The film tells the legend of General George Armstrong Custer, the “Indian Fighter” and the controversy surrounding the notoriously ambitious General’s heroism followed after his final battle in the Black Hills. The General was idolized more after his death through the portrayal of a gallant death in the era’s print media, drawings and memoirs; hence the “Last Stand”. The controversy that follows Custer’s life seems to emanate from his methods and principles of securing victory in the military. It is undeniable that the General’s services in the US Cavalry were revered and appreciated by the nation as far as the constituent’s political and economic gross gain was concerned. However, the manner in which the over-gallant Custer made military decisions and his aggressive ambition for honor and hero status resembles the US’s political and military means, the source of the mixed feelings towards his heroism.
It was during the first Battle of Bull Run where he displayed his bravado, impressing his superiors with his rash decision making. He was soon promoted to Brigadier General of the 5th cavalry. It is important to note that Custer was actually doomed for low rank postings in the military had it not been for the urgency and understaffing caused by the Civil War. This was due to his graduating last in his class at West Point in 1861. Custer's first move in impressing his superiors and securing his image as a gallant soldier was dashing without caution into a river just to give a response to his commanding General Barnard's semi-rhetorical statement; "I wish I knew how deep it is." This act earned Custer favors to lead a division in the capture of an important general of the Confederacy. This act was considered Custer's proof of valor...
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...s a man who relentlessly wanted power and stardom caused his brilliant victories to be shadowed in doubt. The controversy on his legacy is further fueled, resembling the then-budding America's need to endlessly expand into the Native American territory for more mineral wealth and power. In as much as Custer carried out his duties effectively as a military man, it was doubted whether he had any care for the fellow men around him, having forced them to ride for 50 hours for his personal business (too see Elizabeth) at one point in time. This is almost in the same way that the White settlements felt somewhat entitled to the resources of their fellow man (Native Americans), doing whatever is necessary to attain their ends. Custer’s did become a great symbol in the era succeeding his death. His name carried the honor he had always wanted despite his controversial life.
The Custer Controversy What really happened at the Battle of the Little Big Horn has spawned countless books and opinions as to why General Custer attacked the Sioux and Cheyenne on June 22, 1876. The books and online articles that recount the facts, timeline, and who survived were written based on facts but are not all unbiased in perspective. Most of these writers want to prove that Custer was either a hero or a villain. From the perspective of the general’s men, they saw him as a fearless leader
Armstrong Custer. This is the man who, while young, made it a point to have no fear on the battlefront and led his men with a firm hand. He gave his men the inspiration and zeal to fight and be victorious even in the worst of situations. As we examine the life of George Custer, his thirty-seven short years on this earth, and his last stand at the Battle of Little Big Horn we will see how his bravery and selflessness earned him the title of one of the greatest generals the Union ever knew. Custer was born
best. Gen. George Armstrong Custer (reduced to LTC after the civil war) had 366 men of the 7thU.S. Cavalry under his command that day. Sitting Bull (A Medicine Man) led 2000 braves of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes (Klos, 2013). At the conclusion of the battle, the stories of the Indians savagery were used to demonize their culture and there were no survivors from the 7thcavalry to tell what really happened. The Strategic Setting In 1875, Custer had made a commitment to the
The Battle of Little Bighorn is one of the most, maybe even the most, controversial battle in American history. General George Armstrong Custer led his 210 troops into battle and never came out. Miscalculations, blunders, and personal glory led Custer not only to his death, but also being the most talked about soldier in this battle. But all the blame doesn’t just go on Custer’s shoulders; it also goes on Captain Frederick Benteen and Major Marcus Reno, who both fought in the battle. Both the Captain
and wars. It is true that these tribes had only mind there own business for many centuries for the White Americans. It wasn’t around the 1850’s, that the United States were interested in the gold that was existing in the territories the belonged to the Native Americans. This would be the starting point of what historians call the Indian Wars that would last about half a century. The question is though, why? Why were there so many battles between the United States government and the Native Americans
