What occurred at Sand Creek?

The events at Sand Creek in 1864 were marked by a tragic and violent massacre in which a large number of Cheyenne and Arapaho people were killed by Colorado U.S. Volunteer Cavalry, led by Colonel John Chivington. Chivington infamously boasted about the attack, highlighting the brutal nature of the encounter and the significant loss of life among the Native American community. This incident has come to symbolize the wider context of violent conflicts between the U.S. government and Native American tribes during westward expansion, underlining the tragic consequences of such confrontations.

While other choices reflect various aspects of interactions between Native Americans and settlers or government forces, they do not accurately depict the specific events at Sand Creek. For example, while some treaties were signed during this period, that was not one of the outcomes of the Sand Creek incident. Similarly, there is no historical record of Kit Carson specifically protecting a village at Sand Creek, nor were the Navajo involved at this site in the context presented.