Indian Wars 1776 - 1890

In the mid 1700’s colonist turned against many tribes. George Washington fought in the French and Indian war. Thomas Jefferson called the Natives savages in the Declaration of Independence. Our relations with the Natives grew more and more hostile.

The Indians battled the Americans in the revolution. Many Eastern tribes were willing to help the Britain Indians in hope of gaining their land back.

After the revolution, Indians were caught in a trap. Indian testimony was not allowed in court. The only choice tribes had was, to fight. For nearly 100 years the Americans would be caught in conflicts known as The Indian Wars.

In 1851 the United States promised to pay the Tribes fees for a year. Gold was discovered in the Rocky Monitions in 1858. In 1859 100,000 settlers arrived in the Rocky Mountains. In summer of 1864, Indians raids reached the Brutal Peeks.

John Evans, Governor of Colorado, made Indians even innocent ones pay for suffering settlers. In late autumn of 1864, Governor Evens met with Black Kettle, Cheyenne leader. The Cheyenne moved to Sand Creek. They believed the agreement with Evens would protect them.

November 29th, 1864, Chivington along with 200 troops rode out to Sand Creek. Chivington murdered the Cheyenne.

In 1865, the Civil War ended. President Andrew Johnson angry with Natives who sided with the South, punished them by taking away more lands. The US Government took away half of the Indian Territory. Cheyenne with the help of the Sioux, Arpaho, Comanche, and Kiowa, made attacked in Kansas, and Colorado. Since 1864 Philip Sheridan wanted to kill the Indians and their way of life the best way to do this was to weaken them. One of the strongest tactics used to weaken the Natives was to kill off their food source. Over the next 30 years the bison (buffalo) would be hunted almost to extinction in a plan to rid the great plains of the Indians.

Late November 1868, Custer Brought 800 soldiers of the 7th US Cavalary to the Oklahoma Panhandle. Washita River was where Black kettle was with his Cheyenne. Just before dawn, Cavalry broke into the village with his men. The warriors tried to defend their families. Custers men Beat them and the Cheyenne grounds were filled with blood. This was a very important battle because black kettle was killed and defeated, along with 100 of his men.

The Indian Removals

Americans had been sent back from their Atlantic shores. August, in 1813, a half white, and half Indian person from the Creek tribe decided to attack Fort Mims on the Alabama river. They killed as much as 400 settlers. 1864, General Andrew Jackson put the Tennessee militia in a battle with the Creek at Horseshoe Bend in Alabama. The Indians were beaten easily. After that, the Indians were told to give over 23 acres of the Creek land to the US.

The Creek tribe was part of a tribe called "The Five Civilized Tribes", at least that’s what the Americans knew them as. This group also included the Cherokee, Chicksaw, Choctaw, and the Seminole. The five tribes lived a more settled life than some other Indian tribes. They depended on farming and trading on their earnings. They accepted many European customs.

Many states/territories had major battles in them. These are some of the states…Montana, Arizona, Oklahoma, Florida, Idaho, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. Here are some of the states that had people massacred in them…South Dakota, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas and Alabama. This war held from 1776 – 1890.

Below is a recreation for an ad that ran shortly after taking over Native’s lands.

YOUR OWN POSSESSION ITHIN EASY PAMENTS THIRTY DAYS

IN 1910 THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SOLD UNDER SEALED BOIS ALLOTED INDIAN AS FOLLOWS

For information as to the character of the land write for booklet, "INDIAN LANDS FOR SALE" to the

Superintendent U . S . Indian School at any one of the following places:

California Minnesota North Dakota Oklahoma