The American West Was Home To Diverse Groups Of Native Ameri

The American West Was Home To Diverse Groups Of Native Ame

The American West was inhabited by various Native American groups who occupied a wide range of landscapes and cultures. During this period, U.S. government policies toward Native Americans and freedpeople demonstrated contrasting yet sometimes overlapping forms of racial prejudice and systemic oppression. Comparing policies of extermination and assimilation toward Native Americans in the West with those directed at freedpeople in the South reveals both similarities and dissimilarities in how racial hierarchies and prejudices were institutionalized in different contexts. Understanding these policies aids in comprehending the persistent patterns of racial discrimination and violence that shaped American history, highlighting the importance of examining the roots of systemic racism and its impact on marginalized groups.

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The history of the American West is deeply intertwined with the treatment and policies directed at Native Americans, as well as the experiences of freedpeople after the Civil War. These groups faced policies rooted in racial prejudice, which aimed either to eliminate their presence or to culturally assimilate them into the dominant white society. Analyzing these policies reveals the ways in which racism was embedded within government actions and societal attitudes, shaping the destinies of Native Americans and African Americans alike.

Historically, Native Americans in the West faced policies of extermination and forced removal, exemplified by the Indian Wars, the Trail of Tears, and the subsequent reservation system. These efforts were driven by a racialized belief in the superiority of the white American civilization and an ethnocentric view that Native cultures were obstacles to progress. The U.S. government’s use of military force, coupled with legislation such as the Indian Appropriations Act (1851) and the Dawes Act (1887), sought to dismantle Native social structures and erase their cultural identities. This form of extermination was not solely physical but also cultural—a process of forced extinction through displacement, destruction of spiritual sites, and suppression of Native languages.

Conversely, policies aimed at assimilating Native Americans, such as the reservation system and the boarding school movement, sought to eradicate their traditional ways of life and replace them with Euro-American cultural norms. These policies reflected a belief that Native identities were inferior and needed to be transformed for the sake of ‘civilization’. Analogous to these efforts, the post-Civil War South implemented policies toward freedpeople that aimed to regulate and impose social hierarchy, often under the guise of "freedom" and "civil rights." The Black Codes and later Jim Crow laws institutionalized racial segregation, disenfranchisement, and economic exploitation, perpetuating a racial hierarchy predicated on white supremacy.

Both sets of policies exemplify systemic racism. In the West, Native Americans were subjected to violence, displacement, and cultural suppression justified by racial prejudice portraying them as obstacles or inferior peoples. In the South, freedpeople were denied civil rights and subjected to segregation and violence, justified by racial stereotypes portraying Black people as inherently inferior or dangerous. This racial prejudice was reinforced by pseudoscientific theories, media stereotypes, and legal codes that dehumanized both groups.

Despite different contexts, a key similarity lies in the justification of these policies through racial prejudice. Native extermination policies cast Native peoples as savages that needed to be eliminated or transformed, whereas racial segregation and discrimination against freedpeople depicted African Americans as inherently inferior or unfit for full citizenship. Both strategies aimed to establish and maintain white dominance, often employing violence as a tool for enforcement, such as the Massacre at Wounded Knee or racial lynchings in the South.

In analyzing primary sources from the textbook, one can observe how Native leaders protested these policies through petitions and speeches, denouncing the loss of their lands and cultural rights. Similarly, African Americans organized during Reconstruction and beyond—through Black churches, political activism, and civil rights movements—to resist segregation and disenfranchisement. These sources reveal the resistance of marginalized groups against systemic oppression and highlight the persistent struggle for recognition, rights, and dignity.

Understanding these policies sheds light on the broader historical pattern of racial discrimination in the United States. It underscores the importance of acknowledging the historical roots of systemic inequality, which continue to impact Native and Black communities today. The persistent legacies of these policies manifest in contemporary issues such as racial violence, economic disparities, and cultural marginalization. Recognizing these patterns is crucial for fostering a more equitable future based on acknowledgment of past injustices.

References

• Calloway, C. G. (2018). The Indian World: A Guide to Contemporary Native America. Routledge.
• Foner, E. (2014). Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863–1877. Harper & Row.
• Hoxie, F. E. (2012). Uneven Ground: American Indian Sovereignty and Federal Law. University of Oklahoma Press.
• Liparc, S., & Foner, E. (2015). The Struggle for African American Equality. Routledge.
• Perkins, R. (2003). The Ferris Administration and Native American Policies. University of Nebraska Press.
• Roark, J. L., & Johnson, L. A. (2018). The American Promise: A History of the United States. Bedford/St. Martin's.
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