Federal gvmt’s role in restricting rights of NAs

What was Manifest Destiny?

The land in the West was seen as representing America’s freedom. The gvmt through it’s legislation encouraged settlement and fought the white settler-colonists into contact and conflict with the NAs

What was an example of Manifest Destiny with Great Plains?

Encouraged the gvmt to make grants of land that cut across the Great Plains, where the majority of NAs lived, to rail companies

What was an example of Manifest Destiny with Pacific Railway Act?

In 1862, the gvmt had passed this Act, which allowed the companies to take sufficient materials for the building of the line from the land alongside the tracks

How did Manifest Destiny restrict NA rights?

Gvmt granted 155 million acres of land between 1850 and 1871 thus depriving NAs of large tracts of land. The government took the view that the NAs must simply accept this and adapt

What did gvmt believe about the Reservation Policy and putting NAs on reservations would do?

The gvmt believes that putting NAs on reservations would end their nomadic life and separate them from the buffalo. It would let the gvmt control them and prevent them from leaving reservations

What would happen to NAs on reservations?

Whilst they were on reservations,easier for the gvmt to educate them and remove all elements of tribal customs. Gvmt defined those living on the reservations as wards or dependants of the state, so didn’t allow NA civil rights

Why did this policy lead to a lack of civil rights for NAs after 1871?

NAs lost the rights in treaties, as gvmt pursued a more aggressive policy of assimilation, encouraged by M Destiny. So if the gvmt required the land they were unwilling to negotiate with NA chefs in order to obtain it.

Which tribe resisted this policy?

 Lakota after the Battle of Little Bighorn

What did the gvmt do without regard for earlier treaties?

Reduced size of reservations, however the battle also led to a change in approach from the government, with the introduction of the allotment policy

Why was the reservation policy replaced with the allotment policy?

The defeat of Custer made some realise that unrest was due to the reservation policy. It had failed to bring about assimilation

How was the allotment policy different to the reservation policy?

Reservation lands were divided up into homesteads, or allotments

How was the allotment policy similar to the reservation policy?

Did nothing to help civil rights. Continued to ignore the trial nature of NA life and continued the policy of trying to destroy it

How is it possible to argue that the Allotment policy improved rights for NAs?

NAs were given lands and after 25 years could own it and would have full citizenship and rights.

What was the reaction of NA tribes to this policy?

This was not what NAs want, but this wasn’t appreciated by the gvmt. Even if they wanted the rights that land ownership gave them, it meant very little in practice as they were subject to discrimination.

What did allotment policy continue?

 determination of the gvmt to assimilate these people, but it was an indicator that the gvmt didn’t understand the NAs wishes or try to