CLEP US History II

Answer: E - America’s continental expansion throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries only met resistance intermittently, but settlers and military regiments did occasionally engage in armed conflict with Indian tribes, like The Battle of the Little Bighorn in Montana, which became known as “Custer’s Last Stand.” The U.S. military and settlers prevailed over their tribal counterparts more often than not, but Little Big Horn was a notable exception. Custer was a distinguished general and Civil War veteran, who was leading the U.S. 7th Cavalry on an expedition in 1876, during the Great Sioux War, when the confrontation occurred. His tribal counterpart was Crazy Horse, a leader of the Lakota people. Custer’s cavalry, which contained 647 members at the time of the battle, was outmatched by a coalition of different tribes containing between 900 and 1,800 warriors. U.S. losses were considerable and included the general himself.