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Fort Laramie Treaty
In the summer of 1851, the plains Indian tribes were summoned together by government officials so that the chiefs could smoke the peace pipe and sign a treaty with a representative of "The Great White Father". Never before had so many Native American Indians assembled to parley with the white man. It was perhaps history's most dramatic demonstration of the Plains tribes desire to live in peace with the whites.
The tribes had been invited to assemble at Fort Laramie, but a shortage of forage for their thousands of horses caused the parley to be moved to Morrill. Because some tribes had been at war for generations, most Indian camps were widely spaced to minimize contact. About 270 soldiers were present to help keep the peace. However, a spirit of friendliness prevailed. The agreement at the peace meeting is called the Treaty of Fort Laramie.
The native people were to promise that they would not attack whites traveling along the Great Platte River Highway. In return, the government promised to set up boundaries where each tribe could hunt freely on the north or south side of the Platte River. The government also promised to give the native people $50,000 in food and goods every year for fifty years. Neither the white people nor the native people kept the promises they made in the agreement.
Congratulations! You have become physically fit by jogging the distance of the Platte River across Nebraska and have become more knowledgeable of physical fitness concepts and the history of the Great Platte River Highway. We hope we can meet your class and perhaps celebrate this accomplishment together with all of you. Thank you for your participitation with us on this project.
Nebraska
Platte River History Jog
Fort
Atkinson
Fremont
Columbus
Central
City
Grand
Island
Kearney
Lexington
Cozad
Gothenburg
North
Platte
Ogallala
Oshkosh
Bridgeport
Scottsbluff
Morrill
Teacher
Information
References
