How the West Was Won

The Russian hunting expedition that served as the basis for conflict with the Sioux tribes of the Dakotas in this mini-series, was based on an actual highly publicized state visit to the U.S. by Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia in 1871 to 1872. This mini-series fictionalized the historic meeting amongst the Sioux, the visiting Russians, and their U.S. Army hosts into fabricated subplots of hostility and violence that devolved into a melodramatic tale of poaching, kidnapping, murder, political crisis, warfare, and genocide before the absurdity reaches its climax with a ritual suicide. Thankfully, history records a far more benign encounter with the Sioux during the Grand Duke's visit. U.S. Army preparations for the hunt were conducted well in advance of the Russian hunting expedition. The assistance of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody was employed in negotiations with the Sioux. Rather than being itinerant poachers on Sioux lands, as utilized in this mini-series, the U.S. government provided the Sioux tribes under Chief Spotted Tail with a wagon train containing tons of coffee, sugar, tobacco, and other provisions in exchange for the use of the Sioux hunting grounds. Chief Spotted Tail and hundreds of warriors greeted the expedition at its camp, and received the Grand Duke and his party as guests of the Sioux nation. Not only did the Sioux approve of the hunt, they participated in it, being eager to demonstrate their style of horsemanship and marksmanship to the "great white chief from across the water."

Edited from Escape from Fort Bravo (1953)