The Native Americans and Euro-Americans settlers were more different than similar from one another. THESIS: Both the Native Americans and Euro-Americans have very different lifestyles, cultures, and dissimilar perspectives. Euro-Americans saw themselves as conquers of the civilized world and saw the Native Americans as “savages”. Both Euro-Americans and Native Americans had a different theory about the land; it created problems between the two.
When the settlers of Europe first came to the new world, they were introduced to the Native Americans. The settlers wanted the Natives to follow their culture and its benefits such as education, religion, and the usage of the environment. The Native Americans refused the request, stating they have their own type of culture, believing it to be the most superior; as a result, the Natives’ statement angered the ethnocentric settlers. Consequently, this caused a conflict between the two groups because of their culture differences. Firstly, the main culture difference consists of religion, tradition, and way of living.
The white settlers wanted the Native’s land, which was in the Northern and Eastern states, for its fertile ground for growing cotton. This created the first seeds of conflict. Since the Americans sold a big part of cotton to the world (Wallace), they needed more land so they could sell more and get more money. Settlers came to the Indian’s lands so they could make them profit and flourish (Trail; Indian). Americans believed Native Americans were “Unfamiliar, alien people who occupied the land the white settlers wanted” (History.com Staff), causing these two cultures to clash, creating a need for compromise.
Native Americans lived according to their culture and religion, but they didn’t speak English and didn’t understand the rules of American society. The government had to somewhat “Americanize” the Native Americans. Which was a very difficult task and a huge responsibility. The government made the Dawes act. Which broke the Native American’s reservations and gave each one of them their own land.
In the 1862, many Americans began the move westward in hopes of new beginnings. However, majority of this land was already being occupied by Native Americans. The Natives became infuriated that the Americans were overtaking and ruining their land. This created tension between Natives and Americans. The ghost dance became a new hope for Indians as they believed it would help “stop the White Men”.
In the 16th Century, Spain became one of the European forces to reckon with. To expand even further globally, Spanish conquistadors were sent abroad to discover lands, riches, and North America and its civilizations. When the Spanish and Native American groups met one another, they judged each other, as they were both unfamiliar with the people that stood before them. The Native American and Spanish views and opinions of one another are more similar than different because when meeting and getting to know each other, neither the Spaniards nor the Native Americans saw the other group of people as human. Both groups of people thought of one another as barbaric monsters and were confused and amazed by each other’s cultures.
From colonial times until the end of the Indian Wars in 1890, the people in America went through a series of unfair and unfortunate events. Mainly for the Indians which are also called the first peoples. These events could have been handled with much more consideration for the Indians. There are many times when the Americans went too far including the Removal Act of 1830, the Reservation System, and the Act for the Government and Protection of Indians.
Native Americans in the 1920s were forced into assimilation. Many Native Americans tried to reject the assimilation, some tried to adapt the white man’s practices with their own practices, and others accepted the assimilation. Forced assimilation began at a young age beginning in the 1920s. Young Native Americans were taken from their homeland and tribes and were sent to assimilation schools. The assimilation schools stripped the young children of their Native American identities by renaming the children, cutting the children’s hair, changing the attire they were allowed to wear, and teaching the children tasks that were beneficial for the white population but not for the traditional Native Americans.
At the arrival of the Europeans to North America, a large variety of Native Americans lived within the borders of North America. There were thousands of different tribes, all of which were separated into different regions. All tribes had their own religious beliefs, political systems, and languages. The only consistent things between each tribe was that their identities relied on their own tribes, not one tribe though of itself united with another, and they all wanted to use white people as a way to better their standings with other tribes.
The Whites were so reluctant to adopt the culture of war from the Native Americans. Both nations showed a lot of determination to outdo each other. Their sole aim was to win no matter the cost. Therefore, the Native military motive was simply adopted by the European. Nevertheless, they showed no resistance in adopting the new agricultural techniques from each other.
The treatment of African Americans and Native Americans in the 1800s was significantly different from each other. Despite both groups facing oppression, slavery, and discrimination, their experiences varied greatly. While Some might argue that African Americans deserved it and that Native Americans didn't rightfully own the land now known as the US. African and Native Americans were treated very poorly because of the difference in race, beliefs, and the wanting to claim discoveries that have already been found. The colonists feared an alliance between African and Native Americans if they realized that their real enemy was the English, who took native land and forced Africans to work it.
Between 1870 and 1900, an estimated 25 million immigrants had made their way to the United States. This era, titled the Gilded Age, played an extremely important role in the shaping of American society. The United States saw great economic growth and social changes; however, as the name suggested, the Gilded Ages hid a profound number of problems. During this period of urbanization, the publicizing of wealth and prosperity hid the high rates of poverty, crime, and corruption. European immigrants who had come to the United States in search of jobs and new opportunities had fallen into poverty as well as poor working and living conditions.
Native Americans flourished in North America, but over time white settlers came and started invading their territory. Native Americans were constantly being thrown and pushed off their land. Sorrowfully this continued as the Americans looked for new opportunities and land in the West. When the whites came to the west, it changed the Native American’s lives forever. The Native Americans had to adapt to the whites, which was difficult for them.
Throughout the 19th century Native Americans were treated far less than respectful by the United States’ government. This was the time when the United States wanted to expand and grow rapidly as a land, and to achieve this goal, the Native Americans were “pushed” westward. It was a memorable and tricky time in the Natives’ history, and the US government made many treatments with the Native Americans, making big changes on the Indian nation. Native Americans wanted to live peacefully with the white men, but the result of treatments and agreements was not quite peaceful. This precedent of mistreatment of minorities began with Andrew Jackson’s indian removal policies to the tribes of Oklahoma (specifically the Cherokee indians) in 1829 because of the lack of respect given to the indians during the removal laws.
The Spanish based their colonies on the promise of finding gold and possessing it, while the English Settlers based their colonies on the preaching of Christianity all while believing that the land they possessed and owned was how they would gain their liberty, independence, and ultimately their freedom. The Native Americans believed that the land belonged to not one person, but to a community instead; as long a you showed deep respect for it and cared for it as so mandated by the great spirit. Whether it be by the use of violence, religious education, or respect, every society and every person had different views on how the land and its resources should be
