What Did John Chivington

Chivington gained infamy for leading a 700-man force of Colorado Territory militia during the massacre at Sand Creek in November 1864. An estimated 70–163 peaceful Cheyenne and Arapaho – about two-thirds of whom were women, children, and infants – were killed and mutilated by his troops.

What was the significance of the Chivington massacre?

Chivington was at first acclaimed for his “victory,” but he was subsequently discredited when it became clear that he had perpetrated a massacre. The incident was a chief cause of the Arapaho-Cheyenne war that followed and had far-reaching influence in the Plains Wars of the next decade.

What was the Sand Creek Massacre and why was it important?

On November 29, 1864, roughly 700 federal troops attacked a village of 500 Cheyenne and Arapaho on Sand Creek in Colorado. An unprovoked attack on men, women, and children, the massacre at Sand Creek marked a turning point in the relationship between American Indian tribes and the Federal Government.