After the death of Sitting Bull in 1890, a band of Sioux fled into the badlands of South Dakota where they were captured by the U.S. Cavalry near Wounded Knee. While the Sioux were being disarmed, a young warrior pulled a gun and shot an officer. The U.S. troops responded by opening fire and killing nearly 200 Sioux men, women, and children.
The so-called "Battle" at Wounded Knee marks the final, tragic chapter in the Indian Wars, which had reached their height between 1869 and 1878. During these years, the Army fought over 200 battles against Native American tribes, who sought to protect their homelands and buffalo hunting practices against incursions made by white settlers and the railroad.