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.