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- [00:00]
Lindsey Graham
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts at IntoHistory.com it's around 10pm on January 9, 1879, at Fort Robinson, a U.S. military fort in Nebraska. Northern Cheyenne Chief Morningsome, also known as Dull Knife, leads his tribe across the fort grounds. Here and there, surreptitiously, some Cheyenne warriors stop to retrieve weapons they hid for tonight's escape. For months, Morningstar and his people have been kept here by the United States Army. Recently, the tribe has been deprived of food, water and heat for four days. Many Cheyenne have died in the terrible conditions. So tonight, Morningstar and his people are going to break out of Fort Robinson once and for all. The plan is to make a bold return to their ancestral lands in Montana. This is in defiance of the US Government, which has been trying to force the Cheyenne to move to Oklahoma. But Morningstar and his tribe refuse to be bullied any further. As the Cheyenne move through the fort grounds, a group of soldiers take notice. The escape attempt is discovered, and the quiet prairie night immediately explodes into violence. As the U.S. army opens fire, the tribe breaks into a sprint heading north toward the hills. The armed Cheyenne warriors stay and fight, trying to give the rest of the group more time to escape. But after days of starvation, the tribe is weakened and it's difficult to flee quickly. Cheyenne men, women and children are all struck down as they attempt their escape. Chief Morningstar is heartbroken as dozens of his people die all around him, while other Cheyenne are grabbed by soldiers and dragged back toward the barracks of the fort. But the chief knows that he and the remaining members of the tribe have no choice but to keep running. To stop for a second could risk recapture or death. Chief Morningstar raises his voice and urges all that can to keep moving. As bullets continue to ricochet around him, he leaps over the bodies of soldiers and his own tribespeople. Escape is all that matters now, though. When Morningstar reaches the safety of the wooded hills outside the fort, he looks back, knowing he's lost too many already, and the road ahead promises to take even more. For years, the US army has been trying to remove the Cheyenne people from their land, resorting often to violent and deadly means. But under Morningstar's leadership, the Cheyenne are determined to return to their ancestral territories. Eventually, this dream will become a reality, but it will be a long, deadly journey. And many will never make it back to their homeland. Most of the nearly 150 Cheyenne at Fort Robinson will be killed or recaptured by the U.S. army. 60 will escape, but not for long. They're recaptured just two weeks later, on January 22, 1879. From Noiser and airship, I'm Lindsey Graham and this is History. Daily history is made every day on this podcast. Every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is January 22, 1879. The Northern Cheyenne face off against the U.S. army. It's November 25, 1878, at the Northern Cheyenne camp on the Powder river in Montana. It's a normal day for the roughly 1,000 Cheyenne who live and work here. Some tend to their domestic chores, brushing horses and feeding the various farm animals that live on the land. Others are cooking, tanning hides and doing the other daily tasks that keep the camp running smoothly. But the calm of the day is suddenly shattered by the sounds of horses approaching. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of US Soldiers descend on the camp with weapons drawn. Immediately, the Cheyennes spring into action. Warriors rush to grab whatever weapons they can find, ready to protect themselves against this sudden assault. Women and children begin to flee, hoping to make it to safety before the worst of the battle begins. But many are not quick enough. As the U.S. army descends on the camp, they shoot indiscriminately. Cheyenne warriors confront the soldiers, striking some down and injuring others. But they don't have time to properly defend themselves. The US Cavalry rips through the camp, destroying anything they can find. The soldiers raze homes, destroy tools and stores of food, and in a matter of mere moments, the entire village has been burned to the ground. The remaining members of the tribe are left homeless and without resources. With this surprise attack, the US army hopes to send a pointed message to the native population across Montana. They are not welcome here, and all tribes must leave or face death. For at least a year, the US Government has been trying to forcibly move natives from Montana to Oklahoma. The reason is simple. Lt. Col. George Custer and his men found gold in the region, making the land vastly more valuable. But after the Montana tribes refused to leave, tensions reached a fever pitch in June when Custer was defeated at Little Bighorn by the Lakota, Sioux, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. The battle was an embarrassment for the US army, and they don't want it to embolden the native tribes. So today's assault is a cruel reminder that the Cheyenne and other tribes in the region were will never be safe here. After this attack, the Cheyennes struggle to live off the land. Many die of starvation. And Northern Cheyenne chief Morningstar is forced to decide how to save the remaining members of his tribe. Left with no food or shelter, he has little choice but to surrender to the US Military, becoming wards of the state. The army does provide food and shelter, but at a terrible cost. With the fate of the tribe in the government's hands, more Morningstar and his people are moved from place to place, slowly