In the summer of 1876, as America celebrated its centennial, a stunning defeat unfolded on the plains of Montana. Lt. Colonel George Custer and over 200 soldiers of the 7th Cavalry were wiped out by a united force of Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho warriors. Known popularly as Custer's Last Stand, the Battle of Little Bighorn became one of the most mythologized and misunderstood clashes in American history.
In this episode, we revisit the true story of Little Bighorn: the broken treaties, the clash of cultures, Custer's fatal miscalculations, and the tactical brilliance of Native leaders like Crazy Horse and Gall. What really happened in those fateful hills, and how did a moment of Indigenous triumph become buried beneath legend?
Topics Covered:
The discovery of gold in the Black Hills and the violation of the Fort Laramie Treaty
The U.S. military's three-pronged campaign to subdue the "hostile" tribes
George Custer's ego, decisions, and leadership flaws
The strength, unity, and strategy of the Native coalition
The events of June 25, 1876, what happened, and what went wrong
The immediate U.S. response and the long-term consequences for Native nations
How Custer became a myth, and how that myth distorted history
Modern interpretations and memorials from both sides
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