Manifest Destiny
American Studies
How did Manifest Destiny Affect Native Americans?
“We are the nation of Human Progress.”
(John L. O’Sullivan, “The Great Nation of Futurity,” The United States Democratic Review 6, no. 23 [1845]: 426-30) Manifest Destiny was a term created in 1845 by John L. O’Sullivan in a magazine article. It states that America was destined by God to move west and spread the Country from coast to coast. However, Manifest Destiny affected Native Americans lives in many ways; it moved their home, changed their way of life, and hurt their culture.
Native Americans were forced onto Reservations on the West-Side of the Mississippi River. “A long time ago this land belonged to our fathers; but when I go up to the river I see camps of soldiers here on its bank. These soldiers cut down my timber; they kill my buffalo; and when I see that, my heart feels like bursting; I feel sorry.”(Santana, Chief of the Kiowas, 1867) This was a drastic change to the Native Americans because they were used to living in the environment prior to having other people move in. On the reservation, they were not able to hunt buffalo or able to roam around as they did before. Now that they lived on the reservation they also lost their spiritual ties to the land. And when they were moved on to the Reservations, their whole life changed.
The way the Native Americans used to live also changed when they were moved, they had to completely start life over and try to rebuild their nation. “In 1889, only 1,091 buffalos were left in North America. The rapid decrease in buffalo started in the 1870’s, and it was because of white hunters who moved west, railroads being built, and the introduction of European livestock diseases.”(Buffalo population graph from National Geographic, November 1994) This was a big change for Plains Indians, who used buffalos for many products and food, because there wasn’t enough Buffalo for them to hunt. Also with the decrease of buffalo the Indians had
How did Manifest Destiny Affect Native Americans?
“We are the nation of Human Progress.”
(John L. O’Sullivan, “The Great Nation of Futurity,” The United States Democratic Review 6, no. 23 [1845]: 426-30) Manifest Destiny was a term created in 1845 by John L. O’Sullivan in a magazine article. It states that America was destined by God to move west and spread the Country from coast to coast. However, Manifest Destiny affected Native Americans lives in many ways; it moved their home, changed their way of life, and hurt their culture.
Native Americans were forced onto Reservations on the West-Side of the Mississippi River. “A long time ago this land belonged to our fathers; but when I go up to the river I see camps of soldiers here on its bank. These soldiers cut down my timber; they kill my buffalo; and when I see that, my heart feels like bursting; I feel sorry.”(Santana, Chief of the Kiowas, 1867) This was a drastic change to the Native Americans because they were used to living in the environment prior to having other people move in. On the reservation, they were not able to hunt buffalo or able to roam around as they did before. Now that they lived on the reservation they also lost their spiritual ties to the land. And when they were moved on to the Reservations, their whole life changed.
The way the Native Americans used to live also changed when they were moved, they had to completely start life over and try to rebuild their nation. “In 1889, only 1,091 buffalos were left in North America. The rapid decrease in buffalo started in the 1870’s, and it was because of white hunters who moved west, railroads being built, and the introduction of European livestock diseases.”(Buffalo population graph from National Geographic, November 1994) This was a big change for Plains Indians, who used buffalos for many products and food, because there wasn’t enough Buffalo for them to hunt. Also with the decrease of buffalo the Indians had
Cited: "At A Glance: Manifest Destiny From the American Indian Perspective." An Introduction to American Indian History. We Shall Remain: Utah Indian Curriculum Project, 2008. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. . Buffalo Population in the West, 1800-1889. Digital image. Mini-DBQ: Impact of Westward Expansion on Native Americans. Smithsonian Source, 2007. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. . Colley, S. G. U.S. Indian Agent, Report, Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War, 38th Congress, 2nd Session, 1865. DBQ: Impact of Westward Expansion on Native Americans and the Role of Government. Smithsonian Source, 2007. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. “Indian Land for Sale.” Poster. Library of Congress, Broadside Portfolio 240, Number 24. Rare Book Collection. Chapter 11 - The Early Reservation Years. Montana Stories of the Land. Web. 14 Dec. 2012. "John L "Life on an Indian Reservation" 30 Days. Perf. Morgan Spurlock. Virgil Films, 2010. DVD. United States. Bureau of Ethnography Annual Report. Santana, Chief of the Kiowas, 1867. 17th ed. N.p.: n.p., 1895-96. Smithsonian Source. Smithsonian Institute, 2007. Web. 16 Dec. 2012. . United States. Lake Mohonk Conference. Second Annual Address to the Public of the Lake Mohonk Conference in Philadelphia. Philadelphia: n.p., 1884. Mini-DBQ: Impact of Westward Expansion on Native Americans. Smithsonian Source, 2007. Web. 16 Dec. 2012.