Two Cents Worth

The Sioux Uprising of 1862 will long be thought of as one of the most controversial episodes in United States history. Between 1851 and 1858, the Sioux agreed to several treaties promising cash payments and annuities over a period of 50 years in exchange for 24 million acres of land. But as these treaties “fleshed” themselves out, these provisions were paid directly to white traders who, in turn, supplied the Sioux with goods. In the final analysis, the Sioux were receiving much less than they had anticipated.