Fort Laramie Treaty

Definition

The Fort Laramie Treaty, signed in 1851, was an agreement between the United States and several Native American tribes, which aimed to establish peace and delineate tribal territories in the Great Plains. This treaty marked a significant moment in U.S.-Indigenous relations, as it sought to recognize Indigenous land rights while simultaneously promoting westward expansion. However, it ultimately failed to protect those rights, leading to further conflicts and subsequent treaties that disregarded tribal sovereignty.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Fort Laramie Treaty was negotiated under pressure from American settlers moving westward, and it represented a momentary attempt to establish peace between settlers and Indigenous tribes.
2. The treaty recognized specific territories for tribes such as the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho, but these boundaries were frequently ignored by settlers and the government.
3. Despite the treaty's intentions, it failed to prevent conflicts like the Sand Creek Massacre in 1864, demonstrating its ineffectiveness in protecting Indigenous rights.
4. The Fort Laramie Treaty is often viewed as a precursor to later agreements that were systematically broken by the U.S. government, leading to a pattern of distrust and betrayal.
5. The discussions around this treaty laid the groundwork for subsequent treaties that further complicated U.S.-Indigenous relations, illustrating the ongoing struggle for recognition and sovereignty.

Review Questions

• How did the Fort Laramie Treaty reflect the intentions of the U.S. government towards Native American tribes during westward expansion?
  • The Fort Laramie Treaty reflected the U.S. government's intention to establish peace with Native American tribes while facilitating westward expansion. By recognizing tribal territories, the treaty aimed to minimize conflict as settlers moved into Indigenous lands. However, despite these intentions, it ultimately became a tool for exploitation, as the government frequently violated the treaty's terms, leading to further displacement and conflict.
• Discuss how the Fort Laramie Treaty is connected to subsequent policies and treaties affecting Native American sovereignty.
  • The Fort Laramie Treaty is closely tied to subsequent policies that undermined Native American sovereignty, such as the Indian Appropriations Act. While it initially sought to recognize tribal land rights, its failure paved the way for future treaties that were similarly disregarded. The pattern of broken treaties established through agreements like Fort Laramie set a precedent for ongoing violations of Indigenous rights and reinforced colonial attitudes towards Native American communities.
• Evaluate the long-term impacts of the Fort Laramie Treaty on Indigenous peoples in terms of land rights and cultural survival.
  • The long-term impacts of the Fort Laramie Treaty on Indigenous peoples have been profound, contributing significantly to ongoing struggles for land rights and cultural survival. The treaty's failure to uphold its promises led to a legacy of mistrust between Native American tribes and the U.S. government, with many tribes facing dispossession of their ancestral lands. This loss not only disrupted traditional ways of life but also catalyzed resistance movements aimed at reclaiming sovereignty and cultural identity in the face of continued marginalization.

Related terms

Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868): A later treaty that reaffirmed the rights of the Lakota people and established the Great Sioux Reservation, yet was later violated by the U.S. government.

Indian Appropriations Act: A series of laws passed in the 1850s that aimed to assimilate Native Americans into American society, often leading to the loss of their lands.

Reservations: Designated areas of land set aside by the U.S. government for Native American tribes, often resulting from treaties that were not honored.