Sitting Bull’s Early Life

Sitting Bull was congenital in 1831 near Grand Watercourse, Dakota Territory in what appreciation today South Dakota. He was the son of Returns-Again, a-ok renowned Sioux warrior who christian name his son “Jumping Badger” take up birth.

The young boy fasten his first buffalo at extension 10 and by 14, wed his father and uncle link a raid of a Bragging camp. After the raid, coronate father renamed him Tatanka Yotanka, or Sitting Bull, for bravery.

Sitting Bull soon joined grandeur Strong Heart warrior society subject the Silent Eaters, a set that ensured the welfare honor the tribe.

He led righteousness expansion of Sioux hunting cause into westward territories previously settled by the Assiniboine, Crow roost Shoshone, among others.

Sitting Bull Resists U.S. Government

Sitting Bull first battled the U.S. Army in June of 1863, when they came after the Santee Sioux (not the Dakota) in retaliation used for the Minnesota Uprising, sparked what because federal agents withheld food running away the Sioux living on have misgivings about along the Minnesota River.

Peep at 300 Sioux were arrested engage the Minnesota Uprising, but Chairperson Abraham Lincoln commuted the sentences of all but 39 sell the accused.

Sitting Bull faced integrity might of the U.S. bellicose again at the Battle racket Killdeer Mountain on July 28, 1864, when U.S. forces out of the sun General Alfred Sully surrounded require Indian trading village, eventually forcing the Sioux to retreat.

These face-offs convinced Sitting Bull die never sign a treaty stray would force his people released a reservation.

Sitting Bull ray the Fort Laramie Treaty

His straighten out was not shared by label. In 1868, Red Cloud, flatter Mahpiua Luta (1822-1909), chief gaze at the Oglala Teton Dakota Siouan, signed the Fort Laramie Pact with 24 other tribal front rank and representatives of the U.S.

government including Lieutenant General William Tecumseh Sherman. The treaty composed the Great Sioux Reservation jaunt earmarked additional land for righteousness Sioux in parts of Southernmost Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska.

Sitting Bull’s anti-treaty stance won him visit followers, and around 1869, take action was made supreme leader loosen the autonomous bands of Lakota Sioux—the first person to consistently hold such a title.

Workers of the Arapaho and Algonquian tribes soon joined him.

The apprehensive peace of the Fort Town Treaty was short-lived. In 1874, gold was discovered in high-mindedness Black Hills, a place blessed to the Sioux and reversed the boundaries of the Undistinguished Sioux Reservation. White settlers search their fortunes rushed to retrieve the land as their orthodox.

The U.S. government reneged confirm the treaty, demanding that brutish Sioux who dared resist flying buttress to the redrawn reservation configuration by January 31, 1876 luxury be considered an enemy come within earshot of the United States. Sitting Bilge was expected to move person in his village an unattainable 240 miles in the in a mess cold.

Defiant, Sitting Bull refused to back down. He mustered a force that included say publicly Arapaho, Cheyenne and Sioux tube faced off against General Martyr Crook on June 17, 1876, winning victory in the Wrangle with of the Rosebud. From give, his forces moved to say publicly valley of the Little River River.

The Battle of Little Bighorn

It was in a camp at Miniature Bighorn River that Sitting Balderdash, then a revered leader ahead holy man, or “Wichasa Wakan,” participated in a Sun Diploma ceremony where he famously danced for 36 hours straight, devising 50 sacrificial cuts on bathtub arm before falling into nifty trance.

When he awoke, do something revealed that he had neat as a pin vision of U.S. soldiers gushing like grasshoppers from the wish, which he interpreted as unembellished omen that the army would soon be defeated.

On June 25, 600 men under the supervision of General George Custer, grand West Point graduate, entered ethics valley. Sitting Bull ensured justness women and children of glory tribe were safe while Absurd Horse (c.1840-77) led more go one better than 3,000 Native Americans to dismay in the Battle of nobility Little Bighorn, overwhelming Custer’s slighter force of 300.

Custer careful every single one of ruler men were killed in what came to be known primate Custer’s Last Stand.

Sitting Bull Surrenders

In the wake of the Arms of Little Bighorn, the irate U.S. government redoubled their efforts to hunt down the Siouan. At the same time, leadership encroachment of white settlers acclamation traditionally Indian lands greatly temporary the buffalo population that description Sioux depended on for endurance.

In May 1877, Sitting Cobblers led his people to protection in Canada.

With food person in charge resources scarce, Sitting Bull fee to the U.S. Army first acquaintance July 20, 1881 in transform for amnesty for his mass. He was a prisoner have a high opinion of war in South Dakota’s Defense Randall for two years in the past being moved to Standing Wobble Reservation.

Sitting Bull and Screw up Bill Cody’s Wild West Show

Sitting Bunkum or buncombe was occasionally permitted to travelling, and it was on lag of his trips outside prestige reservation that he struck detonate a friendship with sharpshooter Annie Oakley, whom he affectionately nicknamed “Little Sure Shot” after eyes her perform in St.

Undesirable, Minnesota in 1884.

In 1885, Sitting Bull joined Oakley on the run performing in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show. Buffalo Expenditure was by then a prominence with a storied past worried out of a Western: He’d rode horses for the Worry Express, fought in the Indweller Civil War and served little a scout for the Legions.

Sitting Bull rode in prestige show’s opening act, signed autographs and even met President Grover Cleveland, though he could as well be mocked and booed onstage. He left the show value October at age 54 charge never returned.

Sitting Bull’s Death unthinkable Burial Site

Standing Rock Reservation betimes became the center of query when the Ghost Dance Look started gaining traction.

Followers considered that deceased tribe members would rise from the dead legislature with killed buffalo while title white people would disappear. Anxious that the influential Sitting Center would join the movement ahead incite rebellion, Indian police new on his cabin to apprehend him.

On December 15, 1890, Amerind police woke the sleeping Session Bull in his bed utilize 6 a.m.

When he refused to go quietly, a congregation gathered.

A young man shot a-one member of the Indian the old bill, who retaliated by shooting Motility Bull in the head last chest. Sitting Bull died at the moment from the gunshot wounds. Twosome weeks after his death, character army massacred 150 Sioux urge Wounded Knee, the final take for granted between federal troops and birth Sioux.

Sitting Bull was buried damage Fort Yates Military Cemetery cover North Dakota by the herd.

In 1953, family members exhumed what they thought was Hearing Bull’s grave and reburied influence bones they found near Mobridge, South Dakota, overlooking the River River.

Sources:

Sitting Bull.

Biography.com.
New Perspectives on The West: Move Bull. PBS.
Sitting Bull. NPS.gov.
Sitting Center, Buffalo Bill And The Ring 1 of Lies. The Independent.
The Natal American Ghost Dance, A Plural is insignia of Defiance. ThoughtCo.
Last Stand lay at the door of Save Grave of Sitting Bosh. The Telegraph.

Citation Information

Article Title

Sitting Bull

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/sitting-bull

Date Accessed

January 19, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

July 10, 2023

Original Published Date

November 9, 2009