The Rise of Sitting Bull: Custer vs. Crazy Horse | Part 4

"What would you do if your home was attacked? You would stand up like a brave man and defend it. That is our story."
Following the bloody Fetterman Fight, which saw the Lakota warlord Crazy Horse and his warriors ambush and massacre American troops, the American public was left stunned, its government and civilian population hungry for revenge. In the wake of this a new treaty was signed, further restricting the Lakota Sioux’s freedoms, but nevertheless signed by their political leader, Red Cloud. Still, many would not be constrained to reservations, and instead sought war. Chief amongst them was Sitting Bull, a legendary, mythologised figure of the Great American Plains and the Wild West - the embodiment of a vanished age. Born into the Lakota Sioux, and a world of shifting allegiances, violent initiation rituals, and intransigent spiritualities, as a young man Sitting Bull’s herculean destiny was sung to him by an eagle. The career that followed in his war against the U.S. government would exceed even the greatest of epics. By 1860 he was paramount leader of the Sioux Nation, when news reached him of the imminent arrival of a survey party, lead by none other than George Armstrong Custer…
Join Dominic and Tom as they discuss Sitting Bull’s rise, his extraordinary upbringing, and his stand against the increasing encroachment of railroads into his homelands.
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Producer: Theo Young-Smith
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Executive Producers: Jack Davenport + Tony Pastor

[@JullianRoman]

What I like most about your podcast is to see how much fun you have 😂

[@Truffle_Pup]

The "beard related badinage" had my crying laughing.

[@carlosvasquez9890]

Good Lord....that Sitting Bull impersonation ! ... I felt right there in the plains ... I could almost hear the wind sweeping over the midwest. 😅 Congratulations, guys, and thank you...this has become my favorite YT channel.

[@Johnconno]

Your hand brushing the wheat, like Gladiator, like Days Of Heaven, like Terry Malik whom everyone nicked it from?

[@tonykehoe123]

I thought it was Gordon Brown 🤣

[@the_tyler_vaughn]

When I see a new episode for The Rest is History, I know it's going to be a good day!

[@jamie_ar]

26:40 "He has a chat to an eagle around this point, Tom..." I laughed out loud at that part 🤣🤣🤣

[@ayan_kamaria681]

Love you guys 🙌

[@DavidJones-mo9sj]

Spot on about parallel with Empire. For me also the Highland clearances have an echo with how "civilised" society gets to deal with clan or tribal groups that don't fit in.

[@jaideeptung9001]

❤amazing and entertaining🙏🏾🇨🇦

[@jacquipettitt3389]

Bringing history to life. I just love watching you two.

[@Mute_Nostril_Agony]

Interesting (and not woke modernism) to compare Sitting Bill, Red Cloud and Sitting Bull with figures from history and mythology that we in the west would identify with (Achilles, Alexander etc). My only regret is that Siouxie Sioux and the Banshees haven’t been mentioned yet

[@eshaibraheem4218]

Loved this: so interesting. Thank you very much.

[@tezzer5162]

Really enjoying this. So many things I didn't know about

[@billmasson5313]

I'm enthralled with your channel in general, but especially with this series in particular. Fantastic insights from multiple perspectives...THIS is what history is supposed to be like! As someone who has grown up on & around the Shoshone & Arapahoe reservation, however, I need to point out that in my experience the pronunciation that the snake eaters (Arapahoe) use for their tribe is more like Ah-RAP-a-hoe. Not trying to nitpick, but to me it's like fingernails on a chalkboard hearing it pronounced otherwise. Looking forward to the rest of this series, and all the other episodes to come! Thank you for putting this together!

[@davidmoon1715]

Would love to hear Stephen Kotkin on your show as a guest speaker on Russia 17C to 20C period

[@ToddSauve]

I am glad you have now explored more about Sitting Bull. He was far more influential than Crazy Horse because his achievements in Lakota society, both in war and in peace, were much more significant. Indeed, unparalleled. Crazy Horse was definitely a leader as a war chief and some bands did follow him, but he had besmirched his own reputation by stealing another man's woman and this had caused significant unrest within the bands he led because this was not only a serious breach of the conduct a leader was expected to uphold, but there had also been significant violence associated with it when the offended warrior shot at Crazy Horse leaving him with a facial scar. This represented a lack of understanding and wisdom in Lakota society. Any hopes of being a truly significant chief across Lakota society, outside of war, more or less went out the window. Not that this type of philandering was unknown in their culture, but it was not allowed in the ranks of the chiefs of real influence like Sitting Bull.

