How Did The Ghost Dance War Affect The American Indian Culture

Freedom for American Indians meant something entirely different than it did for the majority of the white population of the United States during the 19th Century. For white Americans of the time, freedom meant being able to being able to own a piece of property from which one could make a living, support a family, and live a comfortable life. This was especially true of the white settlers that flooded the Midwest to claim land. The American Indian view of freedom was different. The plains Indians traveled nomadically across large swaths of land hunting buffalo. That seemed to be all that was wanted, very little changed until the United States started pushing westward

Different tribes reacted to Manifest Destiny in different ways. The Cherokee,

By this time the Cheyenne, Blackfoot and Apache tribes had joined the fight against the Army. Despite acquiring modern firearms, the Indians were vastly outmatched by the discipline, training and artillery of the United States army. One of the last engagements between the Indians and government was known as the Ghost Dance war. A religious movement swept the remaining Indian tribes, called the Ghost Dance by white settlers. It involved a circle dance which was believed to bring back the dead to live in peace with the American Indians as well as killing all the white people. This dance revitalized Indian fighting spirit and resulted in more battles between Indian and U.S. forces. The war effectively ended after what has become known as the Wounded Knee massacre.

During the winter of 1890, A Sioux tribe set up camp to turn over their weapons to U.S. troops. A scuffle broke out between a soldier and a Lakota named Black Coyote who was reluctant to turn over his rifle. This resulted in the Army firing into the crowd of Indians which killed 300 including many unarmed women and children. This massacre ended the conflict. Over the next decade, American Indians moved to various reservations around the

They barred African Americans from things such as voting, serving in the state militia or even testifying against white people in court. African Americans were required to sign labor contracts which kept many on the same plantation they had worked on as slaves. For many blacks, the end of freedom did not mean the beginning of freedom. The problems encountered by both American Indians and by African Americans were almost entirely created by white Americans. In the case of the Indians, the goal of the white government was to create more room for settlers. More land meant more business and more farms which would bolster the American economy. Not only that but many white American felt it was their duty to civilize the “savage” Indians. Many attempts were made to assimilate Indian children into American culture though special