--- title: "Great Sioux War | Native American Studies" description: "Great Sioux War is the 1876 to 1877 conflict over the Black Hills, U.S. treaty violations, and Lakota resistance in Native American Studies." canonical: "https://fiveable.me/hs-native-american-studies/key-terms/great-sioux-war" type: "key-term" subject: "Native American Studies" unit: "Unit 6" --- # Great Sioux War | Native American Studies ## Definition The Great Sioux War was the 1876 to 1877 conflict between the U.S. Army and Lakota and allied Native nations over treaty violations and control of the Black Hills. In Native American Studies, it shows how land loss, sovereignty, and resistance collided. ## What It Is The Great Sioux War is the name Native American Studies uses for the 1876 to 1877 conflict between the United States and Lakota-led Native resistance over the Black Hills and other treaty lands. You may also see it called the Black Hills War. It is not just a battle story, it is a case study in how U.S. expansion broke treaties and pushed Native nations into armed defense of their homelands. The immediate cause was the discovery of gold in the Black Hills after the 1874 Custer expedition. The Black Hills were protected under the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), but miners and settlers moved in anyway, backed by federal pressure and a government that wanted the land more than it wanted to honor the treaty. That pattern matters in Native American Studies because the war is tied to sovereignty, not just military conflict. Lakota leaders and allies responded in different ways, but figures like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse became central to the resistance. Sitting Bull helped inspire unity and strategy, while Crazy Horse led in battle. Their actions show that Native resistance was organized, intelligent, and rooted in protecting a way of life, not just reacting to violence. The Battle of Little Bighorn, often called Custer's Last Stand, became the best-known event in the war because Native forces defeated U.S. troops there. The U.S. response after the war is just as important as the battles themselves. Rather than respecting Native victory or treaty rights, the government increased pressure, seized more land, and forced further confinement onto reservations. So when you study the Great Sioux War, you are really studying a turning point where military resistance, treaty conflict, and federal expansion all collide. This term also helps you read the larger history of the Northern Plains. It connects land, buffalo culture, mobility, and federal policy to one conflict that reshaped Lakota life. The war is a reminder that Native history is not passive background to U.S. history, it is a story of political struggle and survival. ## Why It Matters The Great Sioux War matters because it ties together several core Native American Studies themes at once: treaty rights, sovereignty, land use, and armed resistance. If you can explain this war clearly, you can explain how U.S. policy often moved from signed agreements to land seizure when Native land became economically valuable. It also gives you a concrete example of Native leadership. Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were not isolated figures, they represented broader tribal resistance to invasion and forced removal. That makes the war useful when you are comparing resistance leaders across the course, especially when the question is about how Native nations organized against colonial power. The war also shows how history is shaped by both victory and aftermath. Native forces won at Little Bighorn, but the U.S. still used the conflict to tighten control over the Plains. That gap between battlefield outcome and political outcome is a pattern you will see again in Native history, where military success did not always lead to secure land or lasting treaty protection. ## Connections ### Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868) This treaty is the legal backdrop for the Great Sioux War because it guaranteed the Black Hills to the Sioux. When gold was discovered and miners entered anyway, the conflict became about treaty violation as much as military power. If you connect the war to the treaty, you can explain why Native leaders framed their resistance as defense of promised land. ### Sitting Bull Sitting Bull is one of the clearest leadership figures connected to the war. He is remembered for bringing spiritual authority and political unity to the resistance, especially as U.S. pressure increased. In class discussions, he often shows up as an example of leadership that worked through coalition building, not just battlefield command. ### [Crazy Horse](/hs-native-american-studies/key-terms/crazy-horse) Crazy Horse is closely linked to Native military success during the Great Sioux War, especially at Little Bighorn. He represents the tactical side of resistance, where mobility, knowledge of terrain, and coordination mattered. When you compare him to Sitting Bull, you can see that resistance movements often need both vision and battlefield leadership. ### [Custer's Last Stand](/hs-native-american-studies/key-terms/custers-last-stand) This phrase points to the Battle of Little Bighorn, the most famous battle in the war. It is a useful connection because the name often reflects a U.S. viewpoint, while Native Studies places more emphasis on Native strategy and survival. That contrast helps you read language critically, not just memorize event names. ## On the AP Exam A quiz or short-answer question might ask you to identify the Great Sioux War and explain why it happened. The best answer usually connects three pieces: the Black