The Americanization of Native Americans Essay

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Alyssa Montano period 3 11­18­13
Indian Problem
The Native Americans tried so hard to blend in with the Americans, but Americans kept pushing them to reservations. The federal policy was taking the children away and putting them into Indian Schools, in attempt to “AMERICANIZE” Natives. The Indian Schools consisted of the children not being able to speak their own language, not allowed to practice their spiritual practice, and forced to cut their hair. But nothing changed, right after the Indians were done with school, they were sent right back to the reservation and weren’t aware of how their people truly lived. If Americans didn’t send Indians back to the reservation, the plan would have had a better chance of working. “Kill the Indian and save the man” was said by the founder of Carlisle Indian
School in Pennsylvania.
Due to the idea of Manifest Destiny, Americans desired westward expansion. As
Americans took over their newly purchased land, they forced the savage indians to congregate in small areas. The immense amount of Native Americans in the dense forests of the west was a huge problem for Americans. Americans believed that they deserved more land, that it was their
“God given right.” As pioneers expanded and explored the west, the Indian problem arose. The
Natives lived in areas in which Americans planned to industrialize. As America’s development progressed, established territories (states) were created. Natives, being savages and utterly different than Americans, were sent to walk miles to their new home. Americans sent Natives to unorganized territory toward the west­­of course only until westward expansion was more

necessary. The Natives were appalled by the idea of moving because they wanted to live on the soil “their blood had been shed and brothers were buried.” However, Natives were forced to move; being treated as a lower species. Native leaders attempted to solve this by addressing the
US government, but that was no use. White Americans tried to resolve the political dispute with more false promises.
During the numerous wars fought on American soil, Americans and Indians fought together. During colonial times, colonists joined forces with Natives, befriended them, and even fought together. Though, as “teenage” America yearned for freedom from “moma” Britain, they pushed away the Indians. They promised to share land and to live in harmony, but eventually relinquished violence upon them. During the Revolutionary war, some Native tribes joined forces with Americans and fought side­by­side; they were also promised to keep their land.
Other tribes were angry with these false promises and fought with the British. The British promised the Natives
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