U.S. Policies

Essay by PaperNerd ContributorHigh School, 11th grade November 2001

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James Litchfield litchfield 1 Mr. Goodman American History Period 2 U.S. Policies Do you think that conflicts between whites and Native Americans on the Great Plains were wise and just? In this essay I will discuss many events that deal with these issues so one can the answer to the question I have asked above. I personally feel these conflicts were dealt with in an illogical an immoral manner.

For example in1834 the federal government passed an act that made the Great Plains into one gigantic reservation for Native Americans to live on. However in the 1850's there was an increase in the amount of settlers coming to the Great Plains so the American Government decided to change the policy. They began to sign treaties with Native American Tribes that confined them to smaller areas that had definite boundaries to make more land for white settlers who wanted there own land.

Many Native Americans rejected the treaties and continued to hunt on their ancient hunting grounds. This caused many conflicts between white settlers and the Native American Tribes.

These changes in the government's policies and conflicts between Native Americans and white settlers led to horrible massacres such as the Sand Creek Massacre. The Sand Creek Massacre was a devastating loss for the Cheyenne as they lost 200 of their own people mostly women and children. They were attacked at dawn on November Litchfield 2 29, 1864 by the U.S. Army. Led by Colonel John Chivington who was later known as a hero in his hometown of Denver, Colorado.

The Treaty of Fort Laramie halted warfare in the plains for a short amount of time. Conflicts between Native Americans and white settlers were sparked again when the settlers continued to move westward and Native Americans refused to stay confined to...