Hills, the 1868 treaty, and the U.S. push for gold and land. If the prompt names Sitting Bull or Crazy Horse, you should link those leaders to resistance, not just list them as famous people. In an essay or discussion, you might use the war as evidence that U.S. expansion often depended on treaty breaking and military force. If you are given a timeline or map, place it in the 1876 to 1877 period and connect it to the larger pattern of reservation confinement after the war. ## Great Sioux War vs Black Hawk War The Great Sioux War and the Black Hawk War are both Native resistance conflicts, but they happened in different regions and times. The Black Hawk War took place earlier in the Midwest, while the Great Sioux War focused on the Black Hills and Lakota resistance in the 1870s. If a question mentions Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, or Little Bighorn, it is the Great Sioux War. ## Key Takeaways - The Great Sioux War was a conflict over treaty land, especially the Black Hills, after gold discoveries brought U.S. settlers into protected Native territory. - In Native American Studies, the war is a clear example of how sovereignty, land rights, and U.S. expansion came into direct conflict. - Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse are central because they show different forms of Native leadership, including coalition building and military resistance. - The Battle of Little Bighorn was a Native victory, but the U.S. still used the war to increase control over Sioux land afterward. - This term helps you trace a bigger pattern in U.S. history, treaty promises were often ignored when Native land became economically valuable. ## FAQs ### What is the Great Sioux War in Native American Studies? The Great Sioux War was the 1876 to 1877 conflict between the U.S. Army and Lakota-led Native resistance over the Black Hills and treaty violations. In Native American Studies, it is studied as a major example of sovereignty being challenged by U.S. expansion. It also shows how Native leaders organized to defend land and lifeways. ### Why is the Great Sioux War called the Black Hills War? It is called the Black Hills War because the Black Hills were the center of the conflict. The U.S. wanted access to the land after gold was discovered there, even though it had been guaranteed to the Sioux by treaty. That land dispute is the heart of the war. ### How are Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse connected to the Great Sioux War? Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were key Native leaders during the conflict. Sitting Bull helped inspire and organize resistance, while Crazy Horse is strongly associated with military leadership and the victory at Little Bighorn. Together, they show how Native resistance included both strategy and battlefield action. ### What happened after the Great Sioux War? After the war, the U.S. government did not restore Native control over the Black Hills. Instead, it intensified pressure on the Sioux, broke treaties further, and expanded reservation confinement. That aftermath is one reason the war matters so much in Native American Studies. ## Related Study Guides - [6.3 Key leaders and their roles in resistance movements](/hs-native-american-studies/unit-6/key-leaders-roles-resistance-movements/study-guide/tiYhWbRmPEGR0Em8) ## About This Document Canonical Fiveable pages are available as Markdown at the same path plus `.md`. - [llms.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms.txt): index of Fiveable's sections and URL patterns - [llms-full.txt](https://fiveable.me/llms-full.txt): complete subject and unit listing - [MCP server](https://fiveable.me/mcp): call Fiveable as tools instead of fetching pages (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp`) - [MCP server for AP teachers](https://fiveable.me/mcp/teachers): a teacher's classes, assignments and AP-rubric grading (`https://fiveable.me/api/mcp/teacher`) ## Structured Data ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"LearningResource","@id":"https://fiveable.me/hs-native-american-studies/key-terms/great-sioux-war#resource","name":"Great Sioux War | Native American Studies","url":"https://fiveable.me/hs-native-american-studies/key-terms/great-sioux-war","learningResourceType":"Concept explainer","educationalLevel":"AP® / High School","about":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/hs-native-american-studies/key-terms/great-sioux-war#term"},"audience":{"@type":"EducationalAudience","educationalRole":"student"},"dateModified":"2026-07-03T02:22:09.190Z","isPartOf":{"@type":"Collection","name":"Native American Studies Key Terms","url":"https://fiveable.me/hs-native-american-studies/key-terms"},"author":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://fiveable.me/editorial#content-team","name":"Fiveable Content Team","url":"https://fiveable.me/editorial","parentOrganization":{"@id":"https://fiveable.me/#organization"},"member":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Amanda DoAmaral","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/adoamaral"]},{"@type":"Person","name":"Becky Bahr","sameAs":["https://www.linkedin.com/in/becky-bahr-b52743132"]}]},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Fiveable","url":"https://fiveable.me"}},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","@id":"https://fiveable.me/hs-native-american-studies/key-terms/great-sioux-war#term","name":"Great Sioux War","description":"The Great Sioux War was the 1876 to 1877 conflict between the U.S. Army and Lakota and allied Native nations over treaty violations and control of the Black Hills. 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