This investigation examines the historical question of “to what extent did the Black Hills Gold Rush of 1874 lead to the Great Sioux War of 1876?”. One key source chosen to support this investigation is a treaty written in 1868 between the the United States (U.S.) government and the Native American nations of the Dakota Territory regarding ownership and land rights of the Black Hills. The other source is a firsthand account from a Cheyenne woman that lived through and experienced some of the events leading up to the Great Sioux War of 1876.
Source A. Fort Laramie Treaty, 1868, PBS Archives of the West
This primary source is a significant factor in understanding the purpose of the conflicts. Made and concluded by representatives of the military, government, and native tribes, it formally acknowledged the Sioux nation to be in possession of the Black Hills area as part of the Great Sioux Reservation. It originated because the government wanted to make peace with the Sioux and end the bloodshed that had been occurring between the Sioux, troops, and early gold miners. …show more content…
Since it was a legal document, the U.S. government would have been sure to be precise and formal in their agreements, knowing their agreements would be made a matter of record. One limitation about this source is that the Treaty was made at least 6 years prior to the first major event that caused the Black Hills Gold Rush. Another limitation is that it did not include the consent and representation from all the native leaders that the Treaty would impact.
Source B. Iron Teeth ( MAH-I-TI-WO-NEE-NI ) Remembers the Cheyenne Removal, Roots of Bitterness: Documents of a Social History of American