History

Name:
Course:
Tutor:
Date:
The defeat of the Indians
Sitting Bull led the Sioux tribes in battle against the whites in a bid to protect their land against the U.S. government. Sitting Bull was visionary, stubborn, and determined. He led a strong army which consisted of warriors from numerous tribes that defeated the federal authority troops. Sitting Bull was fighting against reservation. His army was eventually defeated, and he sought refuge in Canada as his fellow tribesmen were concentrated in reservation camps (Utley, 30). In contrast, Red Cloud adopted a less aggressive approach compared to Sitting Bull. Red Cloud led a group of tribes that accepted to be put in concentration camps. Each of the two leaders was right in their own understanding. Of the two, Red Cloud made the wiser decision. The Indians were under pressure due to the superior weaponry that the conquerors possessed and lack of farming land, which resulted in starvation. The Indians would have gathered more troops under reservation compared to when they were openly fighting the conquerors, as it only resulted in Indian defeat and mass deaths. The main interests of the Americans were expanse farms and mining sites. Sitting Bull’s people were defeated and turned to religion.
The Dance Ghost Religion was a religious movement that gained followers from numerous Indian tribes. The religious movement was in response to the cruelty that the indigenous people suffered in the hands of the conquerors (Utley, 43). The movement was based on the idea that the conquerors would be removed from their land (Utley, 40).

The federal government responded by killing influential leaders such as Sitting Bull which led to more fights and death. I agree with Utley’s conclusion that the defeat happened due to reasons that he could not control. The government had superior forces. The Indians had already encountered so much death by the time the movement was formed, they were living in reservations, to the extent that they were defeated in every aspect. The defeat was unavoidable.
Work Cited
Utley, Robert M. “Sitting bull and the Sioux Resistance.” Mr Robs AP US History – Home, 1993, www.mrrobsapush.com/uploads/5/5/8/6/55860327/utley_-_sitting_bull.pdf.