The Federal Government's Approach with Native Americans

Since the start of The United States of America the colonists and later Americans had to deal with the Natives that were rightfully there first. The federal government’s diplomacy approach with Native Americans during the time periods of 1790 to 1880 and 1880 to 1900 differ in a few ways. During the period of 1790 to 1880 the government participated it removals, treaties, reservations, and even war. In addition, the treaties and acts in this time period that the government approached with, usually ended in the U.S. taking the land of the Native Americans. During the time period of 1880 to 1900 the government’s approach to Native Americans was less involved and really only relied on a few moves to take the land of the Indians. One thing in common with the two time periods is the fact that the Native Americans were not treated fairly.

One treaty of the time period including 1790 to 1880 was the result of a battle with the Shawnee, Wyandot, and other Native American tribes called the Battle of Fallen Timbers. This was the treaty of Greenville in 1795, in which the natives surrendered claims to the Ohio Territory. This particular treaty was never signed by the influential Native American Tecumseh who would be a key component in later Native American rebellions. Most diplomacy with the Native Americans did not include a true acceptance of an act or treaty by the Native Americans. In addition to unwilling acceptances by the Native American is the Indian Removal Act of 1830 passed during the office of Andrew Jackson. This act forced the resettlement of many thousands of Native Americans, by 1835 most tribes in the east reluctantly complied and moved out west. Fortunately the Natives were helped in their resettlement by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, created in 1836. Two years later in 1838, after Jackson had left office, the United States army forced fifteen thousand Cherokees to leave Georgia. Their trek to the west is known as the trail of tears in which four...