Question

1. which of the following best summarizes the circumstances chief red cloud and his people were facing before they were placed on reservations?

a. red cloud describes his and the lakota peoples relations with the u.s. government as being far more fearful than it would come to be once they were settled on the reservation.

b. red cloud describes the situation as bleak; with little food and fading traditions, they felt one of their only choices was to agree to reservation life and adopt white american ways.

c. red cloud describes the situation as desperate, but the plains indians would persist in their active resistance against white settlement until they left entirely.

d. red cloud describes the circumstances as a time of religious fervor, when the ghost dance was sweeping through mid - western and western tribes.

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The focus is on fear before vs after reservation, but historical context shows Red Cloud's situation before reservation was about survival, not just fear comparison. Eliminate A.
• Option B: Red Cloud's accounts (and historical context) show the Lakota faced food shortages, cultural erosion, and saw reservation life (even with adopting white ways) as a last resort. This matches the "bleak" situation with little food and fading traditions, leading to agreeing to reservation life.
• Option C: Active resistance until whites left is incorrect. Red Cloud eventually negotiated for reservation (after resistance, but the "until they left entirely" is wrong). Eliminate C.
• Option D: The Ghost Dance occurred later (during reservation era, not before placement on reservations). Eliminate D.

Answer:

B. Red Cloud describes the situation as bleak; with little food and fading traditions, they felt one of their only choices was to agree to reservation life and adopt white American ways.