Manifest Destiny: The Conflicts Of American And Native American Indians

Greediness and the desire to expand more to the West, in order to acquire more lands, were the main reasons for conflict and wars between the white population of America and the Native American Indians. They could not mutually agree, as they both wanted the best for themselves. The Native Americans were sceptical towards the whites and the whites on the other hand didn’t trust the Native Americans. Many of the white population were running out of room on the East Coast of America. As the US believed in the concept of “Manifest Destiny”, which consisted in filling the whole continent with loyal white Americans, this would inevitably lead to conflict, as the Native Americans wouldn’t have anywhere to live. It must also be noted, the importance of religion in the Indian tradition, it was even considered as a way of communication with foreigners. Indeed, the Indian religion was profoundly different to that of whites, it involved a belief in the sacredness of the land. The chief of the tribe did not have a total power over the actions of his tribe. This was a good system, but the whites could not understand it. Hence, the
Therefore, the American government produced the Fort Laramie treaty in 1851. In this, the government promised to give Indians 50 000$ a year for 10 years, if they didn’t attack the travellers going through their land. Fort Laramie treaty forced many tribes to share the same land. This was called the policy of concentration. However, these kinds of treaties turned to be against the interest of the American government, as tribes worked together. However, the peaceful ambiance did not maintain for so long, as inter-tribal clashes appeared again, especially after the discovery of gold between 1858 and 1862. Hence, the federal government found the reservation policy as the only choice but also the better solution for