Race Conflict and Issues: Whites and Non-Whites Post- Revolution

European settlers have a long history of mistreating Native Americans. The most famous example is the Trail of Tears in which President Van Buren and the federal government forcibly and violently removed Cherokee Indians in 1838 from their native land. Over 18 thousand Cherokee women, men and children were forced to walk 1,000 miles from Georgia to Oklahoma. Of these people, 4,000 died from harsh weather, starvation and exposure to illnesses. European settlers during this time viewed Native Americans as uncivilized savage and used this perception to justify violently removing the Native Americans from their land. Native Americans initially accepted the European settlements but pleaded against being removed. The status of African-Americans in this time has generated debate among historians but there is enough evidence to show they were perceived similar to Native Americans; as not equal to European settlers. European settlers justified this by denying their natural rights. African-Americans, however, were seen as useful resources and they remained on their land and were used as slaves. In return African-Americans responded by attempting to escape to their freedom.

Native Americans were viewed poorly in the eyes of European settlers. "Europeans early perceptions of Indians were an important factor in how explorers and early colonist dealt with Native American people and in the end subdued them. They were sometimes considered barbarians because of their different lifestyle. European settled discussed in primary sources how their rituals and traditions were "horrible and abominable, and deserving punishment.” For example, Native Americans sacrifice souls to their idols as a ritual. Europeans did not think this was good behavi...

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...wn ever received a like sentence. The court made these rulings simply because of the color of their skins, which to them reduced African-Americans to a status lower than any white person.

It is evident that the Native Americans were unfairly removed from their homeland because the Europeans settlers saw them as savages not worthy to live among them. The Native Americans responded to their cruelty with pleads of desperation. These pleads of desperation were annoyed and instead excuses of doing what’s “best” for them both proceeded.

Works Cited

Breen, T. H., and Stephen Innes. "Myne owne ground": race and freedom on Virginia's Eastern Shore, 1640-1676. 25th anniversary Ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Wheeler, William Bruce, and Susan D. Becker. Discovering the American past: a look at the evidence. 6th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2007.