Dakota Datebook

As settlers and prospectors moved into Dakota Territory, conflicts increased between the newcomers and the people who had long called the Great Plains home. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 was an attempt to reduce that conflict and allow for free passage through Native American lands. The treaty established territory for the exclusive use of different tribes. Unfortunately, the terms began to unravel almost immediately. The United States lacked the resources to stop the flow of prospectors and settlers.