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Shoshone History Timeline
(c. 1000 CE–Present)Origins and expansion
Eastern Shoshone crossed the Rockies
1500
By 1500, some Eastern Shoshone had crossed the Rocky Mountains into the Great Plains, extending Shoshone presence eastward from the Intermountain West.
Eastern Shoshone expanded across the northern plains
1500 - 1750
Through mastery of horsemanship, the Eastern Shoshone expanded their territory well into the northern plains. During the same broad period, another Shoshone branch moved south toward Texas and emerged as the Comanche by 1700.
The Comanche emerged from a Shoshone branch
1700
By 1700, a Shoshone branch that had moved as far south as Texas had emerged as the Comanche, marking an important division in the later history of Shoshone-related peoples.
Image source: Comanche
Meriwether Lewis recorded the name Sosonees
1805
In 1805, Meriwether Lewis recorded the tribe as the “Sosonees or snake Indians,” an early written form of a name associated with the Shoshone.
Image source: Meriwether Lewis
Eastern Shoshone reservation established on the Wind River
1860 - 1869
The displacement and pressure faced by the Eastern Shoshone escalated until the establishment of the Shoshone Reservation on the Wind River in the 1860s.
Image source: Wind River Indian Reservation
Transcontinental railroad was completed
1869
The completion of the first transcontinental railroad in 1869 was followed by European-American immigrants arriving in unprecedented numbers in Shoshone territory.
Image source: First transcontinental railroad
Conflict and alliances
Eastern Shoshone pressure intensified after 1750
1750 - 1860
After 1750, the Eastern Shoshone's advantage in warfare diminished. Pressure from the Blackfoot, Crow, Lakota, Cheyenne, and Arapaho pushed them south and westward toward the Rocky Mountains.
Shoshone wars continued across the nineteenth century
1850 - 1900
Wars involving Shoshone communities occurred throughout the second half of the nineteenth century, reflecting conflict with neighboring peoples and the United States.
Image source: Shoshone
Sheepeater Indian War began
1859
In 1859, a band of approximately 300 Eastern Shoshone, known as Sheepeaters, became involved in the Sheepeater Indian War.
Fort Bridger treaty secured by Eastern Shoshone
1863
In 1863, Eastern Shoshone led by Chief Washakie allied with the American government and secured a treaty at Fort Bridger.
Key Facts
- The Shoshone are Indigenous peoples whose traditional homelands include parts of present-day Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and California.
- Shoshone communities traditionally relied on diverse environments, gathering plants, hunting, fishing, and seasonal movement across the Great Basin and surrounding regions.
- The Northern, Western, and Eastern Shoshone developed distinct communities and political relationships while sharing related languages and cultural traditions.
- The 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley established limited peace and defined Shoshone territorial rights, but it did not eliminate later U.S. encroachment on their homelands.
- Shoshone nations continue to preserve their languages, cultures, and sovereignty through tribal governments, education, cultural revitalization, and legal advocacy.
Source
This Shoshone History timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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