During America’s westward expansion in the nineteenth century, settlers claimed land in the western territories according to American law. The Native Americans who inhabited those lands understandably resisted this encroachment. However, the U.S. government sought to avoid outright warfare with the Plains tribes, employing delaying tactics instead. It repeatedly signed treaties with these tribes and broke them, preventing a strong, unified resistance from forming among the Plains tribes.

The tribes were eventually pushed onto reservations managed by the U.S. government. On these reservations, Native Americans were required to speak and dress like Americans and adopt Christianity. Poor farming conditions forced many to rely primarily on government-supplied rations. In response to these harsh living conditions, an ancient ritual known as the Ghost Dance gained popularity throughout the reservations.

Although the Ghost Dance was generally a peaceful practice, some U.S. officials interpreted it as a sign of a militant organization intent on the destruction of the United States. This led to a military crackdown on the practice, which incited a resistance movement in the reservations led by the Lakota chief Sitting Bull. An attempt by the U.S. military to arrest him resulted in him and several others being shot. This incident prompted many men in the reservations to band together to defend against a looming U.S. attack.

Tensions were high when the U.S. 7th Cavalry arrived at Wounded Knee Creek. The soldiers searched for weapons that were perceived as highly intrusive, leading to a Ghost Dance being performed in protest. In the ensuing confrontations, U.S. soldiers opened fire indiscriminately, killing both Native American fighters and groups of women and children. More than 200 people were killed, and with this tragedy, the Ghost Dance movement and resistance to the U.S. government effectively came to an end.