Western Migration: How Did It Affect Native Americans?
Traditionally, when one thinks of the expansion of the American West, the event most likely to come to mind is the California Gold Rush of 1849. Western Migration had such a huge impact on a lot of people including the Native Americans who were forced out of their communities into reservations. The Western Migration also reminded of how like the Native Americans lost their rights during that time.
Beginning in 1618, the head right system offered fifty acres of land to new migrants who promised to raise tobacco or to wealthy sponsors who paid for the passage of a migrant, and fueled a westward flow of land hunters and tobacco farmers. Soon rich aristocrats wanted land too, forcing poor farmers to migrate farther west to get hold of land. While trying to go west people had to stop several times because they encountered with Native Americans who weren’t happy to see us in their territory.
During the 19th century the western expansion of the United States forced a large numbers of Native Americans from enormous areas of their territory, either by forcing them into marginal lands farther and farther west, or by just killing them. President Andrew Jackson, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forced the Five Civilized Tribes from the east onto western reservations, primarily to take their land for settlement. The forced migration was marked by great hardship and many deaths. Its route is known as the “Trails of Tears.” Conflicts generally known at the time as "Indian Wars" broke out between U.S. forces and many different tribes. There were several treaties during the 19th centaury, but later were eliminated because for a lot of other reasons. There were also several battles including a victory for the Native Americans at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, and the massacre of Native Americans at Wounded Knee in 1890.
On January 1876 the United States goverments ordered all the remaining Native Americans to move in to reservations. During the 1960s Native Americans were being arrested for teaching their traditional beliefs. These reservations that the Indians were forced into is a huge problem because its has a high rate of unemployment, and poverty. Some states even failed to recognize that they have Native Americans tribes. For example Virginia has no federally recognized tribes, because of the work of one man, Walter Ashby Plecker. In 1912, Plecker became the first registrar of the state's Bureau of Vital Statistics, serving until 1946, a confirmed white supremacist. A law passed by the state's General Assembly recognized only two races, "white" and "colored". Plecker pressured local governments into reclassifying all Native Americans in the state as "colored", leading to massive destruction of records on the state's Native American community. In order to receive federal recognition and the benefits it confers, tribes must prove their continuous existence since 1900s.
I think that the Native Americans were treated just like the African Americans. They were forced to leave their homelands into these reservations that are ruining their lives just like the African Americans were forced to be slaves. The Native Americans had their rights taken away and they got arrested just for trying to teach their old beliefs to their young ones. I don’t think some Native Americans will never forget what a huge impact western migration had on them.
Traditionally, when one thinks of the expansion of the American West, the event most likely to come to mind is the California Gold Rush of 1849. Western Migration had such a huge impact on a lot of people including the Native Americans who were forced out of their communities into reservations. The Western Migration also reminded of how like the Native Americans lost their rights during that time.
Beginning in 1618, the head right system offered fifty acres of land to new migrants who promised to raise tobacco or to wealthy sponsors who paid for the passage of a migrant, and fueled a westward flow of land hunters and tobacco farmers. Soon rich aristocrats wanted land too, forcing poor farmers to migrate farther west to get hold of land. While trying to go west people had to stop several times because they encountered with Native Americans who weren’t happy to see us in their territory.
During the 19th century the western expansion of the United States forced a large numbers of Native Americans from enormous areas of their territory, either by forcing them into marginal lands farther and farther west, or by just killing them. President Andrew Jackson, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forced the Five Civilized Tribes from the east onto western reservations, primarily to take their land for settlement. The forced migration was marked by great hardship and many deaths. Its route is known as the “Trails of Tears.” Conflicts generally known at the time as "Indian Wars" broke out between U.S. forces and many different tribes. There were several treaties during the 19th centaury, but later were eliminated because for a lot of other reasons. There were also several battles including a victory for the Native Americans at the Battle of Little Bighorn in 1876, and the massacre of Native Americans at Wounded Knee in 1890.
On January 1876 the United States goverments ordered all the remaining Native Americans to move in to reservations. During the 1960s Native Americans were being arrested for teaching their traditional beliefs. These reservations that the Indians were forced into is a huge problem because its has a high rate of unemployment, and poverty. Some states even failed to recognize that they have Native Americans tribes. For example Virginia has no federally recognized tribes, because of the work of one man, Walter Ashby Plecker. In 1912, Plecker became the first registrar of the state's Bureau of Vital Statistics, serving until 1946, a confirmed white supremacist. A law passed by the state's General Assembly recognized only two races, "white" and "colored". Plecker pressured local governments into reclassifying all Native Americans in the state as "colored", leading to massive destruction of records on the state's Native American community. In order to receive federal recognition and the benefits it confers, tribes must prove their continuous existence since 1900s.
