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The European encounter with the new world
Native American history essay
Native American history essay
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The Treatment of Native Americans on Reservations Ever since white men came to the New World, they were never at peace with the native peoples. One of the first white men to come to North America was Sir Walter Raleigh, who took the Indians he met as slaves as early as 1584. In the years that followed, settlers forced the Native Americans further and further west. By the year 1850, there had been many attempts at peaceful negotiations and uprisings on both sides, but the government eventually decided that reservations were the only way to contain the Indians and have peace. These reservations took away their pride, freedom, and way of life. Native Americans in reservations today are still plagued by lack of food and shelter, health and economic issues, forced education systems, alcoholism, and unemployment. They are stuck between the past and present, and trying to hold on to their heritage, which was taken from them by settlers. The Native Americans’ way of life was toppled by European settlers and explorers, beginning in 1524 when Giovanni da Verrazano met native peoples on the East Coast (DiNome, “American Indians Part III: Indian tribes from European contact to the era of removal”). Sir Walter Raleigh, who led an expedition in 1584 along with Philip Amadas and Arthur Barlowe, continued the peaceful relationship with the natives that Giovanni had started. However, as more and more expeditions were led to the Americas, the Europeans found out more and more about the native peoples, especially that they were “inferior and in need of being brought ‘to civilities’ ” (DiNome). In fact, the Spanish were the ones who are known to have massacred the Indians in America and the Aztec in Mexico due to their naïvetés. Having never see... ... middle of paper ... ...mber 2011. Web. 12 January 2014. DiNome, William G. "American Indians Part III: Indian tribes from European contact to the era of removal." North Carolina Encyclopedia. North Carolina Press. 2006. Web. 22 January 2014. "Life on the Reservations." United States History. Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia. N.d. Web. 12 January 2014. Wishart, David J. "Reservations." University of Nebraska-Lincoln - Encyclopedia of the Great Plains. University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 2011. 22 January 2014. "Indian Reservations." indians.org. The American Indian Heritage Foundations. N.d. Web. 22 January 2014. Rodgers, Walt. "Uncle Sam's shameful treatment of today's American Indians." The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor. 4 October 2010. Web. 12 January 2014. "Living Conditions." National Relief Charities. Native American Aid. N.d. Web. 12 January 2014.
It had previously been the policy of the American government to remove and relocate Indians further and further west as the American population grew, but there was only so much...
The process of assimilation, as it regards to the Native Americans, into European American society took a dreaded and long nearly 300 years. Initially, when the European’s came to the hopeful and promising land of the “New World”, they had no desire or reason anything but minimal contact with the Indians. However, starting in the 1700s the European colonists population skyrocketed. The need for more resources became evident and the colonists knew they could attain these necessities by creating a relationship of mutual benefit with the Native tribes. The Indians, at first skeptical, however became growingly open to the colonists and the relationship they were looking to attain. Indian furs were traded for colonial goods and military alliances were formed.
Lippert, Dorothy Thompson, and Stephen J. Spignesi. Native American History for Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub., 2008. Print.
Savannah: Beehive, 1994. Print. The. Cherokee removal, a brief history with documents. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, J.D.
Talking Back to Civilization , edited by Frederick E. Hoxie, is a compilation of excerpts from speeches, articles, and texts written by various American Indian authors and scholars from the 1890s to the 1920s. As a whole, the pieces provide a rough testimony of the American Indian during a period when conflict over land and resources, cultural stereotypes, and national policies caused tensions between Native American Indians and Euro-American reformers. This paper will attempt to sum up the plight of the American Indian during this period in American history.
Corbett, B. (1999). Last call in Pine Ridge For the Lakota’s in White Clay, Nebraska, death is on the house. Retrieved February 6, 2005, from http://ishgooda.org/oglala/whitcla1.htm
The Black Legend and White Legend: Relationship Between the Spanish and Indians in the New World
"Choctaw" UXL Encyclopedia of Native American Tribes-Volume 1. Sharon Malinowski, Anna Sheets, Linda Schmitroth. Detroit:1994 edition
Grinde, Donald, and Bruce Johansen. Ecocide of Native America: Environmental Destruction of Indian Lands and Peoples. Santa Fe, NM: Clear Light Publishers, 1995. Print.
In the 30 years after the Civil War, although government policy towards Native Americans intended to shift from forced separation to integration into American society, attempts to "Americanize" Indians only hastened the death of their culture and presence in the America. The intent in the policy, after the end of aggression, was to integrate Native Americans into American society. Many attempts at this were made, ranging from offering citizenship to granting lands to Indians. All of these attempts were in vain, however, because the result of this policies is much the same as would be the result of continued agression.
Utley, Robert M. The Indian Frontier of the American West 1846-1890. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1984.
The Board of Indian Commissioners was a committee that advised the United States federal government on Native American policy. The committee also had the purpose to inspect the supplies that were delivered to Indian reservations to ensure that the government fulfilled the treat obligations to tribes. The committee was established by congress on April 10th, 1869, and authorized the President of the United States to organize a board of ten or less people to oversee all aspect of Native American policy. President Ulysses S. Grant wanted to come up with a new policy, which would be more humane, with Native American tribes. The policy would be known as the Peace Policy, which aimed to be free of political corruption. This policy was prominent on
Natives were forcefully removed from their land in the 1800’s by America. In the 1820’s and 30’s Georgia issued a campaign to remove the Cherokees from their land. The Cherokee Indians were one of the largest tribes in America at the time. Originally the Cherokee’s were settled near the great lakes, but overtime they moved to the eastern portion of North America. After being threatened by American expansion, Cherokee leaders re-organized their government and adopted a constitution written by a convention, led by Chief John Ross (Cherokee Removal). In 1828 gold was discovered in their land. This made the Cherokee’s land even more desirable. During the spring and winter of 1838- 1839, 20,000 Cherokees were removed and began their journey to Oklahoma. Even if natives wished to assimilate into America, by law they were neither citizens nor could they hold property in the state they were in. Principal Chief, John Ross and Major Ridge were leaders of the Cherokee Nation. The Eastern band of Cherokee Indians lost many due to smallpox. It was a year later that a Treaty was signed for cession of Cherokee land in Texas. A small number of Cherokee Indians assimilated into Florida, in o...
Many people today know the story of the Indians that were native to this land, before “white men” came to live on this continent. Few people may know that white men pushed them to the west while many immigrants took over the east and moved westward. White men made “reservations” that were basically land that Indians were promised they could live on and run. What many Americans don’t know is what the Indians struggled though and continue to struggle through on the reservations.
Contrary to popular belief, discrimination of Native Americans in America still widely exist in the 21st century! So you may ask, why? Well, to answer that one question, I will give you 3 of the countless reasons why this unfortunate group of people are punished so harshly for little good reason. So now, let’s get into it, shall we!