The Detrimental Effects Of European Colonization Of American Indians

American Indians truly experienced numerous atrocities when the Europeans came and conquered their lands. Prior to European colonization, each tribe lived in harmony and developed their own unique culture based on the environment where they resided. Their nomadic and hunter-gatherer lifestyles depended on the ability to cultivate their lands for sustenance. Consequently, the violent seizure of their lands stripped them of their unique cultural identities and led to a genocide of their people. Experiencing genocide was most detrimental for American Indians because now most groups are extinct and forgotten in history. During their conquest, European settlers invaded the lands of the Natives and killed them if they resisted, which made it easier

Government enacted numerous policies that allowed them to overtake and control American Indians. The Indian Removal Act of 1830, signed by President Andrew Jackson, forced American Indian tribes off of their lands and relocated them into reservations. During the Trail of Tears, they had to travel on foot to reservation sites; consequently, many died and some barely even reached their destination. Moreover, the Homestead Act, signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1862, allowed White settlers to fill out an application in order to own a portion of the land that was stolen from the American Indians. Likewise, the Dawes Act of 1887, passed under President Grover Cleveland, allowed the U.S. government to divide and distribute tribal lands to American Indians. Essentially, this act authorized the U.S. government to take away land from the Natives and only assigning them a portion of their precious land. This forced them to abandon their traditional ways of living and assimilate into American society by focusing on farming. Tribes, now living on separate plots of designated land, were now further fragmented. Their children were also forced to assimilate into American culture by being taught English in

White people constantly desire to be the dominant group in the United States, so they fear that one day, minorities will become the majority group. In order to maintain their place at the top of society, they must obscure white privilege by denying the existence of white supremacy. Without ideas of white superiority, White people may lose power and no longer be the dominant group in society. This country was founded on beliefs of freedom and equality, yet minority groups exist who are underrepresented in society due to racism and feelings of white supremacy. Over time, white supremacy has certainly dialed down with the emergence of the civil rights movement and more mindful individuals; however, it is still prevalent in modern America since racial discrimination is still an