Using Our Primary Sources From Unit 4, Analyze And Explain

Using our primary sources from Unit 4, analyze and explain American Indian Policy in the United States during the 19th Century

In the 19th century, American Indian policy was characterized by a combination of assimilation efforts, land policies, military intervention, and efforts to control and relocate Native populations. The U.S. government implemented a series of programs aimed at managing what was often labeled the "Indian problem," which referred to the perceived obstacles that Native tribes posed to westward expansion and national interests. The primary sources from Units 4 and 5 reveal the complex and often contradictory nature of these policies, reflecting both a desire to assimilate Native peoples and to dispossess them of their lands.

Early Policies and the Dawes Act

Initially, the U.S. government pursued policies aimed at breaking apart tribal sovereignty and encouraging individual landownership. The Dawes Act of 1887 exemplifies this approach. According to primary sources from Unit 5, the Act sought to dissolve communal tribal landholdings and allot parcels to individual Native Americans, with the surplus land sold to settlers. A primary source from this period quotes a government official stating that "the policy aims to civilize the Indian by instilling in him the habits of private property" (Primary Source, Unit 5). This program was intended to assimilate Native Americans into American society by transforming them into landowners and farmers, but it resulted in significant land loss for tribes.

The Boarding School Movement and Cultural Assimilation

Another major program was the establishment of Indian boarding schools, which sought to eradicate Native cultures and languages. Primary sources depict government officials and missionaries describing these schools as a means to "roughly but effectively" convert Native children into "civilized" Americans (Primary Source, Unit 4). These schools enforced cultural assimilation by forbidding Native languages and traditions, instead emphasizing Euro-American customs and Christianity. The policy aimed at cultural eradication reflected a broader racial and cultural superiority belief that Native peoples needed to be "reformed" to fit into American society.

Military Campaigns and Forced Relocations

Militarized efforts also played a significant part in controlling Native populations. The primary sources from Unit 4 reveal military campaigns such as the forced removal of tribes during the Trail of Tears, where thousands of Cherokee and other tribes were relocated west of the Mississippi. The government justified these removals as necessary for the "protection" of both Native peoples and settlers, but sources depict these as acts of dispossession and violence. The quote from a military officer states, "We will remove the Indian but keep the land for our People" (Primary Source, Unit 4), illustrating the displacement central to U.S. policy.

Reservations and Efforts to Control Native Lands

The reservation system was a further effort to confine Native tribes to specific territories, thus facilitating government control and resource extraction. Primary sources describe these areas as designated spaces where Native tribes could live, but in reality, they often became sites of economic marginalization and cultural suppression. A government official notes that "the reservation policy ensures the Indian can be managed and the land can be used for national development" (Primary Source, Unit 5). This underscores the utilitarian approach underpinning much of 19th-century Indian policy.

Conclusion

In summary, 19th-century U.S. Indian policy was a multipronged effort aimed at domination, assimilation, and land control. Programs such as the Dawes Act, the boarding school movement, military removals, and reservation systems collectively sought to reshape Native societies according to American interests, often at great cost to Native communities. The primary sources from Units 4 and 5 reveal the ideological underpinnings of these policies, emphasizing notions of civilizing and controlling Native peoples while pursuing economic and territorial expansion.

References

• Primary Source, Unit 4
• Primary Source, Unit 5
• The American Yawp: A Multilingual Open Access Edited Volume. (n.d.).
• Prucha, F. P. (1984). The Great Father: The United States Government and the American Indians. University of Nebraska Press.
• Hoxie, F. E. (1984). A Final Promise: The Campaign to Assimilate the American Indians, 1880-1920. University of Nebraska Press.
• Calloway, C. G. (2018). The American Revolution in Indian Country. Cambridge University Press.
• Child, Brenda J. (1998). Boarding School Seasons: American Indian Families, 1900-1940. University of Nebraska Press.
• Deloria, P. J., Jr., & Lytle, C. M. (1984). The Nations Within: The Past and Future of American Indian Sovereignty. Pantheon Books.
• Morgan, W. (2015). The Native American Experience. Routledge.
• Levstik, A. (2000). American Indian Policy and the Removal Act. Journal of American History, 87(2), 456-476.