Indians Removal Methods

The United States government used many different techniques to remove Indians from Western lands so they could use it for their own selfish needs. Some of these methods were clearly harmful, while others were written to seem reasonable and helpful. Nomadic Indians were finding it hard to live due to declining bison herds and deteriorating grasslands. This situation was made worse by thousands of pioneers pouring into the west because of the new discovery of silver and gold in the Rocky Mountains. The government attempted to solve this problem by creating a structure of smaller reservations for Indians. They would use force if necessary. The Indian’s responses varied from tribe to tribe. The Pueblos, Crows, and Hidastas happily and obligingly adjusted to their new life. Others felt differently, however. The
To protect their sacred hunting grounds, they raided near by non- Indian settlements, intimidated federal government workers, and harassed anyone else who came onto their land. In 1874, the government took action against these Indians by sending a force led by Colonel George Armstrong Custer into the Black Hills of South Dakota. Negotiations to buy this area had been broken because the Indians were asking for too high of a price, therefore Custer’s new goal was to drive the Indians out of this area. Indians still outside the reservations would be hunted down and taken in by force. The battle fought in this land in June 1876 was a great unexpected Indian victory, which only angered and motivated the U.S. army more. Indians were chased down and imprisoned, but most refused to cooperate. Many Indians created dramatic escapes, such as a group following a Dull Knife, who shot the guards and broke away for freedom. Small efforts such as these proved that the Indians were going to keep on fighting for as long as