Question

In 1868, the United States and the Lakota tribe signed the Treaty of Fort Laramie, which granted the Lakota ownership of the Black Hills in South Dakota and Wyoming. During the 1870s, many settlers moved into the area owned by the Lakota, disregarding the treaty. Why were the settlers so interested in this land?

Answer 1

The settlers violated the treaty because of the discovery of gold in Black Hills. With the discovery came a deluge of miners and settlers. President Grant was pressured to open the land to white settlers so he began to look for ways to seize the area. The military was ordered to ignore the whites who continued enter Black Hills illegally. The Grant Administration then branded the Lakota in Black Hills as "hostile" so that any future conflicts would be blamed on the Lakota people.

Answer 2

B.   An expedition led by George Custer discovered gold there.