Political Repression in the United States

Repression in American history is often just seen as the period in time in which black bodies were used as slaves. In “Political Repression in the United States” by Michael Rogin, the definition of what suppression is has been opened in a wide-ranging spectrum. Rogin uses the meaning of the word as white Americans did when under European power, how it applied to the Red individual also known as the Natives when they were founded, and then the black slaves used by the founding fathers. Rogin’s overall theme is that the founding fathers didn’t care about freedom for anyone, they just cared about land and how to acquire it; which they did using political repression. Rogin supports his claims by providing actual evidence of what actions were taken and what laws were created in order to favor a specific race. Heavily questioning the principles of what I thought was the upsurge of America, Rogin makes valid points against the foundation of the country. Rogin starts off by mentioning the Native Americans, Reds, and how the founding fathers used political repression to take away their land. The word counter-subversive is used often in Rogin’s writing. Counter meaning to be in opposition and subversive to established social order and its structures of power, authority, and hierarchy etc. The way Rogin uses the word counter-subversive is by creating the idea that the founding fathers had a social bar that the Natives didn’t fit. The founding fathers viewed themselves as the elites who had this status that was above those of the Natives; by the Natives not being part of this group and already being owners of the land they threatened the founding fathers power in the country. The Natives having any land what so ever was a threaten on its own, which is why the founding father created these law which seemed to deem the Natives with more power but in reality took away from them. “In return for depriving Indians of their collective freedom, the government promised individual