Module 5 Assignement Impacts of Westward Expansion
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Dec 6, 2023
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Impacts of Westaward Expansion on Native Populations
Victoria Tillotson
American College of Healthcare Sciences
HIST 201 American History
Professor Dardis
November 12, 2023
Impacts of Westaward Expansion on Native Populations
The Westward Expansion of the United States during the 19th century had significant and
often devastating effects on Native American populations. As American settlers moved
westward, they encroached upon the ancestral lands of indigenous peoples, leading to a series of
conflicts, displacement, and the erosion of Native American cultures and ways of life. As settlers
moved west, they often forced Native American tribes off their traditional lands through the use
of treaties and, sometimes, military force. The Indian Removal Act of 1830, which led to the
forced removal of the Cherokee Nation from their ancestral lands in the Southeast to present-day
Oklahoma (known as the Trail of Tears), is a notable example (Public Broadcasting Service,
n.d.). Native Americans depended on the land and its resources for their traditional economies,
which included hunting, fishing, and agriculture. The arrival of settlers disrupted these
economies, depleting game, fish, and fertile lands. Tensions between settlers and Native
Americans frequently escalated into violence (Hemenway, n.d.). The Sand Creek Massacre in
1864 and the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890 are tragic examples of deadly conflicts that
occurred during this period (U.S. Department of the Interior, 2022). The Westward Expansion
brought with it significant cultural changes for Native American tribes. Forced assimilation
through policies like the Indian Boarding School system aimed to eradicate native languages,
traditions, and religions (National Museum of the American Indian, 2020). The U.S. government
often signed treaties with Native American tribes, but these agreements were often violated or
abrogated when settlers' interests conflicted with them. The Supreme Court's decision in
Worcester v. Georgia (1832) affirmed tribal sovereignty, but this was not always respected in
practice (Lumen Waymaker, 2023). To accommodate settlers and separate them from native
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populations, the U.S. government established reservations, often on less desirable lands. This
policy restricted the movement and autonomy of Native American communities (Elliott, 2016).
The introduction of new diseases by European settlers, to which Native Americans had no
immunity, caused devastating epidemics, leading to a significant decline in native populations
(Colleen et al., 2022). The Westward Expansion undoubtedly had a profound and lasting impact
on Native American populations, resulting in significant hardship and loss for these indigenous
communities.
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References
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