American Treatment of Native Americans

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Before, during, and after the Civil War, American settlers irreversibly changed Indian ways of life. These settlers brought different ideologies and convictions, such as property rights, parliamentary style government, and Christianity, to the Indians. Clashes between the settlers and Indians were common over land rights and usage, religious and cultural differences, and broken treaties. Some Indian tribes liked the new ideas and began to incorporate them into their culture by establishing written laws, judicial courts and practicing Christianity, while other tribes rejected them (“Treatment”). Once the United States purchased Louisiana from the French in 1803, Americans began to encroach into the Indian lands of the south and west which led to more battles between the two groups, until Congress passed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forcibly removed Indians out of their lands in the southeast and into the western territories. These policies continued until the Civil War. Due to the Civil War, westward expansion slowed down which gave the Indians more autonomy and less interaction with the American settlers. The high cost of the war, high casualties, and fear of a split nation forced President Lincoln and Congress to ignore the Indian problem for some time. The signing of the Homestead Act of 1862 and the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 by President Lincoln had severe impacts on the Indians and their new western territories (Black). These two acts brought the Americans further into the western Indian territories, promoted the destruction of natural resources which supported the Indians, and started the eventual creation of Indian reservations as they are today (Black). The early and sustained policies of the United Sta... ... middle of paper ... ...rieger, Louis E. Wilson, and Nancy Woloch. "Cultures Clash on the Prairie." The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2005. 206-07. Print. Danzer, Gerald A., Klor De Alva, J. Jorge, Larry S. Krieger, Louis E. Wilson, and Nancy Woloch. "Latinos and Native Americans Seek Equality." The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2005. 772-73. Print. “Five Civilized Tribes.” Infoplease Pearson Education, 2012 Web. Francis, Lee. Native Time: A Historical Time Line of Native America. 1st ed.: New York: St. Martin’s Press January 1996. Print. "Legendary Native American Figures: Unetlanvhi." Unetlanvhi (Ouga), the Creator God of the Cherokee. Web. "Native American Nature Spirits of Myth and Legend." Native American Indian Nature Spirits. Web. "Native American Religion." The History of. Web.

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