Memory: Sand Creek Massacre
Many students do not realize the extension of the Civil War and its impact on western settlement, and especially its impact on Native Americans. In Colorado, 1865, the US Cavalry attacked a peaceful settlement of Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians. In 2007, George W. Bush designated this massacre site a National Park and monument. It is one of the few dark episodes of American history that have been thus memorialized. The students will examine primary sources and the account of the incident to understand what happened here and evaluate whether it deserves a spot in our American memory.