Which of these leaders is associated with the Battle of the Little Bighorn?

• A. Sitting Bull
• B. Crazy Horse
• C. Red Cloud
• D. Geronimo

Answer: (B)

Crazy Horse stands out as the Lakota leader most closely tied to the Battle of the Little Bighorn. In 1876 a large coalition of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and some Arapaho gathered, and Crazy Horse helped plan and direct the mounted attack that overwhelmed Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer and his 7th Cavalry. His leadership and coordination of the multi-tribal forces were crucial in executing the surprise, rapid assault that led to a decisive Native victory. While Sitting Bull played a central political and spiritual role and influenced the resistance, the battlefield leadership during the fight was Crazy Horse. The other figures listed were associated with different conflicts or regions: Red Cloud with earlier conflicts on the northern plains, and Geronimo with the Southwest in a later period. This combination makes Crazy Horse the leader most directly connected to that specific battle.