OPVL

The origin of the document is Secretary of War, General Nelson A. Miles, in 1890.


It is a report on the causes of Indian dissatisfaction. It was created to show that the massacre at Wounded Knee was the fault of the Government, and to ensure that it didn’t happen to anyone else. It was written as a report so that the politicians would be forced to read it. This was a turning point in history, the first time that anyone saw native culture as equal and didn’t attempt to destroy it for personal gain.

It is a secondary source, and it is a report making it moderately valuable. This report is even more valuable because it was written by a politician who did not try to twist the facts in his favor. This was written at a time when cultures were destroyed without pause. General Miles believed that the government was to blame for the reasons leading to the massacre at Wounded Knee. The piece touches upon the demilitarization of the Indians accurately.

This story does not touch upon the government’s side of the story. This piece can be verified by the other documents of the time. It very accurately reflects the time period, in accordance with other historical texts. The author does not leave out any known information. The views of the other politicians are purposely ignored.