Document 11: The Wounded Knee Massacre In 1890, the Lakota had fought all they could fight. The buffalo, the center of daily life for the Lakota (and other Plan Indians), had been hunted nearly to extinction. The U.S. government had broken countless treaties with Native American tribes and continued to restrict Indians onto smaller and smaller reservations. Sitting Bull, the great Lakota chief and holy man who had led the Plains Indians to victory in the Battle of Little Bighorn, had been killed in an attempt to arrest him. The weary Lakota surrender to U.S. troops in December of 1890. The U.S. troops took the Lakota to Wounded Knee Creek in modernday South Dakota, to make camp. Pictured, left: U.S. soldiers with the Hotchkiss guns used at Wounded Knee The next morning, U.S. troops ordered the Lakota to give up their rifles. A Lakota named Black Coyote refused to give up his gun (some accounts claim he was deaf and did not understand the order) and in his struggle with the soldier, the gun went off. Instantly, the Lakota and the soldiers began shooting. About half of the Lakota men were killed right away. Women and children fled, but soldiers followed them. By the end of the fight, about 300 Lakota men, women, and children lay dead in the snow. Bodies of women and children (even babies) were found as far as three miles from the camp. Wounded Knee marked the end of the bloody conflict between the army and the Plains Indians Pictured, above: Dead Lakota in the aftermath of the massacre Pictured, left: Mass burial of the Lakota victims of the massacre
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Document 11: The Wounded Knee Massacre
In 1890, the Lakota had fought all they couldfight. The buffalo, the center of daily life forthe Lakota (and other Plan Indians), hadbeen hunted nearly to extinction. The U.S.government had broken countless treatieswith Native American tribes and continuedto restrict Indians onto smaller and smallerreservations. Sitting Bull, the great Lakotachief and holy man who had led the PlainsIndians to victory in the Battle of LittleBighorn, had been killed in an attempt toarrest him. The weary Lakota surrender toU.S. troops in December of 1890. The U.S.troops took the Lakota to Wounded KneeCreek in modernday South Dakota, tomake camp.
Pictured, left: U.S. soldiers with the Hotchkiss gunsused at Wounded Knee
The next morning, U.S. troops ordered the Lakotato give up their rifles. A Lakota named Black Coyoterefused to give up his gun (some accounts claimhe was deaf and did not understand the order) andin his struggle with the soldier, the gun went off.Instantly, the Lakota and the soldiers beganshooting.
About half of the Lakota men were killed right away.Women and children fled, but soldiers followedthem. By the end of the fight, about 300 Lakotamen, women, and children lay dead in the snow.Bodies of women and children (even babies) werefound as far as three miles from the camp.
Wounded Knee marked the end of the bloodyconflict between the army and the Plains Indians
Pictured, above: Dead Lakota in the aftermath of the massacrePictured, left: Mass burial of the Lakota victims of the massacre
In Your Answer Packet...Document 11: The Wounded Knee Massacre
● On page 3 of your answer packet, answer Document 11 Questions:
○ What was the Wounded Knee Massacre?■ What happened? Who was involved?
○ Wounded Knee marked the end of _________?■ Fill in the blank
○ After analyzing Documents 611, what are your opinions regarding the relationsbetween the U.S. and Native Americans in the second half of the 19th century?Were the Indians justified in fighting back? Was the U.S. justified in taking landthey thought was theirs?
■ Write 34 sentences addressing each part of the question
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