The Mistreatment of American Indians by American Colonists

Many see American Colonists as pioneers, while a contrasting image was presented to American Indians. The majority of the land Americans reside upon now was unrightfully taken by these so-called pioneers in unnecessary violent manners such as the Trail of Tears and the Sand Creek Massacre. Not only was their land taken in a scandalous manner but these “pioneers” unethically separated both mothers and fathers from their children. With families constantly being evicted from their homes the men, women, and children of these families were forced to adjust and adapt in order to survive. With these emotionally discouraging events occurring in rapid succession, many of the resources these families obtained in their environment were unethically confiscated, such as the bison. The bison was a large contributor to the survival of the American Indians due to every part of the bison being utilized(Roark, 447). These events left a permanent scar or led to the altogether disappearance of the cultural identity of the American Indians. It is well known that the American Indians were treated with excessive force in order to clear the way for westward expansion causing atrocities such as the Trail of Tears and the Sand Creek Massacre. The Trail of Tears killed a large portion of the Native American population, not to mentioned that this severely weakened population then underwent starvation due to the poor quality of land they were provided(Roark, 283).

In essence, this was a death sentence for the American Indian population, yet somehow, against the odds, they managed to survive as a colony. The Sand Creek Massacre was a full-fledged attack on an American Indian camp by American military forces led by John Chivington primarily caused by the tension of conflict over land. As a result of this conflict 148 Indians were killed, most of which being defenseless women and children (Roark, 446). This massacre paved the way for more of the mistreatment towards American Indians in the near future. The implementation of the Transcontinental Railroad led to many American Indian families being separated or worse, completely killed in an attempt to clear land. While a Transcontinental Railroad would stimulate economy and agricultural industries it was indubitably the cause of death for numerous tribes. No matter how beneficial such a railroad might be to the western settlers nothing is worth the lives of those whose land we were imposing upon. The American Colonists were quickly exhausting the American Indians resource of bison new sources for the everyday needs were required. This led to the American Indians adopting new ways of living, but this came at a great price. Many lost their lives in the attempted transition to the American culture and those who survived undertook many health issues.

Among the main culprits were alcohol, an agricultural lifestyle, and severe changes in diet. The Native American women and children had to undergo drastic changes in their everyday lives in order to survive. While American colonists’ wives and children were able to live a happy life with no worries, this was not the case for American Indians. American Indians were constantly labeled as “savages”, in turn, Colonist felt it was their duty to civilize these individuals, in many cases children in boarding schools were forced to live with Colonist families in order to learn their ways (Roark, 451). Boarding schools were facilities in which American Indian children were forced to attend in order to strip them of their ritualistic values (Roark, 451). Many will say that American Indians were offered the same opportunity as those of American Colonists when in reality American Indians were placed under a constant state of oppression and theft. It is this great injustice that led to the death of many of America's original colonists. It was not the place of newcomers to strip the inhabitants of their land, and while it definitely advanced this nation economically it dealt a crippling blow to the culture of the Native Americans.