"1864 Sand Creek Massacre: History and Impact" Topic

"The Sand Creek Massacre was a violent incident in late 1864 in which volunteer cavalry soldiers, commanded by a fanatical hater of Native Americans, rode up to a camp and murdered more than 150 Cheyennes who had been assured of their safety. The incident was denounced at the time, though the perpetrators of the massacre escaped any serious punishment.

To most Americans, the massacre in a remote corner of Colorado was overshadowed by the ongoing carnage of the Civil War. However, on the western frontier the killings at Sand Creek resonated, and the massacre has gone down in history as a notorious act of genocide against Native Americans…!

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Armand

Years back I went to a western history conference in Colorado. A speaker there claimed it wasn't a massacre and that the Cheyennes had dug defensive pits and were warlike.
Right.

"some of the Cheyenne seemed intent on avenging their leader"

Hardly "seemed" They were enraged.

There had been growing conflict on the central plains since the spring of 1864, with militant bands of Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa and Lakota harrying settlers and trans-plains communications, and troops, following a "shoot to kill policy,' making indiscriminate attacks which culminated in the killing of Lean Bear, a prominent 'peace chief.' Anger at his death fuelled the flames further. Indian attacks increased on the Smoky Hill and Platte river trails Outrage and fear among the white population around Denver at what were seen simply as the barbaric acts of savages created support for Chivington's own brand of barbarism, with no interest in distinguishing between peaceful Indian bands and the warrior bands intent on stemming white incursion into their territory.
Chivington is supposed to have exhorted his troops to kill both women and children, asserting that "Nits make lice."

Thanks.

Armand

The American Genocide of the Indians—Historical Facts and Real Evidence

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Armand

I would agree on the "cultural massacre" application.

"Physical massacre" is a stretch, in fact the Indian population in the U.S. doubled in population from the 1890 to the 1920 census.

Though characters live Chivington were devout extremists, others like Edward Wynkoop clearly were pro-Cheyenne in their outlook.

If there ever existed an official "genocide" order amongst the U.S. military, many officers never got the memo.