Exactly 400 years ago, English settlers founded the first settlement called Jamestown near the Chesapeake Bay in the state that today is Virginia. The following four-hundred years were filled with battles for land, struggles for independence and the building of the myth of a new, promised land that held life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for everybody.
Many books have concerned themselves with the history of the United States of America, painting a glorious picture of a country which emerged to become one of the world's leading countries in less than 200 years after its foundation in 1789, when the first 13 states formed the United States of America.
Historians work on writing books about great wars like the Civil War, about the great authors and artists that this so called 'New-Republic' produced, about the ups and downs in the economy and the promise of that new 'Virgin Land' which had been given to the Europeans to form a new, better country in which all men are considered equal and possess the same inalienable rights on life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Those books report about the flawed system of the American South, which was based on slavery and therefore on depriving a certain group of humans of just those promised rights. And they report about how the slaves were freed and integrated into the society over a century. They are mentioned as an integral part of this wonderful new country, which, after the civil War ended, managed to unify again into one, becoming today's world's most powerful country.
Undoubtedly, minority problems are mentioned, there are the Jews, the Chinese-Americans, the Hispanics and all the other immigrant groups, which are constantly being discussed in the politics, the media, even at school. Programs are started, bilingual schools are offered and other efforts are made to include those people into the melting pot of infinite possibilities.
But one race, that one which possesses the oldest rights to that land, because they have been there for centuries before the Europeans had even head or dreamed of this so-called 'New World', has constantly been ignored throughout history – the Native American people.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. A general outline of the history and race conception of Native Americans until 1820
3. A New Policy – The Time from 1820 – 1860
4. Comparison and Conclusion
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper examines the history of Native Americans from 1607 to the present, focusing on whether the systemic repression of their culture was driven by racial prejudice or by political motivations related to territorial expansion, particularly during the critical period between 1820 and 1860.
- The evolution of Native American race conceptions from early colonization to the 19th century.
- Political strategies of early U.S. presidents, including Adams, Jefferson, and Jackson, regarding indigenous tribes.
- The impact of westward expansion and "Manifest Destiny" on the treatment of Native populations.
- The discrepancy between the democratic ideals of the American Constitution and the reality of Native American removal.
- A comparative analysis of the treatment of Native Americans versus African Americans.
Excerpt from the Book
2. A general outline of the history and race conception of Native Americans until 1820
To examine how Native American people were seen at a special point of time, it is necessary to investigate at first how they were seen before, in order to understand how that opinion of the race came to exist. Also, in order to examine anything, be it history or culture, that has to do with Native American people, it is imperative to understand that what we refer to as Native Americans, is actually a large group of people who can be divided into hundreds of different tribes, therefore hundreds of different traditions, cultural backgrounds and languages. It is imperative to understand that we are not dealing with just one large group with roughly the same way of living. Only if we keep that in mind, we will see that settlers in different places encountered different tribes, and with that people of different languages and traditions. Some tribes were peaceful, others warfare tribes, some tribes lived in tribal communities and long houses, their governmental system similar to the European system (e.g. The Iroquois did have what we would call a democratic government and elections, just not in a written form), while others lived in a system comparable to a monarchy.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The introduction outlines the central thesis that the repression of Native Americans was primarily a political tool for land acquisition rather than strictly a result of racial ideology.
2. A general outline of the history and race conception of Native Americans until 1820: This chapter analyzes early contact between European settlers and indigenous tribes, highlighting the initial status of Native Americans as trade partners before colonial expansion altered this relationship.
3. A New Policy – The Time from 1820 – 1860: The chapter examines how Manifest Destiny and acts like the Indian Removal Act were used by the U.S. government to justify the forced displacement of tribes, specifically focusing on the tragic experience of the Cherokee nation.
4. Comparison and Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the findings, comparing the socio-political status of Native Americans with that of African Americans and reaffirming that political necessity was the root driver for stripping Native peoples of their rights.
Keywords
Native Americans, US History, Indian Removal Act, Manifest Destiny, Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Cherokee, Trail of Tears, Colonialism, Racial Policy, Land Acquisition, Westward Expansion, Sovereignty, Indigenous Rights
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic paper?
The paper investigates the history of the Native American people and the causes of their systemic repression in the United States, arguing that political interests took precedence over purely racial motivations.
What are the primary thematic fields covered in this study?
The study centers on political history, the evolution of American policy towards indigenous tribes, the role of presidential decision-making, and the cultural conceptualization of Native Americans during the early Republic.
What is the core research question or objective?
The primary objective is to determine whether the continuous repression and removal of Native American tribes was truly based on a deep-seated racial conception of inferiority or if it was a pragmatic, political choice to facilitate land acquisition and territorial expansion.
Which scientific or historical methods does the author employ?
The author uses historical analysis, comparing the documented views and policies of early American presidents (Adams, Jefferson, Jackson) and influential contemporary figures like Ralph Waldo Emerson to assess shifts in political and social discourse.
What subjects are addressed in the main body of the text?
The main body covers the initial contact phase, the transition of Native Americans from allies to perceived "problems," the impact of the Indian Removal Act, the case of the Cherokee nation, and the concept of Manifest Destiny.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include Native Americans, Westward Expansion, Indian Removal Act, Manifest Destiny, political interests, tribal sovereignty, and the contradiction of American democratic ideals.
How does the author characterize the role of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in Indian affairs?
The author describes Adams as having a romanticized yet ultimately detached view, while Jefferson is portrayed as a scientist who admired Native culture but subordinated these interests to the political requirement of acquiring new land for immigrants.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the "Trail of Tears"?
The author views the Trail of Tears as the culmination of a radical political policy initiated by Andrew Jackson, serving as evidence that even tribes that had fully adapted to European-American "civilized" life were still subjected to violent removal when it served the nation's expansionist goals.
- Quote paper
- Katharina Reese (Author), 2007, Race Conceptions of Native Americans from 1820 until today, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/163260
