---
title: "Wounded Knee | US History 1865 To Present"
description: "Wounded Knee names the 1890 massacre and the 1973 AIM occupation, showing Native American resistance, treaty संघर्ष, and sovereignty in U.S. history."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/united-states-history-since-1865/key-terms/wounded-knee"
type: "key-term"
subject: "US History – 1865 to Present"
unit: "Unit 9"
---

# Wounded Knee | US History 1865 To Present

## Definition

Wounded Knee is the South Dakota site of the 1890 massacre of Lakota Sioux and the 1973 American Indian Movement occupation. In U.S. History since 1865, it marks both the end of the Indian Wars and the rise of Native activism.

## What It Is

Wounded Knee is a major historical site in U.S. History since 1865 because it connects the violent closing of the frontier era with the later Native American rights movement. The term usually points to two events: the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre and the 1973 Wounded Knee Incident.

The 1890 massacre happened on December 29, when U.S. soldiers killed around 300 Lakota Sioux, including women and children. It is usually taught as one of the most brutal episodes in U.S. history and as a symbol of how federal power was used to crush Native resistance. In many histories of the American West, it is treated as the tragic end point of the Indian Wars.

That first event matters because it shows what federal policy looked like when the government pushed Native peoples onto reservations, broke up tribal life, and responded to cultural and political resistance with force. Wounded Knee is also tied to the fear that surrounded Native religious and political movements in the late 1800s, including the Ghost Dance, which white officials and soldiers often misunderstood as a threat.

The second Wounded Knee event happened in February 1973, when members of the American Indian Movement occupied the town to protest federal policies toward Native Americans. They were drawing attention to poverty, broken treaty promises, and the lack of respect for Native sovereignty. This occupation lasted 71 days and received national media coverage.

Because of those two events, Wounded Knee shows up in U.S. History as both an ending and a continuation. The 1890 massacre represents the violent suppression of Native life, while the 1973 standoff shows that Native activism did not disappear after the frontier closed. Instead, it reappeared in a new form, using protest, publicity, and political pressure to demand rights and recognition.

When you see Wounded Knee in a chapter on post-Civil War America, think about more than one tragedy. Think about the long struggle over land, sovereignty, cultural survival, and the federal government’s power over Native communities.

## Why It Matters

Wounded Knee matters because it is a clean way to connect two big themes in U.S. History since 1865: expansion and resistance. The 1890 massacre helps explain how the federal government completed its conquest of Native land and then tried to control Native people through military force, reservations, and assimilation.

The 1973 occupation shows that Native activism did not end after the Indian Wars. It belongs in the same broader story as other rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s, where marginalized groups used protests, public attention, and legal claims to challenge discrimination. Wounded Knee makes that connection especially clear for Native American history.

It also helps you read later federal policy more carefully. When the class gets to Native activism, treaty rights, or self-determination, Wounded Knee is a reminder that those debates grew out of a long history of broken promises and violence, not just recent activism.

If you are writing about civil rights after 1945, Wounded Knee is useful because it broadens the movement beyond Black freedom struggles. It shows that the postwar era also included Native demands for sovereignty, land, and respect for tribal nations.

## Connections

### Ghost Dance

The Ghost Dance is closely tied to the tension that led into the 1890 massacre. Native spiritual renewal movements like the Ghost Dance frightened U.S. officials, who often treated them as signs of rebellion instead of religious expression. When you connect the two terms, you see how misunderstanding Native culture helped justify violence at Wounded Knee.

### American Indian Movement (AIM)

AIM was the group that occupied Wounded Knee in 1973. The connection matters because it shows Native activism in the modern civil rights era, not just in the 1800s. AIM used occupation, protest, and media coverage to push issues like treaty rights, poverty, and government neglect into the national spotlight.

### Indian Self-Determination Act

The Indian Self-Determination Act fits with the same larger push for Native control over Native affairs. Wounded Knee shows why self-determination became such a powerful goal, since federal policies had so often been paternalistic or violent. The term helps you connect protest movements with later policy changes.

### [American Indian Religious Freedom Act](/united-states-history-since-1865/key-terms/american-indian-religious-freedom-act)

This law reflects the same struggle over Native rights and cultural survival that Wounded Knee symbolizes. After generations of suppression, Native activists pushed for the freedom to practice traditions without federal interference. The comparison helps you see that Wounded Knee was not only about land, but also about culture and sovereignty.

## On the AP Exam

A short-answer question or document prompt might use Wounded Knee to test whether you can connect Native resistance across time. You might identify the 1890 massacre as evidence of federal violence on the frontier, then explain how the 1973 occupation showed a new phase of Native activism. In an essay, you could use it to support a paragraph on the failures of assimilation policies or the rise of rights movements after the 1960s.

If a source mentions the Ghost Dance, reservations, or AIM, Wounded Knee is often the historical anchor you should name. The best move is to explain both events separately and then connect them to the bigger pattern of Native sovereignty and government power.

## Key Takeaways

- Wounded Knee refers to two major Native American history events at the same South Dakota site, the 1890 massacre and the 1973 occupation.
- The 1890 massacre is usually taught as one of the most brutal episodes in U.S. history and as a symbol of the end of the Indian Wars.
- The 1973 Wounded Knee Incident shows that Native activism continued in the civil rights era through protest and occupation.
- The term connects federal violence, broken treaties, and Native demands for sovereignty in one historical place.
- If you are writing about Native rights in U.S. History since 1865, Wounded Knee is a strong example of both oppression and resistance.

## FAQs

### What is Wounded Knee in US History 1865 to Present?

Wounded Knee is the site in South Dakota where two major Native American history events took place, the 1890 massacre of Lakota Sioux and the 1973 AIM occupation. In this course, it stands for both the end of the Indian Wars and the later fight for Native sovereignty and rights.

### Was Wounded Knee a massacre or a protest?

It was both, depending on which event you mean. The 1890 event was a massacre carried out by U.S. soldiers, while the 1973 event was a protest occupation by members of the American Indian Movement. The shared name helps show how the same place became a symbol of both suffering and resistance.

### How is Wounded Knee connected to AIM?

AIM, or the American Indian Movement, occupied Wounded Knee in 1973 to protest federal treatment of Native peoples. They used the site to draw attention to treaty violations, poverty, and the demand for self-determination. That makes Wounded Knee one of the best-known moments in modern Native activism.

### Why do teachers connect Wounded Knee to the Ghost Dance?

The Ghost Dance is often linked to the 1890 massacre because federal officials and soldiers saw Native spiritual revival as a threat. That fear helped create the tense setting around Wounded Knee. The connection shows how culture, religion, and government power collided in the late 1800s.

## Related Study Guides

- [9.4 Other Rights Movements (Women, Latinos, Native Americans)](/united-states-history-since-1865/unit-9/rights-movements-women-latinos-native-americans/study-guide/nOIj1WIwEXYt2aQX)

## 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`)
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