being dragged farther away from their ancestral homeland until the military completes its original mission and forces a Northern Cheyenne onto a reservation in Indian territory in Oklahoma. But here, the tribe only faces further miseries. The land on the reservation is poor, and the Oklahoma landscape provides none of the familiar resources and game that the Cheyenne would normally have in their Montana home. The skill set of the tribe's hunters is rendered irrelevant and the tribe begins to starve once again. Desperate to find relief for his people, Morningstar tries to reason with the army, requesting that the Cheyenne be returned to Montana. But the military is unmoved. It's clear to Morningstar that the US Government has no plans to allow for the safe return of the Cheyenne to Montana. And his tribe is meant to remain in Oklahoma indefinitely. But Morningstar refuses to accept this. The longer the tribe stays here, the more endangered it becomes for him. Something must be done, and quickly. So, with the help of another Cheyenne chief named Little Wolf, Morningstar begins forming a plan to take their people back home. History Daily is sponsored by Acorns. Studying history is studying survival. And at the heart of survival most of the time is money. It's always been a challenge. From bartering livestock to trading crypto, saving and investing feels aspirational. Something you want to do, but just not right now. In fact, last year, Save More Money was the most popular New Year's resolution in America. So how do you start for real? Acorns makes it easy to start automatically saving and investing so your money has a chance to grow for you, your kids and your retirement. You don't need to be an expert. Acorns will recommend a diversified portfolio that fits you and your money goals. You don't need to be rich. Acorns lets you invest with the spare money you've got right now. You can start with $5 or even just spare change. Head to acorns.comhistorydaily or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future. Today, paid non client endorsement compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns Tier 2 compensation, provided investing involves risk. Acorns Advisors LLC and SEC registered investment advisor. View important disclosures@acorns.com historydaily On January 5.
- [08:50]
Narrator
2024, an Alaska Airlines door plug tore away mid flight, leaving a gaping hole in the side of a plane that carried 171passengers. This heart stopping incident was just the latest in a string of crises surrounding the aviation manufacturing giant Boeing. In the past decade, Boeing has been involved in a series of damning scandals and deadly crashes that have chipped away at its once sterling reputation. At the center of it all, the 737 Max, the latest season of Business wars explores how Boeing, once the gold standard of aviation engineering, descended into a nightmare of safety concerns and public mistrust. The decisions, denials and devastating consequences bringing the titan to its knees. And what, if anything, can save the company's reputation now? Follow Business wars on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge business the Unraveling of Boeing early and ad free right now on Wondery Plus.
- [09:55]
Lindsey Graham
It's September 9, 1878, on the Cheyenne Reservation in Oklahoma. Led by Chiefs Little Wolf and Morningstar, a group of over 300 Cheyenne prepare to travel from this reservation in Oklahoma back to their ancestral lands in Montana, determined to see through their dream of returning to their rightful home. But it's unlikely the US army would respond well to a mass exodus to the north. The two chiefs know the risks, as do their respective tribes, but continuing to live on this reservation is far worse than any perilous journey ahead. The trip is over 400 miles, and everyone is trying to plan for the challenges they might face along the way. Cheyenne warriors pack up their weapons while other members of the tribe gather what little food stores they can to help sustain them on the trip. Then, for weeks, the larger group makes their steadfast trek across the Great Plains, headed north. But while their initial departure was not met by much resistance by the army, it doesn't take long for the US Government to figure out what the Cheyenne are trying to do. Throughout September and into October, the Military deploys over 10,000 soldiers to stop them. But the Cheyenne are not going to allow the threat of the military to stop their plans. Repeatedly, the group manages to evade or fight off the troops searching for them, and in October, the group moves far enough north to reach the South Platte river in Nebraska. It's here where the Cheyennes separate into their two tribes, the Northern and Southern Cheyenne. Little Wolf and the Southern Cheyenne plan to continue their journey northwest toward Yellowstone river country. Their voyage will be relatively uneventful. The following spring the tribe will peacefully surrender to the US army that pursues them, but be allowed to remain in the territory. Morningstar and the Northern Cheyenne are not so lucky. From the South Platte river, they set their sights on the Red Cloud Agency, hoping to join Lakota Chief Red Cloud and his people. But the Lakota tribe have been moved to the Dakota Territory and the Red Cloud Agency is now full of US Soldiers. Making matters worse, winter is swiftly approaching, which makes the Cheyenne's trek even more taxing. The tribe grows weakened from the journey and they're unprepared when they suddenly run into US Cavalry troops. Seven weeks after leaving the reservation. The tribe tries to fight off the soldiers, but the US army quickly gets the upper hand. Eventually, the Northern