Native Americans 19th Century Essay

534 Words3 Pages

There is no doubt that the history between Native Americans and the government is one not to be proud of. It also goes to show that the United States never sat down and asked Native Americans what they wanted; if communication was conducted there would have been little conflict between the two. This overall theme is apparent in the 19th Century policy of Indian Removal and 20th Century’s Relocation and Termination policies. The main goal of the 19th Century policy of Indian Removal was to remove Native Americans from what was thought to be desired land. These policies were allowed to happen due to Native Americans being thought of as less than human. This image of being less than “human” was due to Native Americans never fully accepting Christianity as their religion. The main goal …show more content…

From first-hand experience, I remember my great grandparents first getting electricity and running water. This experience should have not moved me as much as it did because in the 21st century this should be a standard. This was less than a decade ago and many living on the reservation to this day still do not have those basic necessities. Economic development is something that is a major problem on the reservation as well. Although tribes like the Choctaw have used the reservations to create jobs and stimulate economic development, many still rely on the government. This is why these policies are thought to be successful and unsuccessful in their own separate way. It comes down to the situation an individual person comes from. In my situation, I used to live on the reservation as a young child but moved to Phoenix before beginning Junior High School. This has allowed me to see both sides of the situations and comprehend why both these policies are successful and unsuccessful. Overall, without these policies the Native American people might not be as proud as they are