Western Expansion And Its Effects On The Lives Of Native Americans

Manifest Destiny and the Westward Expansion was made so that the Americans could expand as far as the Pacific Ocean. All though this was a benefit for the Americans, it caused the Native Americans and the Mexicans to deal with a lot of hardship. There were many political, economic, and social reasons for Manifest Destiny, but these reasons did not always have positive outcomes.

For some, it was destiny to move west. Although there were many conflicts and disagreements between ourselves and others, it was destiny to move west because of overpopulation, new inventions of transportation methods, and new opportunities.

From 1865 onward, Native American culture was greatly changed by the westward expansion of the united states. Government action effectively destroyed native culture. The US was not justified in its ruthless westward expansion because of the harm dealt to the native people and the change in the American economy.

In the 1800’s , the Plains Indians moved westward to allow them to  make a better living and have a good life on the frontier because of the Homestead Act. The homestead Acts were several U.S. laws that gave the citizens ownership of land. It gave men and women 160 acres of land free of charge if you paid $10 to claim the land. If you cultivated for at least five years the settler could gain ownership of the land. The government encouraged citizens to move westward and live on the reservation of the Great Plains. The government did this to reduce the amount of land the

There were both positive and negative components of westward expansion from 1800 to 1875. By the late of 1800s, the land of the United States was mostly purchased. In seventy five years, the United States continuously expanded westward, which was encouraged by the idea of Manifest Destiny. New land in the United States led to more economic, social, and political opportunities. Gaining more land also led to disputes between the states and wars with other countries. Between 1800 and 1875, America continuously expanded westward through the acquisition of new land; there were both favorable and unfavorable consequences and outcomes of westward expansion.

The Native Americans had endured nearly a century of forced removal westward. By the end of the century, American policy makers thought of ways on how to “civilize” native people undermining traditional settlement and cultural ways. Then For instance including them with American white values. Also the establishment of schools for the youth were gradually getting

Many Native American tribes, including the Sioux, had been hunting and living off of the land long before the white man had arrived. Through the years, these tribes had claimed ownership over the land and were enraged when the settlers began to invade and demolish their land, killing their main source of food and clothing, the buffalo. To make matters worse, President Andrew Jackson enacted the Indian Removal Act which authorized the forcing of these tribes onto reservations in Oklahoma and elsewhere. But, some tribes, the Sioux in particular, fiercely resisted. Hostilities between the Native Americans and the white man were now more apparent than ever. Raids carried out by both sides took place often. These raids resulted in the destruction and burning of housing and supplies and often led to a loss of numerouos lives. These happenings occurred around the same time that Jules Verne’s novel, Around The World In 80 Days, took place. An excellent example within the novel that correctly portrays the Native American’s hostility towards the people that they see as invaders takes place while the group is traveling by rail to Omaha.” They then perceived that the train was attacked by a band of Sioux. This was not the first attempt of these daring Indians, for more than once they had waylaid trains on the road.” The white man treated the Indians very poorly taking their land and their main food source. In result, the Indians fought back, and when they did so, the whites did too with just as much force. This controversy’s source was the very same railroad that impacted the West in many beneficial ways. There are always negatives and positives when a transformation occurs. The westward expansion of the transcontinental railroad is a prime example. It has impacted the land in multiple ways, and helped to form the thriving economy that makes up the area

First of all, Native Americans were settled on a hotbed of natural resources which included oil and precious metals such as silver and gold. There was also much fertile land that would entice farmers and frontiersmen to move out west. On this land there was so much potential economic opportunity for farmers, cattle drivers, miners and many other occupations. The government developed the popular public misconception that the indians were misusing the land and that Americans had the right to take advantage of the opportunities that lie in the west. These ideas led to the Dawes Severalty Act of 1887 which authorized encroachment of Indian lands by the US government in order to divide up reservations and control Indian activity. The government tried to force assimilation on Native Americans as well as an attempt to “kill the indian, save the man.” These ideas and policies are similar to those popular during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. Jackson developed a sense of ‘paternalism’ towards indians and believed he was saving them by forcing them to live out west of the Mississippi river away from white culture. The difference was that Jackson did not believe in assimilation of indians into white culture, he believed they should be kept separate. With the help of the Federal government removing indians from land west of the Mississippi, Americans were

