The battle had such a significant impact on American history partly because it occurred during the centennial of the US. This disaster also marked one of the biggest failures in early American history. The American sense of ego, arrogance, and pride suffered a heavy blow from the loss. People ignored the fact that part of the reason why they lost the war was their arrogance. They started panicking about the unitization of the indigenous tribes. I think this battle played a significant role in inspiring more and more tribes to stand up and fight against the American government. I also believe that the reason why this war occurred was because the American government lost all of its credibility with the Indigenous groups after breaking one treaty after another that they forced indigenous people to sign.
The Battle of Greasy Grass represented part of the Indigenous resistance against the white settlers. The Lakota nation also faced many struggles to protect their homeland and the treaty with the American government prior to the battle. The Black Hills, which are Lakota’s historical and spiritual sacred place, witnessed ongoing exploration by white settlers. As this exploration continued, they were compelled to sign the Laramie Treaty (Andrella Jennifer, HIST281_week2_class2, Sept 18). This treaty established a reservation for the Lakota people, granting them sole control over their remaining land, including the Black Hills. However, with the discovery of gold mines in the Black Hills region, an influx of settlers encroached upon the Lakota’s sacred land. Once again, the American government violated the treaty and coerced the Lakota tribe into relinquishing their home. Despite the brave resistance of the Lakota people against the intruders, the battle concluded with the victory of the American government.
The early Modoc tribe also suffered a great deal due to treaty-making with the American government. The Valentine’s Day treaty of 1864 stated, “You all agree to live on terms of friendship and peace with the white men, and the Negroes and Chinamen living under white men’s laws. They may pass in numbers of one or more through your country in pursuit of mines or on their business.” This treaty compelled the Modoc to open up their land for exploration by other settlers, without specifying reciprocal obligations for the settlers. Ultimately, the Modoc tribe resisted the American government but was defeated, leading to the capture and hanging of many tribe members.
Those stories showed us a clear picture of the American government’s ambitions and its determination to take more resources and lands from the Indigenous people. This led to major resistance from the Indigenous group and ultimately resulted in bloodshed.