eleven years old, he killed his first buffalo [by shooting it] with four arrows while riding next to it in a fast chase," (Hook 13). When Curly was twelve, he and some other young Indians of his tribe went to chase horse... ... middle of paper ... ...s of Mt Rushmore could fit inside the head of Crazy Horse. The memorial depicts Crazy Horse on his horse with his arm extended in the direction he is looking. This is a reference to when he was asked where his lands are. His response as he pointed out
white settlers came and because of conflict between the two races, the white settlers killed the buffalo so the Indians would starve and have no tools or weapons, or even energy and eventually starve to death or get killed in conflict. In the 1880’s the white settlers reduced 6,000,000 buffalo to just over a few thousand in an extremely short space of time which destroyed the Indians, and on top of that another 2,000 buffalo were killed during the building of the railways. Also as source 1 states
Lakota History Throughout North American expansion the Lakota people have suffered some of the worst and straight forward persecutions against Native American Indians, and live in some of the poorest if not the poorest conditions in the United States. This is sad for a people who use to be one of the strongest nations in the Central Plains, feared by white men and other Indian nations alike for their ferocity and warrior abilities in the heat of battle. The Lakota arrived at positions of dominance
fighting. When General Robert E. Lee elected to mount an attack on the center of the Union lines on July 3, Pickett’s fresh division was selected to lead the offensive. Following a barrage of preliminary cannon fire, it was time for the moment that stands out when thinking of Pickett, his infamous Pickett’s Charge. Pickett’s division advanced toward the Union high ground on Cemetery Ridge. The resulting charge proved a disaster, and Pickett’s men were forced to withdraw after being cut down by heavy
the 1980’s in which the Atari 2600 debuts. Out of the flood of titles being produced, someone decided that sex sells, even in videogames (geez…what a concept…). So a company by Mystique released Custer’s Revenge. The game had the player control a man named General George Custer going after a Native American maiden named Revenge, hence the title, Custer’s Revenge. Unfortunately, this game did not involve anyone saving a Native American princess; instead, the player has to control Custer and help
Horse Memorial is not only a fascinating monument but an essential NDN (Native term for “Indian”) institution, in a time when it is needed most. The Crazy Horse Monument is privately funded by donations and revenue that the Monument has raised over the last 64 years, through the gift shops and included Museum. It gives NDN’s pride again in NDN’s socially, culturally, ethnically, as strong people, it educates and empowers. Sharing what it means to be NDN, not just in the Indian Nation communities, but
Among the best known and most popular works of literature are those dealing with the mythologies of ancient cultures. From classical sources like Homer's Iliad and Ovid's Metamorphosis, to modern adaptations like Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "Ulysses" and Seamus Heaney's "Hercules and Antaeus," mythology has shaped the body of western literature. There exists a marked difference, though, between the purposes of the classical mythologies and their modern counterparts. The majority
Carlisle School. The government thought it was ‘saving’ the youth, providing them with a proper, western, protestant-catholic education. Many more schools started to appear on the horizon, following the teaching methods of Richard Pratt. By the early 1900’s, there were twenty-five federally funded schools devoted to Indian education. They didn’t take into account was the fact that after all of the previous tragedy, ripping away children from their families only to attempt to strip away their identities
Mani Sirichantho Bradley Honors U.S History 20 December, 2016 The Nature of Society on the Indian Frontier The Cultural Genocide of Native Americans was lead by the United States government’s Manipulation of Native Americans into attaining their land. Native Americans lived a peaceful life until the U.S government came with the intention of wanting to gain wealth off of Native American Territory and innovate. The U.S government and the Native Americans had two separate concepts for their use of
intelligence and lack of mental and moral qualities." Colonel Perry L. Miles, commander of the 371st Infantry Regiment, 93rd Division, voiced a similar opinion: "In a future war, the main use of the Negro should be in labor organizations." General George S. Patton, Jr., in a letter to his wife, wrote that "a colored soldier cannot think fast enough to fight in armor." The armed forces embraced these beliefs even though African Americans had fought with courage and distinction in the Revolutionary War and