Sitting Bull Falls: Native Resistance Crushed
U.S. Indian Agency police kill Hunkpapa Lakota leader Sitting Bull on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, triggering a chain reaction that culminates in the Wounded Knee Massacre weeks later. This violent end to his life removes the last major obstacle to U.S. military control of the Plains, allowing federal forces to crush the Ghost Dance movement with brutal efficiency and seal the fate of Indigenous sovereignty in the region.
December 15, 1890
136 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Sitting Bull
Wikipedia
Lakota people
Wikipedia
Wounded Knee Massacre
Wikipedia
Hunkpapa
Wikipedia
Standing Rock Indian Reservation
Wikipedia
Hunkpapa
Wikipedia
Lakota people
Wikipedia
Sitting Bull
Wikipedia
Standing Rock Sioux Reservation
Wikipedia
Wounded Knee Massacre
Wikipedia
Sioux
Wikipedia
1831
Wikipedia
North Dakota
Wikipedia
What Else Happened on December 15
Byzantine general Belisarius shattered the Vandal army at Tricamarum with a series of devastating cavalry charges, sending King Gelimer fleeing into the Numidia…
The Roman clergy couldn't agree. Two men claimed the papacy at once—Paschal and Theodore—each backed by armed factions in the streets. Neither would yield. For …
A Syrian refugee's son became pope — chosen by acclaim while two rival factions fought over who bought the job. Sergius refused to pay the Byzantine emperor's d…
Constantine VIII finally assumed sole control of the Byzantine Empire at age sixty-five, after spending sixty-three years as a titular co-emperor overshadowed b…
Emperor Hailing pushed his army south against Song China despite warnings. At Caishi, Song forces crushed his invasion fleet. Back in camp, his own generals wat…
Chancellor Stephen du Perche relocated the Sicilian royal court to Messina to neutralize mounting unrest among the island’s powerful barons. By physically dista…
Talk to History
Have a conversation with historical figures who witnessed this era. Ask questions, explore perspectives, and bring history to life.