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Interesting US History
A Website Devoted to Interesting Events in U.S. History

 

 
 

 

ON THIS DAY IN UNITED STATES HISTORY

December 29, 1890

U.S. Forces Kill More Than 200 Lakota Indians
in the Wounded Knee Massacre

On this day in 1890, 500 U.S. troops surround and kill over 200 Lakota Indians in what has become known as the Wounded Knee Massacre.

The Lakota are a Native American tribe made up of seven related Sioux tribes that migrated from the Great Lakes regions to North and South Dakota due to the encroachment of the European settlers.

The initial mission of the Army troops was to escort them to to the railroad for transport to Omaha, Nebraska, however tensions escalated when a deaf tribesman refused to give up his weapon. In the chaos that followed, more than 200 men, women, and children of the Lakota Sioux were dead along with several of the Army troops.