Colorado Wars and Their Impact on Native Communities: Research Proposal

During the westward movement, numerous Europeans moved to Colorado by the 1860s. They occasionally cohabited with different native populations and sometimes wholly conquered traditional native land. The population increase strained natural resources, resulting in the Civil War and the Indian Wars (Rocky Mountain PBS). The U.S. government’s primary objective during the Indian Wars was to relocate native people to reservations. Native populations, however, desired to safeguard their land use and opposed both white settlement and reservations. The Sand Creek Massacre and other Colorado wars resulted from attacks and battles between whites encroaching on the West and native peoples residing there previously. Therefore, the final project will critically analyze the factors that led to the wars, specifically the Sand Creek Massacre and the Indian wars of 1860.

This topic interests me and is significant to my research since it expounds on Colorado’s history, the native tribes, and the wars that took place during the 1860s. The Civil War is often viewed as a fight for independence, after which millions of enslaved people were freed. However, I t also turned into a conquest war to take down and disempower Native Americans. On the other hand, Sand Creek Massacre left an open wound among Cheyenne and Arapaho communities, who were eventually forced to relocate to remote reservations. The Sand Creek Massacre, in addition, was portrayed as a great victory of civilization and a foundational triumph for Colorado.

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This subject is also significant since it paved the way for the civil rights law that guaranteed equal treatment of all individuals regardless of ethnicity or race. Recently, the issue of racial discrimination has been prevalent. Furthermore, there have been racial profiling and stigmatization in the U.S. Also, racial laws, actions, and practices have sparked severe public reactions. Subsequently, by addressing the factors that led to the Colorado wars, including racism, greed for power, and anger, the research would fill a gap by providing insight into the effects of war and the benefits of peace in international relations. This topic is relevant today, especially with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. The research will also shed light on the effects of war on the nation. The hypothesis, in this case, would be that the Colorado wars deteriorated and fragmented the native communities (Cheyenne and Arapaho people) and their cultures. This impact occurred with the death of most of the community leaders and the destruction of the villages.

Research Strategy

I would initiate the research by a topic search through (insert name) University library. I would first begin with a general phrase of “Colorado wars.” I would then set up my search parameters to include articles with keywords in the search, such as Colorado history, Colorado wars, Indian wars, Sand Creek massacre, Hungate murders, and civil war. I would also focus on peer-reviewed articles in English, journals, and articles. Subsequently, I would conduct a systematic review of articles from Google Scholar that focus on the research’s central question. I would further narrow my search by looking at EBSCO and ProQuest databases for relevant scholarly articles.

I would also refine my search using the Boolean search method. I would apply this technique by using various keywords such as Colorado history, Colorado wars, Indian wars, 1864, Sand Creek massacre, tribal, Hungate murders, civil war, and implications on native communities. The Boolean method would allow me to search by the specific combination of words or phrases that narrow my yield of articles down to the most relevant articles. Lastly, I would commence my literature review to see which articles the best address my central question or strongly supports my hypothesis.

Relevant Sources

Below is a list of tentative sources I will use in the final research and the reasons for their validity. I will use four primary sources in the final research. The primary sources would be a video by Rocky Mountain PBS and the articles by Fowler, Roberts, and Ubbelohde et al. These sources are relevant since they build on the hypothesis and form the basis for addressing the central theme or question in the paper. On the hand, the secondary sources include articles by Hoig, Kclonewolf.Com, Kelman, and Kerr.

The video by Rocky Mountain PBS outlines the Sand Creek Massacre and gives comprehensive details on what transpired to the native tribes. Fowler’s article discusses the conflicts between the natives and whites, including the treaties to settle the disputes. Roberts’ article, on the other hand, outlines the impacts of the wars on the native communities. This article strongly supports the paper’s hypothesis. The last primary source is an article by Ubbelohde et al., which addresses how the wars came about.

Additionally, the secondary sources will build on the research by providing pieces of evidence of the war’s consequences. Honig’s article will discuss the Sand Creek Massacre, its causes, and its implications. Furthermore, the article by Kclonewolf.Com, Kelman, and Kerr will also address the Sand Creek event and its causative factors and evaluate whether it was logical or irrational.

Works Cited

Fowler, Loretta. “Arapaho and Cheyenne Perspectives: From the 1851 Treaty to the Sand Creek Massacre.” American Indian Quarterly 39.4 (2015): 364-390. https://doi.org/10.5250/amerindiquar.39.4.0364

Hoig, Stan. The Sand Creek Massacre. University of Oklahoma Press, 1961.

Kclonewolf.com. Sand creek massacre. Www.kclonewolf.com/history/sandcreek/sc-index.html. Accessed 13 Oct. 2022.

Kelman, Ari. A misplaced massacre: Struggling over the memory of Sand Creek. Harvard University Press, 2013.

Kerr, Asa M. “The Sand Creek Massacre.” IU Journal of Undergraduate Research, vol. 1, no. 1, IUScholarWorks, June 2015, pp. 6–12. https://doi.org/10.14434/iujur.v1i1.13265.

Roberts, Gary Leland. SAND CREEK: TRAGEDY AND SYMBOL (INDIAN WARS, MASSACRE; COLORADO). The University of Oklahoma, 1984.

Rocky Mountain PBS. “Colorado Experience: Sand Creek Massacre.” YouTube, 28 Nov. 2014, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDnPT1qYa64

Ubbelohde, Carl, Maxine Benson, and Duane A. Smith. A Colorado history. Pruett Publishing, 2006.