A central promise of the 1851 Treaty of Fort Laramie was the annuity: an annual distribution of goods that the United States pledged to Plains nations in exchange for safe passage along the trails and the right to build roads and posts. The story of these annuities, and how they were reduced, illustrates a pattern that would recur throughout the treaty era.
What the annuities were
Annuities were payments made in the form of goods rather than cash. They could include items such as blankets, cloth, tools, cooking utensils, and provisions. For nations facing disruption from emigration and the strain it placed on the buffalo and other resources, these distributions were meant to provide a measure of support and to serve as compensation for the use of their lands.
At the 1851 council, the commissioners spoke of annuities to be provided over a substantial term of years. The Native signers understood these promises as part of the bargain they were making.
How Congress changed the terms
After a treaty is negotiated, it must be ratified by the United States Senate before it takes effect. In the case of the 1851 treaty, the Senate altered the agreement after the fact, reducing the term over which the annuities would be paid. What had been presented at the council as a longer commitment was shortened in Washington.
Crucially, this change was made without the full, informed consent of the nations that had signed at Horse Creek. Although efforts were made to obtain agreement to the revised terms, the process fell short of the open negotiation that had taken place on the Plains. To many Native people, the reduction was a breach of the understanding reached at the council.
A pattern of broken faith
The reduction of the 1851 annuities was an early example of a recurring problem: promises made in person on the Plains were later weakened or set aside through decisions in Washington. Delays, shortfalls, and poor-quality goods in the delivery of annuities further eroded trust over the years.
This pattern helps explain why later agreements, including the 1868 treaty, were approached by Native leaders with hard-earned caution. Promises on paper meant little if they could be changed or ignored. To learn more, see our articles on the U.S. commissioners and their aims and what broken treaties teach, or browse the 1851 treaty history category.
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