Key events, treaties, and figures in Native American history from first contact through the 20th century. Front: the term, event, or figure. Back: a one to two sentence explanation of its significance.
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- Christopher Columbus
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Italian explorer whose 1492 voyage to the Caribbean initiated sustained European contact with the Americas, resulting in catastrophic consequences for indigenous populations.- Columbian Exchange
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The transfer of plants, animals, diseases, and ideas between Europe and the Americas after 1492; while introducing new crops to both continents, it brought devastating epidemics to Native American populations.- Pequot War
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Conflict from 1636-1637 between Pequot Nation and English colonists in Connecticut, resulting in the near-extinction of the Pequot and establishing colonial military dominance in New England.- King Philip's War
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1675-1678 war between Wampanoag (under Metacom, called King Philip) and New England colonists, marking the end of indigenous sovereignty in the region.- Bartolomé de las Casas
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Spanish Dominican friar and early advocate for indigenous peoples' rights in the American colonies, whose writings documented Spanish atrocities against Native Americans.- Proclamation Line of 1763
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British proclamation establishing a boundary along the Appalachian Mountains beyond which colonists could not settle, intended to reduce tensions with Native Americans but ultimately ignored.- Pontiac's War
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Conflict from 1763-1766 led by Ottawa chief Pontiac in response to British policies; demonstrated pan-Indian resistance to colonial encroachment despite its military failure.- Treaty of Fort Stanwix
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1768 treaty between Britain and the Iroquois Confederacy that drew a boundary between colonial and Native American lands; colonists violated it almost immediately.- Treaty of Greenville
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1795 treaty between the United States and a confederation of Native American tribes led by General Anthony Wayne; forced Native Americans to cede most of Ohio and Indiana.- Tecumseh
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Shawnee leader (1768-1813) who attempted to create a pan-Indian confederation to resist American expansion; his movement was defeated at the Battle of Tippecanoe.- Indian Removal Act
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1830 federal law authorizing the removal of Native Americans from southeastern United States to Indian Territory in Oklahoma; enabled forced relocations of thousands of people.- Trail of Tears
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1838-1839 forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from the Southeast to Oklahoma resulting in the deaths of approximately 4,000 Cherokee from disease, starvation, and exposure.- Black Hawk War
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1832 conflict between Sauk and Fox leader Black Hawk and United States forces in Illinois and Wisconsin, resulting in Native American defeat and further westward displacement.- Seminole Wars
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Series of three wars (1817-1858) between Seminoles in Florida and the United States; most Seminoles were forced to Oklahoma, though some successfully remained in Florida.- Homestead Act
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1862 law providing 160-acre plots to settlers who would cultivate the land for five years; facilitated white settlement of Native American lands in the Great Plains and West.
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