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First teaching 2024

First exams 2026

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The Fort Laramie Treaty, 1851 (Edexcel GCSE History)

Revision Note

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Natasha Smith

Written by: Natasha Smith

Reviewed by: Bridgette Barrett

How Important was the Fort Laramie Treaty? - Summary

The Fort Laramie Treaty aimed to establish peace and territorial boundaries between Indigenous tribes and the US federal government. This was vital for white settlers as they moved westward.

The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 was significant. It represented an attempt by the US government to ease tensions between white settlers and Indigenous peoples. It also recognised the territorial rights of Indigenous tribes. However, this was only achieved by placing tribes into reservations. This would become a serious issue when the US government made these reservations smaller.

The treaty failed to achieve its intended objectives. Warfare between tribes continued. White settlers continued to ignore Indigenous territories. They settled, farmed, hunted and built on tribal lands. White migrants also travelled on land well away from the Oregon Trail. The US government promised that the Army would prevent white settlers from doing these actions. In reality, the US Army did not intervene. As a result, conflict and tension between white settlers and Indigenous peoples remained an issue on the Plains.

Why was the Fort Laramie Treaty Passed?

  • By 1851, the tensions between white settlers and Indigenous peoples became dangerous

    • White settlers acted aggressively toward Indigenous peoples

    • There was increased competition for food and resources in the Plains

    • White settlers did not feel safe

Factors that Caused the Fort Laramie Treaty

A flowchart depicting events leading to the 1851 Fort Laramie Treaty, including pressures on food, migration, gold discovery, conflicts, and settlers' demands for protection.
A flow chart showing how the different factors caused the government to create the Fort Laramie Treaty

Problems with Creating the Fort Laramie Treaty

A flowchart detailing problems with creating the Fort Laramie Treaty, including issues with representing tribes, translation, identifying negotiators, and setting boundaries.
A concept map showing the difficulties that the US government faced when creating the Fort Laramie Treaty

The Terms of the Fort Laramie Treaty

Agreements made by the Indigenous peoples

Agreements made by the US government

To stop wars between tribes

To protect the Indigenous peoples and their land from the actions of white settlers

To not attack migrants travelling through their land

To allow railway companies to survey their land

To allow the government to build roads and places to station troops

To give each tribe an annuity of $50,000 for upholding the terms of the Fort Laramie Treaty

To pay compensation if any tribal members break the terms of the Fort Laramie Treaty

Examiner Tips and Tricks

The American West paper tests you on your specific knowledge of the period. Try to remember key aspects of the Fort Laramie treaty, for example, the annuity of $50,000. This will show the examiner that you have in-depth knowledge of the American West, a key assessment objective for this course.

The Significance and Issues of the Fort Laramie Treaty

Why was the Fort Laramie Treaty Significant?

  • The Fort Laramie Treaty:

    • Attempted to designate land for each tribe

      • This was the first step towards reservations

    • Insisted that the Indigenous peoples accept white settlers and government interference on their land

      • This went against the 'Permanent Indian Frontier', created in 1834

    • Made the Indigenous tribes more dependent on the US government

      • The tribes had to stick to the terms of the Fort Laramie Treaty to receive their annuity of food and products

      • The treaty terms did not allow the Indigenous peoples to travel outside of their land. This further restricted their ability to find food and resources

What Problems did the Fort Laramie Treaty Cause?

  • Not all tribal members stuck to the Fort Laramie Treaty

    • Even if the chief of the tribe signed the agreement, each band chose whether to follow the treaty or not

    • Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse refused to agree to the treaty

  • Many tribal representatives did not understand the terms of the treaty

    • Some tribes did not have the treaty translated to them

    • There were different interpretations of landownership

    • As a result, many tribes misinterpreted the treaty

  • The US government did not respect the treaty

    • When the Sioux complained about the size of their hunting grounds, the US government said that all tribes could hunt on each other's territory

      • This showed that the government did not take the boundaries seriously

      • It was the first step in creating smaller reservations

Worked Example

Explain one consequence of the Fort Laramie Treaty (1851)

4 marks

Answer:

One consequence of the Fort Laramie Treaty was how it created future conflict between the Indigenous peoples and the US government. The Fort Laramie Treaty was written in English and gave each tribe a reservation to live on. This caused conflict because some tribal leaders did not agree or understand the terms of the treaty. This made it more likely that tribes would break the terms of the treaty either accidentally or on purpose. Therefore, the Fort Laramie Treaty created more tension and issues with the Indigenous peoples of America.

Examiner Tips and Tricks

The "Explain one consequence" question tests how you can explain your wider knowledge of the period. Once you have studied more of the course, you may be able to add more specific evidence to your answer. An example could be the Little Crow War.

This question has previously asked you to explain two consequences. In the American West exam paper for 2025, this question will ask you to explain one consequence. However, there will be two different "Explain one consequence of" questions each, worth four marks. 

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Natasha Smith

Author: Natasha Smith

Expertise: History Content Creator

After graduating with a degree in history, Natasha gained her PGCE at Keele University. With more than 10 years of teaching experience, Natasha taught history at both GCSE and A Level. Natasha's specialism is modern world history. As an educator, Natasha channels this passion into her work, aiming to instil in students the same love for history that has fuelled her own curiosity.

Bridgette Barrett

Author: Bridgette Barrett

Expertise: Geography Lead

After graduating with a degree in Geography, Bridgette completed a PGCE over 25 years ago. She later gained an MA Learning, Technology and Education from the University of Nottingham focussing on online learning. At a time when the study of geography has never been more important, Bridgette is passionate about creating content which supports students in achieving their potential in geography and builds their confidence.