Thomas Jefferson's Solution To The Issues Of Westward Expansion And Native Americans

During westward expansion, the Native Americans got kicked to the side. The settlers coming west often saw the Indians as a threat to them and their families. However, this was not the main reason the Indians were pushed aside. The settlers saw the Indians had fertile land and wanted it for themselves. The Indians were the opposite of what the settlers thought they were. The Indians often helped the people moving west across the plains; giving them food, supplies, and acting as guides. However, the U.S. Government did not see this side of the Indians, instead they forced the Indians onto reservations. During the time of the expansion of the United States to the present, the Native Americans went through many things so that the United States could expand; they were pushed onto reservations, and forced to give up their culture through the Ideas of Manifest Destiny and Social Darwinism.

118). Tanaka was successful in portraying the lack of moral sense Blacks had and how they were obstacles in the way of Jefferson's dream of a Republic in America. The Native population held a similar dilemma for Jefferson in his aspirations for a homogenous society. Tanaka's explains that Indians carried some characteristics that could have been useful and prosperous in a republican society, "…in Jefferson's mind, Indians had potential blacks did not have: They had the intelligence capable of development which could enable them to carry out the commands of their moral sense" (Hollitz, pg.115). Tanaka expresses the fact that Jefferson viewed the Indians as possible compliant citizens of Virginia however; the Natives did not wish to be submissive to the way of American life. Jefferson's articulated in a letter to William Henry Harrison that the current state of Indians in 1803 was problematic and changes to their beliefs and ways of life were necessary in order to ensure a thriving republic, "The decrease of game rendering their subsistence by hunting insufficient, we wish to draw them to agriculture, to spinning and weaving" (Hollitz, pg.120). As both Tanaka and Jefferson alluded to, the Native

America’s westward expansion really affected the lives of the Native Americans in several ways. Since Americans were wanting land for farming, ranching, and mining, it took away the Native Americans land for hunting and gathering. In general, this dramatically changed the face of American history.

The question arises of why Thomas Jefferson commenced the great expedition of Lewis and Clark. “ Jefferson wanted to form an expedition that were able to gather valuable information about Western Indians while living at peace with them” (Ronda 1). This was important because the people that were going to move into the Louisiana territory had to make sure they had peace with the Native American. If people take away the Native’s food source, or destroy the materials they make a living out of, is going to cause conflict between the two. “The expedition was fashioned to explore the vast wilderness of what is now North Western United States. It was sponsored by the United States government and was led by U.S. army officers

The Westward Expansion was the nation's future as depended on by Thomas Jefferson. In 1803 the Louisiana purchase took place, doubling the size of the country. The Westward Expansion allowed the emigrants of the Oregon trail to expand out west, making the people a new start to a better future. The emigrant’s on the Oregon trail faced the most difficulty trying to survive and thrive in the west due to life threatening diseases, harsh weather patterns, and supply deprivation.

The Louisiana Purchase was a land sale between France and the United States in the year of 1803. In our history it is known as one of the largest land transactions to ever occur. The United States Congress decided to pay, “approximately $15 million dollars to France for over 800,000 square miles of land”. (www.thoughtco.com/jefferson-and-the-louisiana-purchase-104983) This became Thomas Jefferson’s greatest accomplishment through his presidency. By achieving this purchase it also posed a huge problem for the president. He knew the purchase would not be easy as it brought many dilemmas for him. His strong beliefs in “strict constructionism” brought about problems with the Constitution and money issues while trying to purchase. As well as hypocritical arguments with Alexander Hamilton over their opposed views.

In a private letter to Governor of the Indiana Territory William Harrison in February 1803, Jefferson outlines a plan to make the Indians dependent on farming by decreasing their ability to find game, and eventually making them in debt through trading, thus forcing them to sell their lands to pay debts, and lose their history and way of life. He also tells Harrison of plans for expansion to the west by purchase, taking unclaimed land, or driving Indians elsewhere if they should become violent or stubborn.

Early in the nineteenth-century and the Louisiana Purchase in hand,”… (Thomas) Jefferson, much as he struggled with the issue (Indian policy), could simply not envision a future for the United States that included a place for ‘Indians as Indians.’ As president, Jefferson tried to design an Indian policy that would humanely assimilate Native Americans into the new republic, but his vision of national expansion turned out not to have any room for Native Americans.”[4] Those who refused or resisted assimilation would be forcibly pushed westward to lands deemed unfit for anything by most Americans.[5] As expansion increased further West, the Native Americans faced another subtle weapon in addition to religion from the government in its attempt to subdue them – American-style education.

These treaties also led to Indian resistance and increasing difficulties with the native peoples. As Thomas Jefferson took over the Presidency in 1801, he was determined to civilize the Indians. He planned to take over the land in a peaceful manner. In return, the Americans shared with the Indians their civilized way of living. Jefferson's goal was to educate the Indians and convert them to Christianity. He did this in hopes that the two cultures would be able to co-exist. However, his planned failed and continuous problems arose between the Americans and the Indians.

Subsequent to the political, social, and economical changes that occurred because of the "Manifest Destiny", the lives of the Native Americans had been changed forever. " Manifest Destiny is a term for the attitude prevalent during the 19th century period of American expansion that the United States not only could, but was destined to, stretch from coast to coast." (Manifest Destiny). This attitude encouraged the United States to begin to build settlements westward, which resulted in the removal of Native Americans. It deprived them of their land, and in some ways, their independence; they were faced with inequality and were forced to fight with the Americans. "

Westward expansion was a new thing and time in our country and had many impacts on the American people and ways of life. The government made it available to buy a lot more of land in the West. Our government gave opportunities for people to move west for a better life or more land in the west. The government gave opportunities like the homestead act where the government would give families 160 acres of land if they moved west at the time this deal was going on. This act was signed into law by President Lincoln in 1862. People moved west for any opportunity they could. People moved for a new life, more land, and more opportunities in

As the U.S. population began to expand into the west, they came into increased contact with the Indian tribes. The issue of American expansion and opposition from Indian tribes had always been a constant topic of debate in the U.S. congress. Some men adopted the Jeffersonian idea and argued that tribes that became "civilized" could be assimilated into the nation. Others urged for the complete removal of Indian tribes from U.S. territory. The conflict came to the front stage when Andrew Jackson assumed office. Jackson's vision for the future of the nation, and that of democracy had no room for Native Americans in U.S. territory, and thus believed that the best course of action for the country was for the forceful relocation of Natives west of

Although, President Jackson is often credited with initiating the Indian Removal because it was passed during his presidency in 1830, he was merely implementing a plan laid out by Jefferson in a series of private letters written in 1803.Jefferson wanted to expand his borders into the Indian Territories, without leading to war, so he planned to make them give up their own culture, religion, and lifestyle, and instead embrace the European culture, Christianity, and agricultural lifestyle. He expected that by making the Indians farmers that they would willingly give up their land in exchange for the resolvent of

In the second part of his letter to Harrison, Jefferson wrote, “The crisis is pressing. Whatever can now be obtained must be obtained quickly. The occupation of New Orleans, hourly expected, by the French, is already felt like a light breeze by the Indians.” This excerpt shows Jefferson’s fear of the Indians becoming bold and attacking Americans under the guise of French protection. He knew that after France repossessed Louisiana, that the Indians would be even less likely to move off their lands.

?savagery? (Takaki, 44). The natives were then considered to be an unimprovable race. They were incapable of being changed, their traits were inherent and their descent caused them to be this way. The thinking of the Americans was that the Indians had to removed off their lands. One of the leaders in this movement was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was a man who pushed for the advancement of his