Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851 (Horse Creek Treaty): History & Legacy

The Boundaries Defined by the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie

One of the central purposes of the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie was to map the northern and central Great Plains — defining a recognized territory for each nation in an effort to reduce conflict. These boundaries shaped decades of history that followed. Mapping the Plains Article 5 of the treaty described the territory of…
Signatory Nations of the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie

The 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie — the Horse Creek Treaty — was signed by the United States and eight Plains nations at one of the largest gatherings of Native peoples in North American history. Here is who signed, and what brought them together. A Historic Gathering at Horse Creek In September 1851, an estimated…
The 1851 vs. 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie: What Changed?

The name “Treaty of Fort Laramie” refers to two very different agreements signed seventeen years apart at the same frontier outpost. The 1851 treaty and the 1868 treaty are often confused, but they had different signatories, purposes, and consequences. Here is what changed. The 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie (Horse Creek Treaty) Signed on September…

The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851