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Examining how westward movement affected Native Americans and different cultures.
Imagine waking up tomorrow and being told you have to leave your home forever, carrying only what you can hold, because someone else decided they wanted your backyard. This was the reality for thousands of people as the United States grew.
As the United States grew in the 1800s, many Americans believed in Manifest Destiny. This was the idea that the country was 'meant' to stretch from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. However, this land was already home to hundreds of Native American tribes. The two groups had very different ideas about the earth. Most settlers believed in private property, meaning an individual could buy, fence off, and own a piece of land. In contrast, many Native American cultures viewed land as communal. They believed the land belonged to the whole tribe or to nature itself, and it was meant to be shared and cared for, not sold with a piece of paper.
Quick Check
What was the main difference between how settlers and Native Americans viewed land?
Answer
Settlers believed land could be owned by individuals (private property), while Native Americans often viewed land as shared by the community.
In 1830, President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. This law gave the government the power to force Native American tribes living in the East to move to 'Indian Territory' in what is now Oklahoma. The government wanted the fertile land in states like Georgia and Alabama for growing cotton. While some tribes fought back in court or through resistance, the U.S. military eventually forced them to leave. This changed their lives forever, as they were moved away from their ancestral burial grounds, sacred sites, and the specific plants and animals they relied on for food and medicine.
The Cherokee tribe tried to use the American legal system to keep their land. 1. They created a written constitution and a newspaper. 2. They took their case to the Supreme Court in Worcester v. Georgia. 3. The Court actually ruled in favor of the Cherokee! 4. However, President Jackson refused to follow the Court's decision and forced them to move anyway.
The most famous and tragic part of this relocation was the Trail of Tears. In 1838 and 1839, the Cherokee people were forced to march over 1,000 miles to the west. They traveled through a harsh winter with very little food, clothing, or shelter. Out of the roughly 15,000 Cherokee who started the journey, about died from cold, hunger, and disease. This event is called the Trail of Tears because of the immense suffering and the loss of nearly of their entire population during the march.
Quick Check
Why is the forced march of the Cherokee called the 'Trail of Tears'?
Answer
It is named for the great suffering, sadness, and the thousands of deaths that occurred during the 1,000-mile journey.
When tribes were moved to reservations, their entire way of life changed. 1. Hunting: Plains tribes that followed buffalo herds were now confined to small areas with fences. 2. Farming: Tribes from the lush Southeast had to learn to farm in the dry, dusty soil of Oklahoma. 3. Culture: Children were often sent to boarding schools where they were forbidden from speaking their native languages.
Imagine a map of your state. 1. In 1800, Native Americans controlled nearly of the land in the West. 2. By 1890, after decades of expansion and broken treaties, that land was reduced to small patches called reservations. 3. This meant tribes lost access to water rights and traditional hunting paths that crossed through what was now 'private' settler land.
Which law allowed the U.S. government to move Native Americans to 'Indian Territory'?
Approximately what fraction of the Cherokee population died on the Trail of Tears?
Native Americans and European settlers had the same ideas about how land should be owned.
Review Tomorrow
Tomorrow, try to explain to a friend or family member what 'Manifest Destiny' meant and how it affected the people already living in North America.
Practice Activity
Look at a map of the United States today and find Oklahoma. Research which tribes live there today and where their ancestors originally came from.