The Battle of the Little Bighorn is one of the most famous battles in history. It is important for many reasons, firstly because of General Custer who broke all the tactical rules of fighting a battle and obviously lost, secondly because he was the worst man for the job he was given, and lastly because it was the last battle between the USA and the Indians. Even though the Indians won Little Bighorn it spelled disaster for them as they would never be able to resist the American Government again.
Little Bighorn was fought in the foothills of the Black Hills of Dakota, a sacred and holy ground for the Sioux. Rumours of undiscovered gold here had been current for many years. The Fort Laramie treaty prevented whites from entering this land, but the Indians were not interested in gold. The railroad was creeping nearer Sioux hunting areas, and they had killed a number of railroad workers. The Indians were furious about this breach of the Treaty.
By 1875 there was another financial slump, this drove many more people to search for their fortune; search for gold. In 1874 Custer had led an expedition into the Black Hills for gold and found it immediately. This brought thousands of people to the Black Hills. In breach of the Fort Laramie Treaty the US Government offered $6 million for the land. The Sioux leader, Red Cloud held out for more money, but President Grant ordered the Indians into reservations within two months. The Indians scattered and refused, preparing for war. Many Indians came from far and wide to join Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.
General Custer and his men arrived in the area in June 1876. Custer’s scouts reported that they didn’t have enough ammunition to kill all the Indians they had seen. Recklessly Custer decided to pounce straightaway. No white men survived, and as such the exact details are unclear. Custer’s body was found among his men, he’d been shot twice, but his body was unmutilated.
Significantly the Indian victory was short-lived. It put pressure on the US Government to end conflict and settle the Indian problem conclusively. Most Indians drifted back to the reservations, and the Whites had won the struggle for the Plains. Whites had settled the land completely and the Indian driven from their spiritual and ancestral lands.
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