In the 19th century, territorial expansion played an important role in the United States. The American people adopted an audacious attitude believing that they had a divine obligation to stretch their boundaries from the east coast to the west coast. In 1845 an editor and prominent democratic politician, John L. O’Sullivan, published an article on the annexation of Texas identifying the imperialistic endeavors of the U.S. with the phrase: Manifest Destiny. He stated, “Our manifest destiny is to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.”(Henretta, Edwards, Self, 385) The ideology was stimulated by nationalism and a sense of supremacy. American’s believed that it was their responsibility
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The white’s a racist attitude towards the Native Americans resembled the outlook toward the Hispanic race. The concept granted no Native American or nonwhite authority to any permanent possession of the lands in North America. With this in mind, Americans sought the expropriation of Indian Lands for their own interest and benefits. In addition, it also demonstrated the long standing and surreal sense of a racial component in the “chosen people”. Many on the settlers alleged that God himself established the American mission to advance and take control over the heathens or foreigners. Notably, many were religiously inspired to spread their faith to the Natives. After all, Americans thought that they can make the population more civilized and culturally assimilated. However, “This new pattern of thought rejected the idea that Indians could ever be fully ‘civilized’ and insisted that one cannot change through education characteristics determined by race.” (Perdue, Green 15) Granted, the United States officially took it upon them to remove the Indians from the righteous lands that belonged to the “right” people. The officials created Indian Territory where the Natives can create their own societies and steered clear from the expansionist states. At first, the government convinced the Native Americans to move westward, some voluntarily migrated, however several were required to move by military force. Provided that, the United States drew up the Indian Removal Act of 1830, “it created the machinery that expelled to a distinct territory some one hundred thousand Indians, including sixteen thousand Cherokees.”(Perdue, Green 19) In essence, Native Americans faced grave difficulties. They encountered remote diseases from the whites and withstood destructive powers against their own culture. Chiefly, in 1838 the U.S government sent federal troops to relocate thousands of Indians.
The white’s a racist attitude towards the Native Americans resembled the outlook toward the Hispanic race. The concept granted no Native American or nonwhite authority to any permanent possession of the lands in North America. With this in mind, Americans sought the expropriation of Indian Lands for their own interest and benefits. In addition, it also demonstrated the long standing and surreal sense of a racial component in the “chosen people”. Many on the settlers alleged that God himself established the American mission to advance and take control over the heathens or foreigners. Notably, many were religiously inspired to spread their faith to the Natives. After all, Americans thought that they can make the population more civilized and culturally assimilated. However, “This new pattern of thought rejected the idea that Indians could ever be fully ‘civilized’ and insisted that one cannot change through education characteristics determined by race.” (Perdue, Green 15) Granted, the United States officially took it upon them to remove the Indians from the righteous lands that belonged to the “right” people. The officials created Indian Territory where the Natives can create their own societies and steered clear from the expansionist states. At first, the government convinced the Native Americans to move westward, some voluntarily migrated, however several were required to move by military force. Provided that, the United States drew up the Indian Removal Act of 1830, “it created the machinery that expelled to a distinct territory some one hundred thousand Indians, including sixteen thousand Cherokees.”(Perdue, Green 19) In essence, Native Americans faced grave difficulties. They encountered remote diseases from the whites and withstood destructive powers against their own culture. Chiefly, in 1838 the U.S government sent federal troops to relocate thousands of Indians.