Fort Laramie Treaty

Fort Laramie Treaty was a significant agreement between the United States government and the Lakota people, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Crow Nation tribes, signed in 1851 at Fort Laramie, Wyoming. The treaty aimed to establish boundaries and promote peaceful relations between the Native American tribes and the increasing number of American pioneers and fur traders traveling through the region, including notable figures like Kit Carson and John Jacob Astor. The treaty was also influenced by the Mexican-American War and the subsequent Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which led to a significant increase in United States territory, including parts of present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado. The Fort Laramie Treaty was an important milestone in the history of Native American relations with the United States government, involving key figures like David Mitchell (governor), David Dawson Mitchell, and Thomas Fitzpatrick (trapper).

● Introduction

The Fort Laramie Treaty was a landmark agreement that marked a significant shift in the relationship between the United States government and the Native American tribes of the Great Plains, including the Lakota people, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Crow Nation. The treaty was negotiated by David Mitchell (governor), the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and David Dawson Mitchell, a prominent fur trader, with the assistance of Thomas Fitzpatrick (trapper), a well-known mountain man and trapper. The treaty was also influenced by the Lewis and Clark Expedition and the subsequent establishment of Fort Laramie as a key trading post and United States Army outpost, which played a crucial role in the Oregon Trail and the California Trail. The Fort Laramie Treaty was an important step towards the development of the United States western territories, including the establishment of the Kansas Territory, Nebraska Territory, and the Colorado Territory, which were all influenced by the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Homestead Act.

● Historical Context

The Fort Laramie Treaty was signed during a time of significant change and upheaval in the western United States, marked by the California Gold Rush and the subsequent influx of American settlers and prospectors into the region, including notable figures like James W. Marshall and Leland Stanford. The treaty was also influenced by the Mexican-American War and the subsequent Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which led to a significant increase in United States territory, including parts of present-day California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado. The Fort Laramie Treaty was an important milestone in the history of Native American relations with the United States government, involving key figures like Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, and Franklin Pierce, who all played a role in shaping the United States western policy, including the establishment of the United States Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The treaty was also influenced by the Whig Party and the Democratic Party, which had different views on the United States western expansion, including the Manifest Destiny ideology.

● Treaty Provisions

The Fort Laramie Treaty established boundaries for the Lakota people, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Crow Nation tribes, and provided for the creation of a system of roads and trading posts in the region, including the establishment of Fort Laramie as a key trading post and United States Army outpost. The treaty also recognized the sovereignty of the Native American tribes over their respective territories, including the Great Sioux Reservation and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation, which were established by the United States Congress through the Indian Appropriation Act. The treaty was influenced by the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears, which had a significant impact on the Native American population, including the Cherokee Nation, Muscle Shoals, and the Creek Nation. The Fort Laramie Treaty was an important step towards the development of the United States western territories, including the establishment of the Kansas Territory, Nebraska Territory, and the Colorado Territory, which were all influenced by the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Homestead Act.

● Signatories and Negotiations

The Fort Laramie Treaty was signed by representatives of the United States government, including David Mitchell (governor), David Dawson Mitchell, and Thomas Fitzpatrick (trapper), and by leaders of the Lakota people, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Crow Nation tribes, including Conquering Bear, Little Thunder, and Big Robber. The treaty was negotiated over several months, with the United States government seeking to establish a system of roads and trading posts in the region, and the Native American tribes seeking to protect their sovereignty and way of life, including their traditional hunting grounds and fishing rights. The treaty was influenced by the Treaty of Fort Atkinson and the Treaty of Prairie du Chien, which established the framework for United States-Native American relations in the region, including the establishment of the Office of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The Fort Laramie Treaty was an important milestone in the history of Native American relations with the United States government, involving key figures like Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John C. Calhoun, who all played a role in shaping the United States western policy.

● Aftermath and Legacy

The Fort Laramie Treaty had a significant impact on the history of the western United States, marking a major shift in the relationship between the United States government and the Native American tribes of the Great Plains, including the Lakota people, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Crow Nation. The treaty established a system of roads and trading posts in the region, and recognized the sovereignty of the Native American tribes over their respective territories, including the Great Sioux Reservation and the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indian Reservation. The treaty was influenced by the Indian Appropriation Act and the Dawes Act, which had a significant impact on the Native American population, including the Cherokee Nation, Muscle Shoals, and the Creek Nation. The Fort Laramie Treaty was an important step towards the development of the United States western territories, including the establishment of the Kansas Territory, Nebraska Territory, and the Colorado Territory, which were all influenced by the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Homestead Act. The treaty also played a role in the Bozeman Trail and the Powder River Expedition, which were significant events in the history of the western United States, involving key figures like Nelson A. Miles, George Armstrong Custer, and Red Cloud.

● Violations and Disputes

The Fort Laramie Treaty was violated by the United States government on several occasions, including the discovery of gold in the Black Hills and the subsequent influx of American settlers and prospectors into the region, which led to the Great Sioux War of 1876 and the Battle of Little Bighorn. The treaty was also disputed by the Native American tribes, who argued that the United States government had failed to uphold its obligations under the treaty, including the provision of annuities and the protection of their sovereignty, which led to the Wounded Knee Massacre and the Dawes Act. The Fort Laramie Treaty was an important milestone in the history of Native American relations with the United States government, involving key figures like Ulysses S. Grant, Rutherford B. Hayes, and Chester A. Arthur, who all played a role in shaping the United States western policy, including the establishment of the United States Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The treaty was also influenced by the Whig Party and the Democratic Party, which had different views on the United States western expansion, including the Manifest Destiny ideology. The Fort Laramie Treaty remains an important part of United States history, and its legacy continues to be felt today, including the establishment of the Native American Rights Fund and the Indian Land Tenure Foundation, which work to protect the rights of Native American tribes, including the Lakota people, Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Crow Nation.