preview

Cruel and Inhuman Treatment of Native Americans by the Colonists

Better Essays
Open Document

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 …show more content…

This act authorized the President of the United States the power to relocate all tribes to the west side of the Mississippi River. This became known as the Trail of Tears, a brutal and devastating 1200-mile journey west. The Trail of Tears was filled with death and tragedy for the Indians tribes. Heavy rains caused them to have to drag wagons through thick mud, the food was of low quality and in low supply and disease and illness spread quickly. Death was a daily occurrence on this journey. I simply cannot imagine being kicked out of my home, but also having to leave behind a deceased loved one or family member on the side of the road. All of this was done because the European Americans needed more land. However after years of relocation of the Natives, the inevitable happened, there was no more land to be ceased. What were the European Americans to do now? In their opinion they only had one option, assimilation.
It is very clear that the European American’s idea of assimilation was much different than that of the Natives. The Indian tribes were all civilized in their own unique ways. Each individual tribe had their own form of religion, currency and even government. The Cherokee Indians even created their own Constitution and laws. “We, the representatives of the people of the Cherokee

Get Access