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General Armstrong Custer's Last Stand

503 Words3 Pages

Ripped from the fabric of American history, the truth of the Old West is far darker and less heroic than depicted when the fresh wounds from the American Civil War were still fresh and the expansion of the railroads encroached on the eroding territory of Native Americans in the name of “progress” and manifest destiny. The slaughtering grounds of Little Bighorn where General Armstrong Custer valiantly fought to the last man deflates into an ignorant move that Lakota warriors, led by Crazy Horse of the Lakota tribe, took advantage of to fight assimilation in the form of constricting reservations. The lawless land of the West where notorious criminals robbed banks and trains, while the heroic sheriffs ignited …show more content…

Set in the backdrop of the Great Sioux War of 1876, the battle was led by Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull against the might of the American 7th Calvary, who suffered through terrible living conditions while on the Great Plains. As the documentary illustrated, Major Reno’s charge, which was made without the knowledge of the size of the Native American village, ignited the blood bath that ensued when the Lakota resisted fleeing and fought the men. Soon, the other Calvary forces charged into the trap that decimated the men and proved a major defeat, but the victory was short lived as these tribes, already weakened by the destruction of the buffalo, were corralled into reservations. In the aftermath of the slaughter, the media enhanced the arrogant actions of General Custer as a golden example of sacrifice in films and paintings, while highlighting the savage conduct of the Native Americans even though they were defensing their territory. The lawless landscape that emerged in the western towns from the lifeline of railroads were dominated by infamous outlaws within James-Younger gang that was pursued by Pinkertons, whose sole purpose was to bring an end to their disruptive robbing spree. As the film, Long Riders, revealed how reckless their actions had been, with the death a 15 year old kid. The film gave light on how Jessie James was far from an embodiment of Robin Hood, as the gang spent most of the money on alcohol or women of the night. This gang also held deep resentment against

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