THE ALIENATION OF THE INDIAN NATIONS

The Alienation of the Indian Nations

The Alienation of the Indian Nations

Indian Wars is name used in United States to describe the series of conflicts between settlers and federal government and native peoples of North America. There is no conclusive evidence to determine how many indigenous peoples live in North America before Columbus. David Stannard said that most conservative demographers cite the figure of about 7 or 8 million. Scholars believe that among various contributing factors, infectious disease was cause of huge decline in population of Native Americans. Some estimates indicate that mortality rates of 80-90% in Native Americans during epidemics of smallpox.

Already in Pequot War of 1637, settlers were engaged in war to open new land for settlement. Wars, from Century 17 (Anglo-Powhatan War, war of King Philip II, King William's War, as well as Queen Anne's War and War Dummer century in opening 18) to slaughter at Wounded Knee and "closing" of American frontier in 1890, usually as the result of opening of Native American lands to further colonization, conquest of Native Americans and their assimilation, or forced relocation to reservations Indian.

American rebels for American Revolutionary War were essentially two parallel wars: while war in East was the struggle against British rule, war in West was an "Indian war." Recently proclaimed United States competed with British for control of Native American nations east of Mississippi River. Colonial interest in westward settlement, as opposed to British policy of maintaining peace, was one of causes of war. Most Native Americans who joined fight alongside British, hoping to use war to reduce settlements and expansion on their land. Revolutionary War was “most extensive and destructive" race war in U.S. history.

Some indigenous communities were divided over which side to support in war. For Iroquois Confederacy, American Revolution resulted in civil war, breaking of Six Nations, with Oneida and Tuscarora siding with rebels, and other four nations that fight for British. While Iroquois tried to avoid direct fight against each other, fighting in Revolution forced Iroquois. Both parties lose territory under new political dispensation. Crown Iroquois helped landless rewarded with the reservation at Grand River in Ontario. Cherokees split into the neutral (or pro-rebel) and the faction of pro-British faction of rebels referred to as Chickamauga, led by Dragging Canoe. Many other tribes were divided similarly.

Both fighters' immigrants and natives suffered greatly during war, and villages and food supplies were frequently destroyed during military expeditions. largest of these expeditions was Sullivan Expedition of 1779, which destroyed more than 40 Iroquois villages.

When British made peace with Americans in Treaty of Paris (1783), which sold the large amount of Native American territory (without consent of indigenous peoples) to United States. United States treated Native Americans who had fought with British as the conquered people who had lost their land. Federal government of United States was eager to expand, and national government did by purchasing Native American land in treaties and through ...