[@troidva]

Sitting Bull: "What would you do if your home was attacked?" Crow Indians: "I would ally with the white men to drive you Lakota back out again."

[@tomtaylor6163]

You guys did a great job on this. I live in West Texas on the Llano Estacado. I love these stories. My people around here had to deal with Comanches. Now that is also interesting

[@tonykehoe123]

I find “ east coast opinion “ a rather interesting term in the context of the subject matter . Would I be correct in assuming that while the sponsors of such carnage was taking place upon the wilds of the plains ( I refer here to the gentry , safely ensconced within the safety and luxury of their colonial palaces upon the eastern seaboard ) while those “ socially beneath them “ were paid to go and do “the dirty work” from which the afore mentioned should stand only to profit , whilst turning their noses up from the moral stench that they themselves had created , would that constitute “ east coast opinion”? Kind regards to Tom “bison”Holland and Dominic “ jumping badger” Sandbrook

[@eshaibraheem4218]

Nice.

[@darlebalfoort8705]

I appreciate your discussion of social darwinism regarding the Lakota. Around this time, we see the image of the Indigenous people in North America being down-graded, and this in conjunction with assimilation. They begin to be seen as not as intelligent, not as strong, etc. and scientists are soliciting decapitated skulls from the plains to prove the racial superiority of the "white race" and similarly, the "better class of people." Social Darwinism dovetails nicely with the imperial state. Grant's head of Indian Affairs was a Seneca from New York, Ely Parker, whose tenure you might find interesting. He met with Red Cloud, but Parker was condemned for feeding the peoples starving on the plains instead of following procedures.

[@brianmclaughlin5379]

It’s no different than telling the stories of the old and new testament

[@btraven7681]

Seems you guys might appreciate the work of Jaime de Angulo who translated and transmitted the stories of the Pit River Indians. Pacifica Radio (Internet Archives)1949. I stayed at his ranch in Big Sur and then decided to investigate him.

[@coulie27]

Four episodes to go ?? 😅😅

[@Johnconno]

The Osmonds...

[@chrisjones6736]

I think you have nailed the lie that the tribes on the plains were age old residents. No, the plains inhabitants were in flux. The Native Americans were very savage! But, of course, the settlers and soldiers were pretty much the same, with arguably less excuse. Not sure the plains tribes were that involved in the extinction of bison although native Americans were involved. The main contribution to the problem was a preference for killing cows because they made better robes. Robes had a good market in the East, and paid for lots of nice American stuff, like firearms.

[@Rhubba]

Hey! I want Chester Arthur's autograph!

[@arnedomi]

This is reminding me of the current genocide in Gaza, which is also being carried out by the US, funny, innit

[@joshseeley7]

Let’s go Team Custer!!

[@waynemcauliffe-fv5yf]

Only the comanches were better torturers

[@ds6914]

I thought the opening was pretty disrespectful

[@emy_2510]

He did that reporter's/journal entry (?) voice too in the first video. Was that also disrespectful?

[@ds6914]

@@emy_2510 not seen the first video

[@emy_2510]

@@ds6914 okay.

[@nicknicely6315]

I'm in the 'get on with it' side in this...yes cowboys and Indians was a great game all those years ago but this is OTT...keep expecting Big Horn, but no , it's still miles off. Anyway not here to complain. I'm recommending you do a history of those plucky chaps in Venice. Their part in Crusade 4 inc taking Byzantium, blind 80 year old Doge directing things etc...all their other amazing feats. Real 'Can Do' people..20 year siege in Heraklion etc ..but mainly because I was in Corfu town the other day. The Venetian architecture there is dazzling. They have an amazing story...gotta be five programs in it.