Throughout the seventeenth century, conflict between Europeans and Native Americans was rampant and constant. As more and more Europeans migrated to America, violence became increasingly consistent. This seemingly institutionalized pattern of conflict begs a question: Was conflict between Europeans and Native Americans inevitable? Kevin Kenny and Cynthia J. Van Zandt take opposing sides on the issue. Kevin Kenny asserts that William Penn’s vision for cordial relations with local Native Americans was destined for failure due to European colonists’ demands for privately owned land. On the other hand, Cynthia J. Van Zandt argues that despite military disputes among the two bodies, trade alliances between the groups continued. Van Zandt further claimed that relational failure stemmed from conflict among various Europeans nations advocating for dominance over the New World. The overarching purpose of the argument is to determine

The transformation of the West changed the frontier into a new and growing part of the United States. Over the period of twenty five years the land changed drastically. New technologies were created allowing the expansion of the United States to continue marching forward. The Native Americans were conquered and the railroads brought greater civilizations.

Prior to the English landing on the Eastern shores in 1607 of what is now known as the United States of America, Native Americans dominated areas from coast to coast [of the future nation]. Many of these tribes had built their own form of society, influenced by maternal dominance, agriculture, fishing, hunting, trade, and religion (Foner, Chapter 1).Unfortunately, their way of life was altered as soon as Europeans began emigrating and landing on the Americas, and began taking over the land Native Americans had possessed for centuries. Although weakened by a wave of disease, many tribes showed acts of resistance against their invaders, in disputes like the Pueblo Revolt, King Philip 's’ War, and Worcester v. Georgia. These acts of resistance

As the white Europeans began to discover America the continent, the Native Americans perceived America as the only home they had ever known. As the white Europeans began to migrate in bigger quantities they began to harass the Native tribes. Throughout the course of the relationship a new nation as built using enslaved labor and the white Europeans, now referring to themselves as “Americans”, began pushing the Natives farther west to allow the United States to expand. Using many methods the Native Americans responded to the threat of removal made by the United States by adapting to the religious, educational, political, and cultural practices of the peoples of the United States. Even though there are a multitude of tribes that made movements

Historians who practice historiography agree that the writings from the beginning of what is now known as the United States of America can be translated various ways. In James H. Merrell’s “The Indians’ New World,” the initial encounters and relationships between various Native American tribes and Europeans and their African American slaves are explained; based on Merrell’s argument that after the arrival of Europeans to North America in 1492, not only would the Europeans’ lives drastically change, but a new world would be created for the Native Americans’ as their communities and lifestyles slowly intertwined for better or worse. Examples of these changes include: “deadly bacteria, material riches, and [invading] alien people.” (Merrell 53)

Natives tried to resist and defend their land, but the white’s weapons were too advanced. The idea of selling land was misunderstood because of language differences. As settler with Christian ideologies expanded, Native culture became an issue. Different laws were passed by several presidents stating, that Indians should be removed. With all the power of a president, Andrew Jackson signed into law The Indian removal act which forced millions of Native Americans off their sacred lands. They were pushed away with many broken promises and signed treaties. Natives were miserable, they did not want to give up their lands but they had no choice, the government was too strong. The act also authorized the slaughter of numerous villages. Redbird clarifies that with lack of weapons, native had no choice than to be forced off their lands. The US stole acres of land and forced them to relocated and live in regions that were unbearable for tribe populations. They were put on their own plot of land where they were not allowed to leave, and hunt much. The U.S government called them reservations. According to the article “Following the footsteps of our Cherokee ancestors," the author Megan Hansen describes the Trail of Tears an important date in American history when Native Americans were forced out of their homeland. (Hansen) The trail was aimed to kill them along the journey; Natives had to face unbearable circumstance, many of them died from a lack of nourishment, dehydration, and several diseases that their bodies could not withstand; that also includes the numerous of the times U.S soldiers raped the women and mistreated

Native American land and culture was impacted greatly by the western expansion of the United States in countless ways. Before the U.S. wanted to expand and take over land in the west Native Americans roamed freely and lived in villages along rivers and streams without disturbance. The Continental railroad had many reasons to do with conflict between Natives and whites. Furthermore people and miners looking for opportunities and gold in the west pushed Natives off of their land and claimed it as their own. This caused the Natives and the U.S. to have many violent battles in desperation to keep their land this caused devastating massacres of Natives. In the mid to late 1800s Native Americans experienced many changes in where they lived, their