Western Frontier
By Nick Dooley
Native American treatment
When throughout history has the cost of enlarging a nation overridden the value of human life? Our government needed more land due to the population increase we also wanted the land because it had a lot of gold. The land that we wanted was the Native Americans land. We offered to pay them $1.25 an acre for their land. The Native Americans wanted to keep their land. Our government was going to take the land with or without the Native Americans approval. We did not care if they accepted our offer, we would take it any way.
The government wanted to get more land. The land that they wanted was the Native Americans. In order to get the land the government created a plan. The plan was to make the Indians need full citizenship. They gave the Native Americans 160 acres. On that land they were required to plant crops. Also to get the Native American’s land they offered to pay $1.25 an acre of their land.
The Native American’s land would be taken with or without them agreeing. If they disagree with receiving $1.25 per acre the land would be taken without a payment. The Native Americans still did not want to give up their land.
The reservations the Native Americans were in very bad condition. Their was not much medicine at all. The Native Americans were getting very ill and dying. The illnesses they got were wooping cough, measles, and influenza. They also did not get much clothing and the clothing they received had holes in them and so did their blankets. They also had no freedom to do what they wanted. If they did not farm they would be told they had to farm whether they liked it or not.
The Native Americans refused to give their land. Chief sitting bull was going to be arrested but he was shot and killed. Along with many other Native Americans who tried to run away were shot. After Sitting bull's arrest soldiers came to take the Native Americans weapons. They Native Americans did not want to give their weapons. A fight broke out and many Native Americans were killed and wounded. All of this happened very quickly. People that were trying to flee that did not even do anything were shot even little kids were shot.
The Native Americans were not treated well at all. They were forced to become citizens. They were forced to go to church and school and give up their beliefs. The land that they owned was taken from them. The buffalo they had coexisted with were killed. They died of sickness and starvation or they were killed. All of this was because we wanted their land. Even though we were going to pay them $1.25 an acre it is still their land that they had lived on for so long, without their approval was just taken. The Native Americans were forced to change their way of life. We did not care about the Native Americans all we cared about was getting their land.Native Americans
Western Frontier homestead act
Work cited
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N.D. “Native American Reservation Controversies.” <http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006675508/> March 18 2016
Dec 31 2013. “ Westward Expansion The Homestead act of 1862 & The Frontier Thesis”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbwVl-0AP6s
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<http://www.newstatelands.org/images/> March 18 2016
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<https://www.pinterest.com/pin/507358714242882424/>
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