Recording-2025-02-10T20_28_06.924Z
Overview of 1800-1910 American History
Focus on the time period between the 1800s and 1910, covering key topics like urbanization and territorial expansion.
Significant population shifts including the rise of Jim Crow laws and segregation.
By 1910, the US predominantly urbanized, with over 25 million immigrants arriving between 1800-1910.
Territorial Consolidation
The US completed its territorial consolidation across the Continental US, excluding Hawaii and Alaska.
Emphasis on the experiences of Native Americans before and during the westward expansion.
Native Americans and the Term "Indians"
The term "Indians" stemmed from Christopher Columbus mistakenly identifying the indigenous peoples as inhabitants of India, calling them "Indios".
First reference: Columbus claimed many islands upon reaching the Caribbean, referring to the local inhabitants as "Indians".
Lecture Focus: Westward Expansion and Native American Life
Examination of westward expansion from the 1780s to the 1910s with an emphasis on the 1860-1910 period.
Key topics include the concept of Manifest Destiny and Native American resistance.
Introduction of the idea of the boarding school system as part of the assimilation process for indigenous children.
Manifest Destiny
Definition of Manifest Destiny: The belief that Americans were destined to expand across the continent, facilitated by leaders like Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson.
John Sullivan's 1840s newspaper article popularized the term, framing expansion as a divine right to spread liberty and democracy.
Walt Whitman's poetry celebrated this expansionist spirit, envisioning a growing American Empire.
The Great Plains Indians
Focus on the Comanche and Lakota tribes, highlighted as examples of the Great Plains Indians who were adept in warfare and horse riding.
Influence of the Homestead Act (1862) that facilitated the settlement of white male citizens onto Great Plains lands.
Comanche and Lakota resistance to American military advances, utilizing their political skills to navigate relationships with European powers.
Decline of Indigenous Powers
Factors contributing to the decline of indigenous powers by the 1860s:
Overhunting of buffalo leading to economic collapse.
Lack of unity among tribes, leading to weakened resistance.
Increased presence of the US military.
Revisionist historians argue that war, rather than disease, was the primary factor in the decline of indigenous populations.
Life on Reservations
Population of Native Americans drastically decreased from 6 million before European arrival to approximately 250,000 by 1900.
Reservations were federal lands managed by Native American communities but often comprised poor farming land.
The Dawes Act (1887) aimed to individualize land ownership among Native Americans, further decreasing land held by indigenous peoples.
Boarding School System
Introduction of boarding schools for Native American children in 1879, the first being Carlisle Indian Industrial School.
Richard Henry Pratt's motto was to "kill the Indian, save the man," reflecting the aim of cultural assimilation.
Children faced forced assimilation, loss of language, and traditional culture through these institutions.
Individual Experiences in Schools
Example from Hastin Tohad (Navajo) who was assimilated at Carlisle but retained some aspects of his identity upon returning home.
Contrast with Sanel, who fully assimilated, lost touch with his culture, and struggled with identity both within his tribe and the larger American society.
Impact and Legacy of Boarding Schools
Last boarding schools closed in the 1970s, with some lasting to the late 1990s, reflecting a long history of forced assimilation.
Estimated 23 billion dollars were spent on boarding schools; over 970 children died while in this system, highlighting the lasting scars of this policy.