I chose the topic, the Battle of Little Bighorn and the Indian Wars surrounding it, for History Day 2006.  When I visited Wyoming and Montana last summer, I visited the Little Bighorn National Battlefield.  It was very interesting; I learned about the battle, the events leading up to it, and the struggles the Indians and the United States Government faced in the fight for land.  I wanted to learn much more about this interesting subject. This is why I did my project on the War for the Plains:  A Clash of Army and Indians, and the Battle of Little Bighorn.

      I have visited various websites, including the National History Day Website, some for specific information, and others trying to find as much information as possible.  I obtained a diary of a Battle survivor from the Montana State Historical Society.  I bought a documentary called “The Battle of Little Bighorn, the Untold Story”.  It included quotes and historians speaking out about what they knew.  There were amazing reenactments that showed what the battle my have been like.  I interviewed Bob Reece, the President of the organization: “Friends of the Little Bighorn.”  Mr. Reece is very knowledgeable and answered many questions I had regarding the battle.  I have many books on the Battle and the Indian Wars.  Some books were written through the eyes of the United States Cavalry, and others, the Indians.  I visited The Southwest Museum of the American Indian in Los Angeles.  This interesting museum provided me with many primary sources.  I took many of the pictures included in my website when I visited the Battlefield and the Southwest Museum.

     I decided to do an individual website because I enjoy working with computers, so I knew this would be a good choice.  Until now, I had never created a website, and it turned out to be a great experience.   I wanted to focus on making an excellent homepage to jump out and grab the viewer’s interest.  This is the first thing the viewer will see so it needs to be interesting.  I divided my website into sections and included links to give the viewer the most interactive, educational experience possible.  The picture used as a background on the homepage was taken by me at the Battlefield.

      My History Day topic, the Battle of Little Bighorn and the Indian Wars that surround the battle relate to this year’s History Day theme.  When Custer and his troops attacked at the Little Bighorn, the Sioux, Cheyenne, and Arapaho Indian tribes were expected to flee just like countless other times, but this time was different. The Indians stood their ground and fought a fierce battle that they won. They took a stand when they decided they were not going to give up their native territories and culture, and move to reservations. The U.S. government also took a stand when they decided to destroy the American Indian and their way of life in order to expand and develop the growing nation.