The Sand Creek Massacre

In November of 1864, a band comprised primarily of Cheyenne and Arapaho native Americans arrived at Fort Lyon, Colorado seeking peace negotiations. They were told to make camp near the fort and that they would be treated peacefully. The group set up camp at nearby Sand Creek. On the morning of November 29, 1864, a group of soldiers, led by U.S. Army Colonel John Chivington, attacked the camp. This event would later become known as "The Sand Creek Massacre."

Three years earlier, on February 18, 1861, the United States had signed the Treaty of Fort Wise with four chiefs of the Southern Cheyenne and four chiefs from the Arapaho. This treaty was meant to replace the Treaty of Fort Laramie (signed in 1851) which had given the land between the North Platte and Arkansas Rivers as well as the land through the Rockies into western Kansas to the two tribes. Gold had been found in the Rockies and the U.S. government wished to get most of the land back from these tribes so that settlers could mine in the area.  Read more of this article.  Image Source