I think that the Native Americans were treated just like the African Americans. They were forced to leave their homelands into these reservations that are ruining their lives just like the African Americans were forced to be slaves. The Native Americans had their rights taken away and they got arrested just for trying to teach their old beliefs to their young ones. I don’t think some Native Americans will never forget what a huge impact western migration had on them.
14 comments:
WOW!
IM THE FIRST TO COMMENT YOUR BLOG.I LIKE HOW YOUR BLOG IS WELL DEVELOP AND HOW YOU FULLY EXPLAINED WESTERN MIGRATION AND HOW IT AFFECTED NATIVE AMERICANS.I DIDNT KNOW THAT THE NATIVE AMERICANS FROM ENORMOUS AREAS OF THEIR TERRIORTY WERE FORCING THEM INTO MARGINAL LANDS FARTHER FARTHER WEST.
To be honest, when i think of western American expansion, I think of people dying from dehydration. Isn't that horrible?? Back to your blog: it was easy to read, which I personally like. And your pictures give it a more personable feel. I bet that once people got out to the West and encountered so many Indians and so many battles, they'd be like, "So, why'd we leave in the first place...?" The Trails of Tears and the Indian Wars are just evidence that migration in the west could've gone smoother. Perhaps better planning could've done it? After all, people just decided to up and leave, like a real simple decision. If the president had called for it himself, or got a plan together, maybe the Indians wouldn't have had it so rough.
Your blog was great in describing how western migration negatively affected Native Americans. Because the colonists wanted to increase their wealth and land ownership, the government cruelly forced the Natives into small reservations. I can see how this relates to African Americans, who were deprived of their natural rights also. The Trails of Tears literally had Native Americans crying as they left their homelands and entered a new life of poverty.
This is a great blog! I like how you described the extremely unfair practice of taking away the Natives’ lands and simply trying to find a way to keep them at least satisfied. What the government did to them and their land was terrible. They’ve been living in that land for centuries, and less than a century, all their land and history was taken away from them. Like you said, I also believe that the Natives were treated much like the Africans during the Triangle Trade all the way throughout Reconstruction.
This blog made me feel like i was reading out of a text book! The pictures you included made it feel even more like an online text book. It was amazing! I don't think anyone could top it. I loved how certain dates and names were included not just what happened to the indians. I also agree with you that the indians were treated bad like the African Americans and how it was completely unfair.
I really liked you blog and I also liked how you include relevant pictures too. I learned from you blog that they had an Indian Removal Act of 1830, which by law, made them move farther west. I also learned that in the 1960s Native Americans were arrested for teaching traditional beliefs. I like reading your blogs because they are always original and I always learn something that I didnt already know, from reading you blogs. Great job. :]
wow! what a nice blog! i like how you decorated your blog with pictures. that is something that i rarely see in other people's blogs. And i like how you explain the effects of the western migration on the native americans. yeah, what the native americans had to encounter was similiar to what the african americans had. They both lost their rights and freedoms to live and move wherever they pleased. They both were considered subjects to the white people. its really amazing to see that the white people still mistreated the colored people after the Reconstruction when the native americans were considered "colored" and "inferior".
I can't believe the Indian Removal Act of 1830 even got passed. How did that happen?! It's horrible that the natives had to fight to keep their homes and to stay alive because of intruding settlers. The government's decision to start the whole reservations thing (46 years after the Indian Removal Act - way too long) was a step in the right direction, but the fact that they didn't follow through to make it a bearable community to live in completely thwarted the effort. Your blog and had a ton on information and it was helpful. Good job. :]
Your blog was very interesting. Growing up you don't eally here how settlers moving west stole native american land. Your blog gave a lot of good details on what occurred as the settlers moved west.
freshta!
Your blog was fantastic. I like the way you added some pictures, which gave me a better visual of things. It was very crazy, and unfair how Native Americans were treated. Forcing them out of their OWN homelands was just rediculous. I strongly agree that Natives and African Americans were treated very similar.
NICE! I really like the pictures you added in there. i also liked how you talked about the native americans. Honestly when i would think of western expansion I didnt think of native americans but now i do. Nice job.
Your blog was tremendous! I have to agree on what Claire said on the whole picture thing. I really like how you explained all the unfair things they did for the native americans such as taking their land and killing them. I partially agree on your opinion on the end on how Native Americans were treated just like African Americans only because I think African Americans had it harder.
wow this was REALLY good. I really like how you used pictures in your blog. it made me pay more attention :) haha but it's such a shame that America is so self righteous. we can never accept another ethnic group's beliefs without persecuting them. first the native americans, then the african americans, even now our prejudices are still going on. it's crazy and unfair.
I enjoyed reading your blog. The pictures helped keep my attention more. You did a good job explaining how westward migration had a negative affect on Native Americans. I agree with you when you say its unfair for the Native Americans how their life is being altered.
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