John Chivington Leads Sand Creek Massacre - Timeline Event
Time Period
11-29-1864
Description
Col. John Chivington, a former Methodist Episcopal Church pastor, led a surprise attack on two Native American villages in 1864. As a Union army leader, he commanded 675 militia soldiers to attack the villages of Cheyenne and Arapaho in southeast Colorado after white settlers complained of Indians stealing livestock. Ignoring numerous rules of war, soldiers proceeded to kill an estimated 200 Native Americans in an event known as the Sand Creek Massacre.
In 1996, the United Methodist Church (UMC), the successor to the Methodist Episcopal Church, apologized to Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians for Chivington’s violence toward their tribes.
In 2016, a historical report was presented to the General Conference further detailed Methodist Involvement in the Massacre. Besides the involvement of two prominent Methodists (Col. John Chivington and Governor John Evans), the Methodist Church promoted westward expansion of white settlers and defended Chivington and Evans after the attack. As a response, the UMC has led public events to recognize the massacre.
In 1996, the United Methodist Church (UMC), the successor to the Methodist Episcopal Church, apologized to Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians for Chivington’s violence toward their tribes.
In 2016, a historical report was presented to the General Conference further detailed Methodist Involvement in the Massacre. Besides the involvement of two prominent Methodists (Col. John Chivington and Governor John Evans), the Methodist Church promoted westward expansion of white settlers and defended Chivington and Evans after the attack. As a response, the UMC has led public events to recognize the massacre.
Interactive Timeline(s)
Browse Related Timeline Entries
Religious Groups
Methodist/Pietist Family: Other ARDA LinksMethodist/Pietist Family: Religious Family Tree
Related Dictionary Terms
Anglican FamilyPhotographs
Sand Creek Massacre- Internet Archive- from The Fighting Parson by Reginald S. Craig
John Chivington portrait- Internet Archive- from The Fighting Parson by Reginald S. Craig
Sand Creek Massacre engagement map- Hathi Trust- from The Fighting Parson by Reginald S. Craig
Delegation of Indian chiefs at Denver before the Sand Creek Massacre- Wikimedia Commons
Web Source(s)
https://www.resourceumc.org/en/content/delegates-recall-lament-sand-creek-massacre"GC2016 recalls, laments Sand Creek Massacre"
Web Page Contributor
Benjamin T. GurrentzAffliated with: Pennsylvania State University, Ph.D. in Sociology
