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Prior to European settlement, the Native American peoples thrived and populated much of the Americas. When Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492, he mistakenly believed he'd landed in the East Indies and called the indigenous peoples "Indians." The arrival of European settlers marked a shift of power in the Americas as the colonists began to take away from the Native Americans resources and believed themselves to be the superior and sophisticated race. -
Native Americans faced brutality and conflict as the Europeans began to flood into the Americas. The goal of many of the colonists was to destroy the Native American population. As such, Native Americans were often forced off of their land as the Europeans continued to settle and expand in the Americas. Any resistance often led to conflict and massacres. The Europeans also brought many diseases with them which killed many indigenous peoples since they had no immunity to them. -
As westward expansion continued, white settlers petitioned the government for the removal of Native American tribes. Any resistance met from Native Americans was met with forced removal. Major General Andrew Jackson led an expedition against the Creek Indians and destroyed their military power. The Creek was forced to sign a treaty in which they gave up millions of acres of their land to the government. Other tribes faced similar conflicts and forced removal. -
The Indian Removal Act forced all Native American tribes which were east of the Mississippi river to land west of the river. President Andrew Jackson issued this act and this forced relocation demonstrates how the Native Americans are a minority. This was caused by the increased pressure of white settlers to take Native American lands. Thousands of people were forced to relocate, including the forced removal of the Cherokee nation known as the trail of tears. -
President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Indian Appropriation Acts into law in order to fund further removal of the Native Americans. These acts declared that the US wouldn't have to make treaties with any Native American nation, tribe, or power. This allowed the for white settlers to take more land and expand further throughout America and oppressed the Native American population. These acts forced groups of Native Americans onto reservations of land granted to them. -
Boarding schools for Native Americans, run by the American government and Christian missionaries, were established to assimilate them into society by "civilizing" them. Located in areas away from the reservations, the children were separated from their families. Children were pushed to reject their native cultures and the attempt to eradicate Native American culture continued. Mistreatment and abuse often occurred in these schools, negatively affecting the Native Americans for generations. -
The Dawes Act of 1887 reversed the movement to relocate Native Americans onto reservations of land provided by the government. It authorized the president to divide the Native American's tribal lands into individual allotments that were mixed with white settlers, and reduced the Native Americans group power. The goal was to force Native American assimilation into U.S. society and resulted in a large loss of Native American lands to white settlers. -
President Calvin Coolidge signed a bill in 1924 which granted Native Americans full citizenship. At last, Native Americans born in the US were formally recognized and given the rights and protections of citizenship. This allowed Native Americans to vote and became a basis for future struggles in equality, social justice, economic opportunities, and tribal sovereignty. -
The Indian Civil Rights Act guaranteed most of the rights contained in the Bill of Rights to Native American tribes and marked a decline in the attempt to eradicate Native American Culture. The act was signed by President Johnson and had the goal of ensuring the Native American peoples had the same rights written in the constitution. Native Americans were then more freely able to practice their culture and traditions. -
The United States Government signed into law the Indian Self-Determination Act and the Indian Education Assistance Act in 1975. These recognized Native American tribes by the government and increased their tribal powers. Native American groups were able to come together again and work to preserve their cultural heritage and traditions. This helped to give Native Americans more control over their own affairs and get federal aid for things like education and medical assistance.