The Battle of Little Bighorn was a war in 1876 between the Native Americans and the Americans over the Black Hills.
Gold was discovered in the Black Hills, leading to an attempt by the Americans to negotiate with the Indians for their lands. The Indians refused, leaving the Americans no choice but to force the Indians onto the reservations as they began to settle in Black Hills. To preserve their rights, the Indians planned to forcefully drive the white settlers out of their lands. In response to the Native Americans’ hostile behavior, the US decided to make war against the Indians in what became known as the Battle of Little Bighorn.
The key historical figures included the leaders of the Native Americans such as Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and Chief Gall, US Commander George Custer, and other US officers such as Marcus Reno, James Calhoun, and Frederick Benteen.
Sitting Bull was a Native American leader who led the Sioux tribe. After the battle, Sitting Bull and his followers fled to Canada when the Americans were pursuing the Sioux tribe. Over time, Sitting Bull finally surrendered and was forced to settle on a reservation.
Another Indian leader of the Indian forces was Chief Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse was a brave man who led the Native Americans to victory as they charged at the Americans. When the Americans had to stop to reload their guns, Crazy Horse took the opportunity to charge and forced the Americans into a close combat.
The third leader of the Indian warriors was Chief Gall. As Custer’s troops attempted to retreat up the summit, Chief Gall and his troops blocked off their escape route and the Americans were surrounded by Native Americans.
George Custer was the leader of the 7th Cavalry and led one of the columns to attack a Sioux camp. General Custer was later trapped by the Indians and he and his troops were wiped out, leading to an American defeat.
Other US officers included Major Marcus Reno and Captain Frederick Benteen. Some people believed that the two officers were responsible for the American defeat because they disobeyed General Custer’s orders.
The battle was a successful victory for the Native Americans, which shocked the Americans because they viewed the Indians as inferior to them. Being angered by their defeat, the American government created a strict policy of disarmament to force the Indian tribes to surrender their tribal lands. The significance of the battle was that instead of accepting defeat, the Americans retaliated and successfully gained control over the Black Hills.
