Fort Laramie Treaty

Definition

The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 was an agreement between the United States and several Native American tribes, aimed at establishing peace and defining territorial boundaries in the Great Plains. This treaty recognized tribal sovereignty over designated lands while allowing for safe passage of settlers and the construction of roads and forts. However, the treaty's terms were frequently violated, leading to conflicts and further dispossession of Native American lands.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Fort Laramie Treaty was signed on September 17, 1851, and involved tribes like the Lakota Sioux, Arapaho, and Cheyenne.
2. The treaty aimed to ensure peace between the U.S. government and Native American tribes while also allowing for westward expansion by settlers.
3. Despite its intentions, the treaty was largely ignored by U.S. officials and settlers, leading to a pattern of broken promises and escalating tensions.
4. The treaty's recognition of tribal lands did not prevent subsequent treaties and policies that further eroded Native American land ownership.
5. The Fort Laramie Treaty laid the groundwork for future treaties and negotiations but ultimately demonstrated the challenges of maintaining Native American sovereignty in the face of U.S. expansionism.

Review Questions

• How did the Fort Laramie Treaty reflect the broader goals of U.S. expansionism during the mid-19th century?
  • The Fort Laramie Treaty was a crucial element in the U.S. government's strategy to facilitate westward expansion while attempting to appease Native American tribes. By establishing territorial boundaries for tribes and ensuring safe passage for settlers, the treaty served as a means to legitimize settlement efforts. However, its failure to uphold tribal sovereignty highlighted the conflict between expansionist ambitions and respect for Native rights.
• Discuss the impact of broken treaties, including the Fort Laramie Treaty, on Native American communities in subsequent decades.
  • The consistent violation of treaties like the Fort Laramie Treaty significantly undermined Native American communities' ability to maintain their land and cultural practices. As the U.S. government continued to disregard treaty agreements, tribes faced increased encroachment on their territories, leading to loss of resources and traditional ways of life. This set a precedent for systemic injustices that would affect generations of Native Americans as policies shifted towards forced removal and assimilation.
• Evaluate how the Fort Laramie Treaty serves as an example of Indigenous resistance within the broader context of global Indigenous movements.
  • The Fort Laramie Treaty represents a historical moment where Indigenous nations attempted to assert their rights through formal agreements with colonial powers. This effort illustrates a form of resistance against dispossession that resonates with contemporary global Indigenous movements advocating for self-determination and recognition of land rights. The legacy of broken treaties has fueled ongoing activism among Indigenous peoples worldwide, as they seek justice for past injustices and strive to protect their sovereignty in modern contexts.

Related terms

Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868): An important follow-up treaty that aimed to address the failures of the 1851 treaty, it established the Great Sioux Reservation and sought to protect Native American rights amid growing white encroachment.

Sovereignty: The authority of a state to govern itself or another state, which in this context refers to the rights and self-determination of Native American tribes over their territories.

Indian Removal Act:

A U.S. law passed in 1830 that facilitated the forced relocation of Native American tribes from their ancestral homelands to designated Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.