In the 1850s, American colonists started to move westward and started to take over more of the “unclaimed” territory. There were many Native American tribes living in the west already and the Americans pushed them out of their land in order to expand their own territory. The government and all the people moving westward had to take severe actions in order to acquire the land they wanted.
During the period of the 1860s to 1890s, the lives of Native Americans were severely affected because they were being forced to assimilate to a new culture, and their government being changed drastically and their rights were taken away without any notice or say in what was going on. During the period of the 1860s to 1890s, the lives of Native Americans were severely affected because they were being forced to assimilate to a new culture. Native American, Chief Luther stated, “It did not occur to me at the time that I was going away to learn the ways of the white man.
My idea was that I was leaving the reservation and going to stay away long enough to do some brave deed, and then come home again alive. If I could just do that, then I knew my father would be so proud of me. ” (Document C) The Native Americans were taken away from their work and their families in order to learn the way of the white man which they were not even aware of. Many Native American children were also forced away from their parents to go to American schools and to learn of American values.
Also, Native Americans could not practice their own religions and values in the reservations so their lives were very restricted. Native Americans’ tents and their ways of being nomadic would be forced away from them and that they would live in built houses and go to American schools and learn of the English language (Document F). It took away a lot of their freedom and their lives were becoming controlled. They could not even follow their own values that they’ve known for so long.
During the period of the 1860s to 1890s, the lives of Native Americans were severely affected because of the forced change in government and laws. Manifest Destiny was created by the government in order to give reason to their western expansion to both the Americans and Native Americans. On the morning of the 29th of November, many U. S. troops under Colonel Chivington surprised and massacred a camp of Indians, including a large number of women and children (Document B). Many innocent Native Americans were taken out for no reason because of orders placed by the government.
In Document D it describes how they scouted buffalo on the prairie and how they shall kill off all the buffalo to meet the demands of the future. The Native Americans praised animals like the buffalo and they were forced to kill them in ways out of their nature. The Homestead Act was for western settlers to gain land that was to be 160 acres and the act took away the land from the Native Americans that were already in those lands (Document E). In total about 14,000,000 acres of land was taken away from the Native Americans by the Government, (Document G).
In Document H it shows a quote of a Native American fighting against the government. It describes how he was tired of fighting and that many chiefs and many other men were already killed by U. S. troops. They took away the Native Americans’ spirits. The government really changed how the Natives lived and also affected their values as well. During the period of the 1860s to 1890s, the lives of Native Americans were severely affected because of their rights being taken away and they had no say in what was going on with their land and their lives.
Americans attacked Native American women and children. The Americans attacked many tribes and their villages and took over their land. “A long time ago this land belonged to our fathers; but when I go up to the river I see camps of soldiers here on its bank. These soldiers cut down my timber; they kill my buffalo; and when I see that, my heart feels like bursting; I feel sorry,” (Document A). Native Americans lost their right of keeping the land that they have lived on for many years. Also, in document G it illustrates a poster saying over fourteen million acres of Indian Territory is for sale.
Their land was being taken away from them and most likely without their consent. Native Americans and their rights were of the least of the issues of the government during the movement. Western expansion was both a negative and positive thing. Western expansion was positive because it created many jobs for Americans and gave many Americans to start a new life in the west or improve upon the life they already had in the east. Western expansion led to an increase in natural resources that the Americans possessed new railroads, new industries and a chance to cultivate the vast western plains.
It was also negative because of the effect that it had on the Native Americans. Most of the Native Americans were either killed, or forced to join the American society and follow the American ways and did not have any say in what was going on. The lives of Native Americans were severely affected because they were being forced to assimilate to a new culture, and their government being changed drastically and their rights were taken away without any notice or say in what was going on.
