The Nez Perce Trail journey was primarily a response to increasing tensions and pressures from U.S. government policies and settlers encroaching on their lands. Two key events that led up to this journey include:
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Treaty of Walla Walla (1855): This treaty initially established a reservation for the Nez Perce tribe, but it was later violated as settlers moved into their territory, leading to conflicts over land rights.
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Gold Rush and Subsequent Treaties: The discovery of gold in the Pacific Northwest in the 1860s prompted an influx of miners and settlers into Nez Perce ancestral lands. In response, the U.S. government imposed the Treaty of 1863, which drastically reduced the size of the Nez Perce reservation, forcing the tribe to cede a significant portion of their territory and escalating tensions between the tribe and U.S. authorities.
These events set the stage for the Nez Perce War of 1877, culminating in their famous retreat along the Nez Perce Trail as they sought to escape encroaching U.S. military forces.
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