GCSE History (OCR A)

The American West Topic Summaries

Early settlement (1835–1861)

The First Fort Laramie Treaty (1851)

  • The Fort Laramie Treaty was set up in an attempt to suppress the tension and conflicts over land and resources. It recognised Plains Indian territories and set out terms for both the Native Indians and the government to adhere to.

Native Indians would: The US government would:
  • Allow migrants to travel through their land safely with the US army keeping the treaty.
  • Build roads by the US government.
  • Pay compensation if anyone broke the treaty terms.
  • Stick to tribal territories assigned.
  • Protect Indians from white Americans, including migrants attempting to settle on the plain.
  • Pay Indians an annuity of $50,000 worth of goods for 50 years.

  • As a consequence of the Treaty, territories set for Native Indians led to reservations, meaning Natives were limited to one area. This meant a loss of independence and way of life.
  • Not all Native Americans understood the terms of the treaty due to poor or inadequate translation into different tribal languages.
  • Ultimately, neither party followed the terms of the treaty.

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