Key Figures and Events in Native American History

Flashcards about key figures and events related to Native American history and civil rights, generated from lecture notes.

Frederick Douglass

Escaped slave, abolitionist, and orator whose speeches exposed the contradictions of American liberty. Significance: His life and work challenged the nation to live up to its founding ideals and inspired future generations of civil rights activists.

Nat Turner

Enslaved preacher who led a rebellion in Virginia, leading to harsher slave laws. Significance: His revolt instilled fear among slaveholders and led to more repressive laws, but also demonstrated the slaves' desire for freedom.

Thomas Jefferson

US President who promoted liberty but also laid the groundwork for Indian Removal. Significance: His actions reflect the complex and contradictory nature of early American ideals, as he championed freedom while enabling dispossession.

Andrew Jackson

US President and architect of Indian Removal, shifting from assimilation to expulsion. Significance: His policies led to the forced displacement of thousands of Native Americans and represent a dark chapter in American history.

Joseph Brant

Mohawk Chief who allied with the British, representing Native efforts to preserve sovereignty. Significance: His leadership underscores the ongoing struggle for Native self-determination in the face of colonial expansion.

Canoe Dragginggerokee

Cherokee war chief who led armed resistance against US expansion. Significance: His defiance symbolizes the Cherokee's resistance to removal and defense of their ancestral lands.

John Ross

Principal chief of the Cherokee Nation who opposed the Treaty of New Echota. Significance: He represents the Cherokee's struggle to maintain their sovereignty and resist forced removal.

Major Ridge, John Ridge, Elias Bodinot

Cherokee leaders who signed the Treaty of New Echota, facilitating the Trail of Tears. Significance: Their actions highlight the internal divisions within the Cherokee Nation and the devastating consequences of the treaty.

Black Hawk

Leader who tried to reclaim land in Illinois, highlighting settler colonialism's disregard for Native sovereignty. Significance: His resistance embodies the struggle of Native peoples to defend their land and way of life against American expansion.

Black Hoof

Shawnee chief who opposed Tecumseh and promoted adaptation. Significance: His advocacy for assimilation represents an alternative approach to Native survival in the face of American expansion.

Little Crow

Dakota chief who led the 1862 uprising after the government failed to deliver supplies. Significance: His leadership underscores the desperate circumstances that led to conflict between Native Americans and the US government.

Richard Henry Pratt

Founder of the Carlisle Indian School, embodying assimilationist ideology. Significance: His work represents the forced assimilation policies aimed at eradicating Native cultures and identities.

Sarah Winemucca

Paiute author and activist who challenged US policy and preserved Native language and culture. Significance: Her activism and writings challenged the dominant narratives of American history and celebrated Native resilience.

Russell Means

Lakota leader of the American Indian Movement (AIM). Significance: He helped bring attention to Native American issues and fought for treaty rights and self-determination.

Fred Korematsu

Japanese American who challenged WWll internment, exposing racial injustice. Significance: His case exposed the violation of civil liberties during wartime and the lasting impact of racial discrimination.

Royal Proclamation of 1763

British ban on colonial settlement west of Appalachians; first formal attempt to recognize Native land rights. Significance: This act represents an early effort to regulate colonial expansion and acknowledge Native land claims, though it was ultimately unsuccessful.

Trail of Tears (1838-1839)

Forced removal of the Cherokee Nation to Indian Territory; an example of ethnic cleansing. Significance: This event stands as a stark reminder of the human cost of American expansion and the injustices inflicted upon Native Americans.

Indian Removal Act (1830)

Law authorizing the forced relocation of Eastern tribes. Significance: This legislation provided the legal basis for the Trail of Tears and other acts of forced removal, resulting in the displacement of thousands of Native Americans.

Worcester v Georgia (1832)

Supreme Court ruling in favor of Cherokee Sovereignty. Significance: The ruling affirmed Native sovereignty and treaty rights, but was ignored by the Jackson administration, highlighting the limits of legal protections.

Treaty of New Echota (1835)

Treaty signed by a Cherokee minority selling tribal land, enabling the Trail of Tears. Significance: It represents the US government's manipulation and exploitation of internal divisions within the Cherokee Nation.

Black Hawk War (1832)

Armed conflict between the US and Sauk over land in Illinois. Significance: His resistance embodies the struggle of Native peoples to defend their land and way of life against American expansion.

Northwest Ordinance (1787)

Established rules for western expansion, promising Native land could not be taken without consent. Significance: This legislation laid out principles for westward expansion, including the recognition of Native land rights, though these were often violated in practice.

Bleeding Kansas (1854-1856)

Violent conflict over slavery in the Kansas Territory. Significance: This conflict foreshadowed the broader divisions that would lead to the Civil War and the end of slavery in the United States.

Dred Scott v Sandford (1857)

Supreme Court ruling denying African Americans citizenship. Significance: This decision deepened the divide over slavery and undermined the legal standing of African Americans, contributing to the tensions that led to the Civil War.

Dakota War

Dakota uprising after US failed to deliver food and annuities. Significance: The conflict resulted in further displacement and hardship for the Dakota people, underscoring the government's failure to uphold its treaty obligations.

Sand Creek Massacre (1864)

Attack on Cheyenne and Arapaho by US volunteers. Significance: This event symbolizes the brutality of the Indian Wars and the targeting of Native American civilians.

Dawes Act (1887)

Law allotting communal Native lands to individuals. Significance: This act undermined tribal sovereignty and led to the loss of millions of acres of Native land.

Indian Reorganization Act (1934)

New Deal legislation to restore tribal self-government. Significance: This act signaled a shift in federal policy towards greater respect for tribal sovereignty and self-determination.

Occupation of Alcatraz (1969-1971)

Native activists took over the island to protect federal policies. Significance: It represented a landmark moment in the fight for Native rights and self-determination.

Executive Order 9066 (1942)

Authorized internment of Japanese Americans during WWII. Significance: It represents a violation of civil rights based on racial prejudice.