Native American Colonization Research Paper

Words: 1015
Pages: 5

Picture a world untouched by colonization. Without the influence of European powers spreading across the earth, many indigenous societies would have developed and thrived according to their own cultural, social, and political systems, creating a more diverse world. Unfortunately, that is not the case for our world. European influence has spread across continents through colonization and has committed genocide on many indigenous societies. In 1492, Christopher Colombus connected the new world and the old world, which marked the beginning of colonialism in the Americas. Colonization is the action or process of settling among and establishing control over the indigenous people of an area. Colonization was harmful because it caused the decline of Native Indian population, destroyed the way of life of colonized …show more content…
Furthermore, warfare and genocide against Indians caused a decline in population. The US wanted the vast Indian lands and launched thousands of attacks on Indian tribes, slaughtering Indian chiefs, soldiers and even civilians, and taking Indian lands for themselves. In addition, they tried to diminish the Indian population through the Indian Removal Act. On March 28, 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, beginning the forced relocation of thousands of Native Americans. It became known as the Trail of Tears, where more than 4,000 died on the journey of disease, starvation, and exposure to extreme weather. Colonization had devastating effects on Native Indians population through warfare, genocide, forced relocation like the Trail of Tears, and disease through the Columbian exchange. If you are still pro-colonization, consider the dismantlement of Native Indian traditional way of life. Another reason why colonization was harmful was because it annihilated the way of life of so many Native Americans. For example, we see this in Europeans civilizing Native