Cheyenne surrender and all 149 of them are taken to Fort Robinson. After this terrible loss, Morningstar tries diplomacy, hoping that the army will allow his tribe to join Red Cloud in the Dakota Territory or ideally, return to their land in Montana. And while Morningstar negotiates with the army, the Cheyenne are kept in barracks at Fort Robinson. And for the first few months, they are given some liberties, allowed to leave the fort so long as they return by evening. But as the months pass, the army grows tired of Morningstar's continued pleading and insists that he and his tribe must return to the Oklahoma reservation. Cheyenne are also no longer allowed to leave the barracks, kept in their quarters like prisoners. Amid these new restrictions, Morningstar is unwavering in his refusal to go back to Oklahoma. So the military resorts to extreme measures to force the Cheyenne into submission. Starting on January 5, the army refuses to give the tribe any food, water or heat. The Cheyenne are even forced to eat snow to avoid dehydration. And after several days suffering under these horrible conditions conditions. Morning Star recognizes that his people will not survive much longer. So he prepares to break out from Fort Robinson with plans to continue to lead the tribe back to Montana. Despite having suffered from starvation for four days, the Cheyennes stage their escape on January 9. Over half the tribe is killed or recaptured on the first night, While the remaining 60 or so flee into the hills with the army close behind. But the escape is only the beginning of the fight. For the next two weeks, the Cheyenne and the army will continue to battle with more and more casualties until the end of the bloodshed. We'll only see the Cheyenne back under the control of the US Government. Yet still, even this will not mark the end of the tribe's journey home. It's January 22, 1879, atop a snowy bluff near Antelope Creek in Nebraska. From their high position, Northern Cheyenne warriors shoot at the approaching battalion of US Soldiers. Battle has been going on like this for at least two hours as the military slowly advances on the tribe hiding in the snow. The army's plan is to surround the tribe and force their surrender. But the Cheyenne are not interested in going peacefully. For two weeks, the tribe has successfully evaded discovery by the army, hiding out in small groups along the hills. But though the Cheyenne are spread out across the wilderness, they have a united arriving at the nearby Pine Ridge Agency where the Sioux tribe will hopefully keep them safe from harm. But today the army has gotten too close to this group of 32 Cheyenne. The warriors continue shooting, but the advancing army doesn't slow down. The attackers continue pushing forward, approaching the tribe on all sides. In the firefight, US Soldiers injure and kill dozens of Cheyenne. And the casualties only increase as the minutes pass. Finally, after three hours of fighting, the army surrounds the bluff, making it virtually impossible for the remaining Cheyenne warriors to escape or fight their way out. What's worse, the Cheyenne have used up all their ammunition. But this doesn't stop to two warriors from charging the US army with an unloaded gun and two knives. But the two men are immediately shot by US Soldiers and fall dead to the ground. Of the original 32 Cheyenne in the group, only six survive. With no weapons and no hope of escape, they surrender to the army and are shipped back to Fort Robinson. For the Cheyenne trying to return to Montana, this is a devastating loss. And for several years following this attack, the Cheyenne remains staggered throughout the region. Some are held at Fort Robinson and other bases while others manage to safely arrive at the Pine Ridge Agency and are kept safe. Chief Morningstar is one of the lucky few who find shelter there with the Sioux tribe. And yet still the journey does not end. As national opinion shifts in favor of the Cheyenne, pressure builds on the US Government to retract their plan to move the tribe to Oklahoma. And the January 22nd Antelope Creek Massacre is more evidence to the general public that the Cheyenne have suffered endlessly at the hands of the military and should be granted a safe return to their land. But it takes five years for the Cheyenne to finally be reunited. In 1884, the US government will establish the Northern Cheyenne reservation at the Tongue river in Montana, finally allowing the safe return of the Cheyenne to their ancestral home homeland. But tragically, Chief Morningstar will not be able to see this dream become reality. He will pass away shortly before the creation of the reservation. He might have been spared seeing his tribe suffer further humiliation. Because though the Cheyenne will return to Montana, this new chapter of their history will come with its own horrors. That same year, the US Government will establish the Saint Labre Catholic Indian Boarding School in Montana, continuing the tradition of civilizing Native children through often violent and abusive means. The path to liberation will remain a long and difficult process even after the Cheyenne complete the return trip that was thwarted years earlier on January 22, 1879. Next on History Daily, January 23, 1970 the miniseries Roots debuts on ABC. This epic miniseries becomes one of the most popular TV shows in US history. From Nouser and Airship, this is History Daily. Hosted, edited and executive produced by me, Lindsey Graham Audio editing by Mohammed Shahzeeb sound design by Matthew Filler music by Lindsey Graham. This episode is written and researched by Georgia Hampton. Executive producers are Alexandra Curry Buckner for Airship, Pascal Hughes for Noiser.