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Americans and Indians have a long history of relations. There were different episodes of brutal conflicts and peaceful agreements. However, the most drastic changes occurred in the nineteenth century. The Corps of Discovery, war, and assimilation policies had the most significant impact on the development of the relationships between Native Americans and the US citizens. The main goals of this paper are to explain and characterize the evolution of Native Americans in the nineteenth century.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, several groups were formed and sent to discover Western lands. This risky mission was supported by President Thomas Jefferson. The groups were called the Crops of Discovery (“Native Americans”). Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were leaders of this project. The expedition traveled across the country, exploring lands and communicating with indigenous peoples. The corps met multiple tribes that led to different lifestyles and spoke different languages. Some of them welcomed discoverers and engaged in trade. That is why they could build strong relationships. However, other tribes were afraid of aliens.
However, many Indian tribes had economic ties with Great Britain, which hindered the expansion of Americans. In 1812, the war between the United States and Great Britain united Indians and the British in a military alliance (“Relations between”). Many Midwestern Indian tribes fought against Americans. In the period between 1814 and 1816, the feuds between Americans and Indians tribes were settled due to several peace treaties (“Relations between”). Subsequently, Indian agents began to collaborate with American militaries. However, problems between them continued occurring and resulted in several uprisings, which were unsuccessful for Indians. In the 1830s, American politicians implemented a strategy to move all Indians to Western lands. They began to establish reservations. This process was ensured by the Doctrine of Manifest Destiny.
The main problem that caused conflicts between Americans and Indians was a widespread idea that Native Americans should have accepted the way of life of ‘civilized’ people and give up their traditions. That is why most American policies were aimed at assimilating Indians into a new culture. They established multiple schools for Indian children to teach them English. Americans tried to communicate their knowledge related to farming and trade to Indians. Indian children were forbidden to speak their languages, wear their traditional clothes, and practice tribal customs.
Among such assimilation programs, one had the most significant impact. Dawes General Allotment Act was enacted on February 8, 1887 (“Dawes General Allotment”). This law provided Indians with the land within their reservations. It was aimed at “creating responsible farmers in the white man’s image” (“Dawes General Allotment”). The law was introduced and supported by Henry L. Dawes, a senator from Massachusetts. This act allowed the president to fund a new program that guaranteed 80 acres to every single adult and 160 acres to each household if they would not leave this land within 25 years (“Dawes General Allotment”). Thousand Indians received plots and became citizens of the United States. Politicians who supported the act prioritized the well-being of Native Americans. However initially, they could not pass it due to the small number of votes in Congress. Subsequently, the law was amended, which made these plots available for public sale. Land speculators and politicians worked together to assure the passage of the act.
In conclusion, there were several turning points during the course of the nineteenth century. The Crops of Discovery that explored new areas, the War of 1812, and the Dawes Severalty Act are among the most important episodes that influenced the evolution of Native Americans. However, the main goals of all the policies related to Indians in the nineteenth century were to assimilate these communities and make them a part of American society.
Works Cited
“Dawes General Allotment Act.” EncyclopaediaBritannica. Web.
“Native Americans and the Lewis and Clark Expedition: Hospitality and Hostility.” University of Virginia. Web.
“Relations between Indians and U.S. Citizens.” MPM. Web.
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