Westward Expansion
Jaelyn Manning
All throughout westward expansion, the government, and people of the society then, wanted what wasn’t theirs. The Native Americans had what they wanted. They had made unfair agreements with the Native Americans, taking more than what they were giving out. When the Native Americans would refuse their biased offers, they’d turn to war to get what they wanted. When they did happen to give, they’d only give what was needed. They supplied the tribes with food and the supplies they needed, but constantly threatened to take that benefit away.
The government wanted the land that the Native Americans had. To get what they wanted, they’d end the Native American’s way of life. The government split up the tribes and wanted to send the groups to reservations. At these reservations the Native Americans would have to learn a whole new lifestyle. These reservations were also said to be better for them. Along with being more civilized, everyone was equal. There was no more chiefs, each man was a leader of their own and was given their own part of land. Their religion and beliefs were stripped away from them too. The Native American’s had to first take on a Christian name and get a proper education.
Throughout the government taking away the Native American’s life ways, they were willing and would obey, just so no one would get hurt. They lived the way they had to, to protect themselves and others. They’d object anything they thought was injustice to them, most of the time it was the threat to take away their living supplies and land. On the other hand, the Government just wanted more land and the gold found in those lands. They were willing to get rid off and take away from the Native Americans, not caring about how it could hurt them.