How Did Hugh Henry Brackenridge Not Care Much For The Indians

Hugh Henry Brackenridge did not care much for the Indians. In his article, he referred to them as “animals, vulgarly called Indians” (Brackenridge, 185). Indians claimed their land by “occupancy” (Brackenridge, 185). One Indian would set foot on a piece of land so he believed that that area of land belonged to him. When another Indian set foot on that same piece of land, the first Indian asked him to leave because he had already claimed that land. Hugh Henry Brackenridge disagreed with this idea. He thought that every man should have an equal right to the land because all of it was given to man. Hugh Henry Brackenridge did not think that the Indians should have any rights to the land. The Indians had not improved the land for many years. He

He said “as animal food decreased, their vegetable productions were not increased” (Cass, 215). The American’s even tried to help them by sending missionaries to their tribes. The missionaries would try to teach them agriculture, religion, morals, and other things that would help with their survival. This was unsuccessful because the Indians stuck with what they already knew. The Indians never learned a single thing from the Europeans throughout their whole existence. This was the fault of the Indians because they would not adopt what the Europeans were trying to teach them. Lewis Cass also said, “Every Indian submits in youth to a process of severe mental and corporeal discipline” (Cass, 216). During this process, the Indians were taught to hate labor. They were supposed to be hunters and warriors, and hate any other job. The Indians had no form of government. The lived more by family ties than a real government. “They have no criminal code, no courts, no officers, no punishments. They have no relative duties to enforce, no debts to collect, no property to restore” (Cass, 217). The Indians addressed their problems with revenge and their rights were secured with