Preview

Chief Seattle Analysis

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
438 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Chief Seattle Analysis
Significant Native American people such as Chief Tecumseh and Chief Seattle, have fought to strengthen their tribal identity. During the period of the removal act of 1830, westward expansion was widespread, leading to the removal of thousands of Native Americans. Chief seattle and Chief Tecumseh both vocalize the struggles of their tribes, as well as attempt to persuade their audience that their tribes have faced negligence from the US government. Chief Tecumseh attempts to appeal to the audience by bringing attention to the damaged relationship between both Native Americans, and the white american government. Tecumseh states, “If you will not give up the land and do cross the boundary of our present settlement, it will be very hard and produce …show more content…
Chief Seattle states that, “My words are like the stars that never change. Whatever Seattle says, the great chief at Washington can rely upon with as much certainty as he can upon the return of the sun or the seasons. The white chief says that Big Chief at Washington sends us greetings of friendship and goodwill. This is kind of him for we know he has little need of our friendship in return. His people are many. They are like the grass that covers vast prairies. My people are few.” to appeal to his audience. Chief seattle uses similes and pathos to appeal to his audience by using emotional connections. Chief seattle emphasizes that regardless of his actions and what he has said, Seattle is irrelevant and looked down by his audience. Despite the audience supporting US expansion and gaining territory, Seattle attempts to provoke emotion and guilt from his audience. In conclusion, Chief seattle and Tecumseh attempt to appeal to the US expansion supporters and government, as an attempt to hopefully prevent further expansion. Furthermore both speeches additionally desire to make the audience question the true nature of the relationship between the Native

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    As Tecumseh and the Shawnee tribe struggled to maintain a peaceful relationship with the colonist, their land was being stripped from them almost daily. The colonists continued attacking the tribe until they drove the tribe off the land (Wikipedia 1-3). In the “Speech of Tecumseh to Governor Harrison,” Tecumseh…

    • 674 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    John L. O’Sullivan had said, “‘... our manifest destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions.’” (www.britanica.com) During Andrew Jackson’s term, America had set its sights on the untamed West - which, inconveniently, happened to be the Indians’ territory. President Jackson decided to create a controversial treaty that would allow America to exchange the Indians’ land for a large piece of land in the Louisiana Territory. It was created on May 28, 1830 and sparked much criticism and support throughout the nation. The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was justified because the Indians were enemies of America, they were given good land, and they were offered the government’s protection.…

    • 809 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When English colonists first arrived to the New World, the Native American Indians were curious yet kind to these “white men”. However, as time passed the colonists’ hunger for more land grew stronger. They began to take advantage of the Indians by signing treaties that were not completely understood by the natives. Consequently, a brave Indian took upon the initiative to protect their properties. Tecumseh, leader of the Shawnee, began his quest to put a stop to American greed by uniting the molested tribes to defend their lands.…

    • 126 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Spokane vs Seattle

    • 1464 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Seattle, Washington and Spokane, Washington are two opposite settings that Jackson is familiar with. He must find a way to intertwine the past culture of Native American Indians with Seattle’s present living style. In an interview, Alexie says, “it is great to talk about traditions and see them represented and to get a sense of history, but I think it is more important to change the possibilities of what Indians are and can be right now” (Hyrick 2). In this story, Jackson has to make changes in his lifestyle because things are different in Seattle. He has to deal with a larger populated city that is three times the size of Spokane. Seattle is a…

    • 1464 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Dawes Act was a document that authorized the President of the United States to assess American Indian land and divide it into allotments for individual Indians. Those who agreed to allotments would then be granted United States citizenship. During this time in the mid 1800s the United States and its citizens had their hearts set on Westward expansion. Americans were strongly encouraged by the belief of the “Manifest Destiny”, a widely held belief that settlers were destined by God to expand throughout the continent. Though this expansion proved to be essential in the construction of today’s United States of America, the forceful removal of these Native people became a major issue.…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Oration of Chief Seattle

    • 652 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the oration to Governor Isaac I. Stevens,Chief Seattle tries to persuade the whites of the United States that they should treat the Native Americans equally despite their inferior status.The way Chief Seattle achieves this is through figurative language, organization, and diction, this is how he shows both the reason and pride behind his oration to the Governor. Another function of this orientation is a wake up call to the Governor that the Natives are not as weak as they may seem they do still obtain power.…

    • 652 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Seattle uses examples of figurative language throughout his pration. He uses similes to compare the americans to grass which “cover vast prairies” bountiful than trees, but the trees, as the Indians, have been there much longer and are rooted to the land (P1). This simile emphasize the purpose of Seattle to show the Americans how they “will never be alone” ever again (P7). Seattle uses a parallelism to show the eventual fate of his tribe to show his stance on the American proposal but through an extended metaphor shows the hope through the light of the stars in the dark Indian night since his people will never “forget the beautiful world” which they are attached upon (P5). Through these examples of figurative language, Seattle conveys his purpose of his tribe always being among the americans spiritually.…

