The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is perhaps one of the most important of America's memorials to its many conflicts with its native populations. This monument preserves the fateful site of the Custer's famous last stand on 25-26 June 1876. It is a story that fascinates and divides people. But regardless of how it is rationalized, it was one of the very worst defeats of the United States Army at the hands of a native force. It was the largest and most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876.

That being said it was also something of a decisive and yet pyrrhic victory for the Plains Indians - it didn't change the outcome of the war and many died just to agree to Washington's terms anyway returning to the reservations or surrendering.

About The Battle Of The Little Bighorn

  • Coalition Of Tribes: The Plains Indian Force Was A Coalition Of Northern Cheyenne, Lakota (Sioux), And Arapaho Tribes
  • US Army Detachment: 7th Cavalry Regiment
  • Notable Combatants: Crazy Horse, Chief Gall, Sitting Bull, Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer
  • US Calvary The Numbers: Total Force 700 Men, 268 Dead And 55 Severely Wounded
  • Plains Indians Combatants The Numbers: Perhaps 1,500-2,500 Warriors, 31-135 Killed And Around 160 Wounded
  • Location: Near Crow Agency, Montana
  • Custer's Contingent: 209 Men Wiped Out (He Splitt His Force Into Three)

One of the backdrops to the battle was the US reneging on its Treaty of Fort Laramie, which created a large reservation in the Black Hills of South Dakota. That was in the wake of gold being discovered there and white settlers pouring in.

Related: 10 Historical Places At Which You Probably Shouldn't Take A Selfie

The Battle of the Little Bighorn was fought along the ridges, bluffs, and ravines of the Little Bighorn River. Custer attacked and foolishly divided his force into three (he failed to properly scout out the settlement and establish the Plains Indian's true strength). Today it has come to symbolize the clash of two vastly different cultures. On the one hand, there were the horse and buffalo cultures of the northern plains tribes and the farming and industrial cultures of the expanding United States.

The Plains Indians didn't have long to celebrate or any way to exploit their crushing victory. The Sioux and Cheyenne were able to celebrate that July without any immediate threat of reprisal. But it was ultimately a hollow victory for them, so much so that it has been called the Indian's last stand with the battle marking the beginning of the end of the Indian Wars. With 48 hours they were forced to break up into smaller groups owing to the lack of game and grass for so many people and their horses.

  • Sitting Bull: Escaped To Canada In 1877
  • Crazy Horse: Surrounded To Fort Robinson In 1877
  • End Of The Great Sioux War: May 7, 1877, With Miles' Defeat Of The Miniconjou Sioux

The Battle's Inspiration Of Monuments And Media

Custer and Crazy Horse have inspired countless movies, books, and monuments - perhaps the greatest being the massive Crazy Horse Memorial under construction.

One of the early films made on this battle was the ridiculously romanticized, flamboyant, and swashbuckling 1941 movie They Died with Their Boots On starring Errol Flynn. The movie was made during WW2 and was destined to encourage people to fight in the war. Basically, the movie has little to no historical accuracy. A much better adaptation to watch is the 1991 miniseries Son of the Morning Star. This series strove to be a more accurate and balanced telling of the event and lead up to it.

Visiting The Battle Of The Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument

Today the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument is built to honor the fallen on both sides - American soldiers with their Indian scouts and Plains Indians alike.

Hours Open

  • April To May: 8.00 am to 6.00 pm
  • June To August: 8.00 am to 8.00 pm
  • September To October: 8.00 am to 6.00 pm
  • November To March: 8.00 am to 4.30 pm

The monument was initially named the "Custer Battlefield National Monument", but this was changed in 1991 by the then-President George H.W. Bush so that it would be representative of both sides who fought and died.

Related: The 10 Most Important Places Every War Tourist Must Visit

The monument contains a visitor center and a museum with exhibits relating to the battle. The museum exhibits the history of the battle as it happened as well as the context of the battle like Plains Indian life, Custer himself, the weapons, archeology, and a walking tour of the site. Next to the visitor center is the Custer National Cemetery.

As Custer's force was divided, the battlefield is actually made up of more than one battlefield. These are connected via a 4.5-mile self-guiding tour road.

  • Names Of The Two Battlefields: Custer Battlefield And The Ren-Benteen Battlefield

Today the memorial is an important monument in America and tells of the clash of cultures as America expanded and grew into the nation we know today.

Next: 10 Things To Do In Montana