Syllabus Edition
First teaching 2024
First exams 2026
Continued Conflict on the Plains, 1876-1890 (Edexcel GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Natasha Smith
Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett
Why were Indigenous Peoples Angry with the US Government by 1876? - Summary
There are many reasons why Indigenous peoples resented the US government. These include:
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Battle of the Little Big Horn, June 1876
This event is a conflict within the Great Sioux War
Causes of the Battle of the Little Big Horn
Gold prospectors used the Sioux hunting grounds called the Black Hills in Dakota
This went against the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty
George Custer and his 7th Cavalry were meant to protect railroad builders
However, Custer was also searching for gold
The Sioux rejected a new treaty
They continued to attack prospectors
Thousands of Sioux warriors left their reservation to join leaders Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse
The warriors were given 60 days to return to their reservation by President Grant or else they would be attacked
Deep snow made it impossible for the warriors to return. 7,000 Sioux were out of their reservation
Events of the Battle of the Little Big Horn
Consequences of the Battle of the Little Big Horn
Positive consequences | Negative consequences |
|---|---|
Rather than seeing them as 'savages', white settlers and the US government acknowledged that they had underestimated the military threat that Indigenous peoples posed | By the end of 1876, many Sioux were forced back to their reservations as they became short of ammunition and food. In 1877, Crazy Horse surrendered to the US Army but he was killed while under arrest |
The white settlers pressured the US government to destroy the Sioux resistance. Sioux had to give up the Black Hills or else they would not be given food by the US government. The public now wanted the US government to follow the policy of ‘Assimilate or Die’. |
Worked Example
Explain one consequence of the Battle of the Little Big Horn
4 marks
Answer:
One consequence of the Battle of the Little Big Horn was how white settlers and the US government viewed Indigenous peoples. At the battle, Custer sent only 200 men to fight around 2,000 Sioux warriors. All of his men and Custer himself were killed in the battle. This changed people's view of the Sioux. Custer's arrogance to only send 200 men showed that many people considered Indigenous peoples inferior to them. As a result, white settlers recognised the Sioux as a serious military threat. They had to treat all Indigenous tribes as a threat to US society.
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.
Students sometimes struggle with questions that ask about the consequences of an event. Students mistakenly believe that consequences are always negative effects. However, consequences are something that happens as a result of an event. They can be positive or negative.
The Wounded Knee Massacre, 29th December 1890
Causes of the Wounded Knee Massacre
The Sioux suffered greatly in reservations
The US government cut the Sioux's rations
A drought in 1890 made a lack of food worse. The Sioux had no crops
More Indigenous peoples believed in performing the Ghost Dance
If Indigenous peoples rejected the US way of life, the Ghost Dance would:
Bring their tribal members back to life
Return the land to the tribe that had been taken by the US government
The Ghost Dance spread quickly through all reservations
President Harrison ordered the US Army into the reservations to take control
Chief Sitting Bull was killed as the army believed he was about to start a dance
Sitting Bull’s followers fled and joined another tribal leader's band called Big Foot
Events of the Wounded Knee Massacre
Consequences of the Wounded Knee Massacre
The US public supported the Army's actions at Wounded Knee Creek
They were relieved the Ghost Dance was over
White Americans believed Indigenous peoples were too wild and hostile
They either had to be assimilated or killed
They felt that the US Army were right to get revenge for their loss at Little Bighorn
In 1890, the US Government announced the end of the Permanent Indian Frontier
White Americans now had a right to settle anywhere
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A question could ask you to write a narrative account of the conflict between the Indigenous peoples and the US Government in the years 1876-1890. 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'
You need to have three events in this period that showed a continued conflict between the US government and the Indigenous peoples, for example, the Dawes Act.
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