Gold discovered in the Black Hills

Treaty Context. The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 established the Great Sioux Reservation west of the Missouri River, with the Black Hills situated within it, and exempted the Black Hills from all non-indigenous settlement. The United States government recognized the Black Hills as belonging to the Sioux under this treaty. Despite this protection, rumors of gold in the Black Hills had circulated since the early 19th century, though they remained poorly documented.

Custer Expedition. Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer led the 7th Cavalry on an expedition starting July 2, 1874, from Fort Abraham Lincoln. The unit arrived in the Black Hills on July 22, 1874. Their mission was to investigate reports of gold, despite the area being legally reserved for the Sioux.

Gold Confirmation. Confirmation of the gold deposits came first in 1874, when Custer's expedition discovered gold in French Creek. Earlier rumors and poorly documented reports had circulated since the early 19th century, but this expedition provided the first confirmation. In the aftermath, a gold rush swept in miners, who flocked to the Black Hills from earlier boom locations in Colorado and Montana.