Over 300 Native American reservations exist in the U.S. today, yet their history is marked by a legacy of broken promises. Treaties intended to protect Native lands and cultures were repeatedly violated, stripping tribes of their resources, sovereignty, and homes.
From the devastating Trail of Tears to land seizures in the Black Hills, here are five infamous agreements that reshaped Native American lives—often leaving tribes with far less than they were promised. Their stories reveal the stark consequences of betrayal.
1. Treaty of Greeneville (1795)
Between 1774 and 1794, American forces attacked Native villages in New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio. Tribes like the Shawnee, Delaware, Iroquois, Miami, Odawa, Wyandot, and Mingo suffered brutal violence.
The 1795 Treaty of Greenville sought to end the conflict around the Great Lakes by establishing boundaries for Native lands. However, not all tribes agreed, and American expansion soon violated the treaty’s terms.
By 1800, many tribes were displaced as westward expansion forced them from their homelands. The Shawnee, Delaware, and others made a final stand in Indiana and Ohio against ongoing attacks and removal efforts. (ref)
2. Treaty of New Echota (1835)
The Treaty of New Echota forced the Cherokee Nation to give up land in Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, and Tennessee for land in Oklahoma. Although signed by a small group of leaders, most Cherokees strongly opposed it.
The Indian Removal Act of 1830 allowed the U.S. government to relocate Native Americans west of the Mississippi. Despite widespread Cherokee resistance, Congress ratified the treaty in 1836, sealing their fate.
In 1838, 7,000 soldiers forcibly removed the Cherokee, marching them 1,200 miles to Oklahoma. Known as the “Trail of Tears,” the journey caused the deaths of 10% to 25% of the Cherokee due to hunger, disease, and exhaustion. (ref)
3. The Treaty of Medicine Lodge (1867)
In October 1867, the Treaty of Medicine Lodge was signed between the U.S. government and tribes like the Kiowa, Comanche, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. It aimed to stop conflicts as westward expansion pushed settlers into the Great Plains.
The treaty promised tribes peace, protection, and supplies if they moved to reservations in the western Indian Territory. However, the land was unsuitable for farming or hunting, and pledged resources were often withheld.
The crowded, poor living conditions disrupted the tribes’ buffalo-based way of life. Broken promises and hardships soon reignited tensions between the tribes and the U.S. government. (ref)
4. The Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868)
The 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie aimed to end conflicts between the U.S. government and tribes like the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho. The government wanted peace by building a railroad through tribal lands.
In exchange, the Sioux were promised control of the Black Hills, annuities, and supplies, with tribes allowed to live undisturbed on reservations. In return, they agreed to stop attacking settlers and move to reservations.
The U.S. broke its promises after gold was found in the Black Hills, seizing the land and sparking new conflicts. This led to the 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn, where Native forces famously defeated General George A. Custer. (ref)
5. The Dawes Act (1887)
The Dawes Act, passed in 1887, aimed to assimilate Native Americans into American society. It sought to replace traditional tribal living with European-style farming and individual land ownership.
The government divided tribal land into small plots, allotting around 160 acres to each Native head of household. This was meant to make Native Americans independent farmers and more “civilized.”
The plan failed as the land was often unfarmable, and many lacked farming skills or tools. Communal Native cultures also clashed with the Act’s push for individual land ownership.
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Nancy Maffia
Nancy received a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.