The purpose of the Fort Laramie Treaty with the Sioux, specifically the 1851 treaty (also known as the Horse Creek Treaty), was primarily to legalize emigrant passage through Native American lands and to minimize violence and disruption caused by intertribal conflicts and conflicts between Native Americans and white settlers. The treaty aimed to establish lasting peace among the Plains tribes themselves and between the tribes and the United States. It allowed the U.S. government to build roads and military posts through Native lands for protection and resupply, while the tribes agreed to peaceful relations and abstaining from hostilities against each other and settlers. The treaty also attempted to delineate territorial boundaries for the tribes, though these boundaries were often ignored later on
. The later Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 had a related but distinct purpose: it was intended to end Red Cloud's War and establish the Great Sioux Reservation, including ownership of the Black Hills, guaranteeing the Sioux sovereignty over this territory. It sought to bring peace by requiring the Sioux to settle on the reservation, adopt agriculture, send their children to school, and refrain from hostilities against settlers and the U.S. military. In return, the U.S. promised to respect the reservation boundaries and protect Sioux lands from encroachment. This treaty marked a significant moment in Sioux-U.S. relations, reflecting both a recognition of Sioux power and an imposition of U.S. policies aimed at assimilating the tribes into a settled agricultural lifestyle
. In summary, the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 aimed to ensure safe passage for settlers and peace among tribes, while the 1868 treaty aimed to secure peace by creating a defined Sioux reservation and ending armed conflict, with conditions that significantly altered Sioux traditional life.
