For much of the 19th century, the US government pursued a policy of assimilation towards Native Americans. This policy aimed to forcibly integrate Native Americans into white American society by suppressing their culture and religion and encouraging them to adopt the ways of life of the dominant white majority. The Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the Battle at Wounded Knee in 1890 are two of the most well-known examples of this policy in action.
Sand Creek Massacre
In November 1864, a group of Colorado militia under the command of Colonel John Chivington attacked a peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho village on Sand Creek in present-day Colorado. The militiamen killed over 150 men, women, and children, many of whom were scalped and mutilated. The massacre sparked outrage across the country and led to an investigation by Congress, which found that Chivington and his men had committed a "wanton massacre" of innocent civilians.
Battle at Wounded Knee
In December 1890, a group of Sioux Indians led by Chief Sitting Bull and Big Foot were massacred by US troops at Wounded Knee Creek in present-day South Dakota. The Sioux had been resisting the US government's efforts to force them onto reservations and had recently been involved in a series of skirmishes with the US military. The massacre at Wounded Knee was the culmination of these tensions and resulted in the deaths of over 300 Sioux men, women, and children.
The Sand Creek Massacre and the Battle at Wounded Knee are two of the most well-known examples of the US government's policy of assimilation towards Native Americans. These events were characterized by violence, brutality, and the loss of innocent lives, and they had a lasting impact on the relationship between the US government and Native American tribes.