Historic Gun Control: Wounded Knee Massacre, December 29, 1890

AmmoLand ^ | 7 January, 2022 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Burial of Native American dead at Wounded Knee, South Dakota, 1891.
Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. (reproduction no. LC-USZ62-44458)

When people are disarmed, they are at the mercy of those who have disarmed them. History is full of instances where mercy was in short supply.

The desperate fight, which became a massacre at Wounded Knee, on December 29, 1890, was one of the better recorded of such events. From Britannica.com:

Forsyth was clear in his terms: the Miniconjou must surrender all their weapons. Big Foot was hesitant, but he surrendered a few guns as a token of peace. Forsyth was not satisfied and ordered a complete search of the people and their camp, where his men discovered a host of hidden weapons. The increasingly intrusive search angered some of the Miniconjou. A man named Sits Straight began to dance the Ghost Dance and attempted to rouse the other members of the band, claiming that bullets would not touch them if they donned their sacred ghost shirts. The soldiers grew tense as Sits Straight’s dance reached a frenzy. When a deaf Miniconjou named Black Coyote refused to give up his gun, the weapon accidentally went off, and the fraught situation turned violent as the 7th Cavalry opened fire. Because many of the Miniconjou had already given up their weapons, they were left defenseless.

In the end, between 150 and 300 Lakota Sioux, of which the Miniconjou were a part, were killed.

Nicolo Machiavelli gives advice to those who desire to obtain and keep power. From The Discourses:

“For it is enough to ask a man to give up his arms, without telling him that you intend killing him with them; after you have the arms in hand, then you can

[marktwain]

When people are disarmed, they are less able to defend themselves. In 1890, Indian tribes were not American citizens.

[Spok]

The struggle is getting past the stage of rhetoric and down to the basic reality of what a conflict is: can they exert absolute control over us, and do we have the will or means to resist?

[FatherofFive]

can they exert absolute control over us, and do we have the will or means to resist?

Answers:1. They can try 2.Yes and yes

[sauropod]

.

[Bonemaker]

It's what governments do. Nazis learned from us.

[Lazamataz]

Good essay, Dean.

[Rebelbase]

The Wounded Knee massacre is the most disgusting, despicable and cowardly act the US Army has ever committed.

The 20 Congressional Medals of Honor that were awarded to participants are shameful and a disgrace.

[Rappini]

I can’t help thinking that the officer who ordered the hit
was thinking payback for Little Big horn.

[super7man]

In 1890, Indian tribes were not American citizens.

?????? I'm not even sure what question to ask.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Blame it on Wovoka the Piute. He is the one who got the Ghost Dance craze started.
Also, Bourke, in the book ON THE BORDER WITH CROOK states that when the tribes, in 1876, traded for tube fed lever action rifles, the got “surly”. This was just before the Sioux war of that year, the Rosebud and Little Big Horn fights in which they cleaned Custer’s clock.

The Ghost Dance had everyone worried that this meant a return to what happened in 1876 so they tried to disarm the tribes.

https://www.pressreader.com/uk/daily-mail/20160119/282780650510937

“A. R. Morris, Brighton. A miscommunication at Wounded Knee led to one of the worst massacres in American history.

Major Samuel M. Whitside and his troops intercepted a band of Lakota Sioux trying to reach the Pine Ridge Reservation. escorting them to Wounded Knee Creek, they demanded that the tribe hand over their weapons.

A young native named Black Coyote, of the Minneconjou tribe, raised his Winchester above his head, shouting that he paid much money for the rifle and that it belonged to him.

When a trooper tried to take his rifle from him a scuffle ensued, during which a shot was fired into the air. Panicked, the soldiers took the shot as a sign to open fire on the tribe. Some Lakota managed to seize weapons and return fire, but they were cut to pieces by field artillery on the surrounding hills.

As the Lakota fled, cavalrymen gave chase — some bodies were found miles away from the initial battle site. more than 250 Lakota and 25 U.s. soldiers are believed to have died.”

*****
It should be also noted that some say a Medicine Man reached down, and threw dust into the air as a signal for the Indians to start shooting, the first shot mentioned here.

[marktwain]

Good summation.

[SERE_DOC]

Nazis learned from us.

Never heard of Siege of Isfahan

Siege of Ryazan.

We've nothing to defend for the massacre's perpetrated here in the states.

But to say that the Nazi's learned from us, is intellectual cowardice and moronic sophistry.

[Bonemaker]

The point is these kind of mass killings are all the same as to the end results...no matter who perpetrates them.

[Big Red Badger]

Agreed,
As far as “Learning”,,,
No.

[SERE_DOC]

We've nothing to defend for the massacre's perpetrated here in the states.....

Not sure if you noticed that in my response, so again
We've nothing to defend for the massacre's perpetrated here in the states.

And the blanket LIE that the "Nazi's learned from us" is a damnable lie.

So candy coat anything you wish or misdirect what was said.

To equate the Wounded Knee event with the 6 million murdered is just stupid.