    • 345 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Suquamish Tribe

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The use of diction in this speech is very significant in the act of identifying the purpose of Chief Seattle’s oration. Seattle uses words like, White chief, Big Chief, extensive, reproach, etc. to convey a certain mood. Seattle also uses color to distinguish or evoke different meanings, and also many other words to emphasize separations and…

    • 880 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The ones proud people of the Cherokees tribe were forced to leave their homes due to the President of the United States resentful nature towards Native Americans. Brigadier General Winfield Scoot was sent to forcefully remove the Native American from their lands with the help of regiment of artillery, and infantry. By this point in the removal process where troops are on the ground the Native American had no choice but to move or die. Up to 35,000 square miles was forceful taken by the untied states and receive only five million dollars and other land west beyond the Mississippi River. The great Native American people suffered huge set back when they where forced to move to the unfertile land with the useless money that the U.S government gave…

    • 227 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Native Americans had worked the land and made it suitable to support their lifestyle and in the quest to achieve Manifest Destiny, nothing would hinder the determined minds of the Americans. According to Locke, the land rightfully belonged to the Native Americans because they had labored on the land to make it prosperous. They did not exploit it; they used the resources wisely and nothing went to waste with their minimalist lifestyle. With the Indian Removal Act that President Andrew Jackson signed into effect, all Native Americans had to be relocated to areas west of the Mississippi River. The Native Americans were removed on the basis that American colonizers needed the land and wanted to achieve Manifest…

    • 933 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A man who wants to have our people pushed aside from our land is one whom I disagree deeply with. I do not want these white Americans to move westward. By them achieving their Manifest Destiny, us Native Americans will soon have no land. We are not Jackson’s children, we do not need to be civilized by his people, and the removal of our people is not for our own good. Even incorporating us into their civilization is not enough, they want us out of the picture in order for them to achieve their expansion toward the West. Unfortunately, we are being forcibly removed through the Trail of Tears, where the grueling journey has left a significant portion of our people to perish under frigid weather, illness, and starvation. The people of the United States seem ruthless in what they want. They are land hungry, and they will take what they want. They have waged merciless war on Mexico to claim Texas as well as other lands from the Mexican people. Their generals they label a ‘hero” like Taylor, who, just like many Americans will murder to achieve their expansion. As these Americans continued to move westward, our fellow Shawnees, Kaskaskias, Peorias, and others had to cede land to the white settlers so they can settle in their new land of Kansas. A place we used for living, now used for civil disputes and fanatic killing by the Americans. The white settlers have been chasing their destiny by…

    • 960 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    It is indisputable that the Native Americans were wronged by the European settlers. Adamant U.S government officials would threaten native tribes to leave their land so they could selfishly use the land for their own purposes. Andrew Jackson was the driving force in clearing away the Native Americans. He strongly despised American Indians as evidenced by his relentless promotion for their removal. Jackson eventually got his wish when Congress passed the Indian Removal Act which forced American Indians to relocate, thus allowing settlers to use the remarkably fertile Native American land for their own crops and agriculture. From the late 1700’s to the early 1800’s, American Indians had to travel from their homes some 800 miles to now day Oklahoma.…

    • 1745 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Life was difficult for the Native Americans during the westward expansion of white settlers one example of this was the Indian Removal Act. This act was signed by President Andrew Jackson on May 28, 1830 gave Federal government the power to move any Native tribe, resulting in 5 major Natives tribes being forcibly relocated. Then using the Indian Removal Act 12,000 Cherokee were forced to move out of their land during winter causing 4,000 Cherokee deaths due to hunger, cold and disease. Another example was the Gold Rush in California. Settlers were rewarded with money for Native scalps and miners went on killing sprees because they Natives as competitors for gold. During the Gold Rush the Native American population was nearly wiped out. There…

    • 315 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Chief Seattle’s diction reflects his sorrow and passion in regards to selling the land. The purpose of the speech was to persuade the “The Great Chief of Washington” on how important the land was to his people. With vivid description, history and memories he was able to contract the difference between the Indians love of the land and the white man ignorance of the land by saying, “The earth is not his brother, but his enemy, and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He leaves his father’s grave behind, and he does not care.” These words illustrated the great respect and the different morals toward each family. He condemns the white man for moving away from their land which displays the disrespect they have for their dead.…

    • 642 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Land Ownership

    • 447 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Chief Seattle’s speech is an example of native American thoughts on how they believe that when one dies they are taken into the Earth for they are giving back to the earth what they had taken from it. “There is no death, only a change of worlds.” (Chief Seattle speech) . They believed that the conquers were going to destroy the lands with their envy-needless envy- for it’s the destruction of land.…

    • 447 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays