux, the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. Red Cloud's ability to unite members from multiple tribes strengthened the threat posed by Indigenous peoples. It was important as the US government realised it could not win Red Cloud's War through violence after the Fetterman's Trap. The US government had to pursue peaceful methods with the Indigenous peoples. This eventually created better relations between the US government and the Indigenous peoples.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This style of question in the exam paper would be worth 8 marks. An examiner would expect you to write two paragraphs analysing the importance of an event on a wider theme like migration. A good response to this style of question would have:
A logical structure of paragraphs. Within each paragraph, each sentence should link to the next. This will build a strong argument as to why the event is important to the wider theme
Specific own knowledge linked to the event, showing in-depth knowledge of the period
A clear explanation as to why the event was important to a wider theme. In the example above, you can see the phrase 'This eventually created better relations.' This helps to keep the response focused on the question.
The Second Fort Laramie Treaty, 1868
As a consequence of Red Cloud's War, the US government signed the Second Fort Laramie Treaty. It stated that:
The country north of the North Platte River and east of the summits of the Big Horn mountains shall be held and considered to be... Indian Territory
The Second Fort Laramie Treaty set out an agreement that:
The Great Sioux Reservation was only for the Sioux nation
No white migrants could settle or travel through this land
The US government would close the Bozeman Trail
Red Cloud would move his tribe to a reservation in Dakota
While this ended Red Cloud's War, it did not ease tensions
Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse refused to sign the treaty
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A question could ask you to write a narrative account of the conflict on the Plains, 1862-1868. A common misconception that students have is that a narrative account is a story. A narrative account answer should follow CHRONOLINK:
Put the sequence of events in chronological order
Link each section of the narrative to the next event that occurred. You should use linkage terms such as: 'as a consequence', 'this led to' or 'because'.
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