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Native American History. 1800s. Many issues during this time period: Indian Removal Act Trail of Tears Long Walk of the Navajo Dawes Act Wounded Knee Massacre. Indian Removal Act. Andrew Jackson headed Coerced Native Americans to abandon their lands
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1800s • Many issues during this time period: • Indian Removal Act • Trail of Tears • Long Walk of the Navajo • Dawes Act • Wounded Knee Massacre
Indian Removal Act • Andrew Jackson headed • Coerced Native Americans to abandon their lands • Alleged that the government could fairly purchase Indian land • Government did not always uphold this sentiment • Many tribes coerced into leaving their land under penalty of invasion
Trail of Tears • Indians moved from their land in Georgia and other southern states to Oklahoma • Creeks • Cherokees • Forced to walk across the land—often times shackled • Epidemics spread during this process: • Starvation • Typhus • Whooping cough • Dysentery • Cholera • Many died (Estimates range from 8,500 to 20,000)
Long Walk of the Navajo • 1860s • Tribes forced to leave their lands • Navajo • Mescalero Apache • Moved to a reservation in New Mexico • Bosque Redondo • Thousands died (over 2,300)
Dawes Act • 1887 • Native Americans offered 160 acres of land in the West to farm for profit • Not allowed to sell the land for 25 years • Farming in the West takes expertise that Native Americans did not have • Government hoped this would satisfy natives • Looked at as a way to “civilize” them
Americanizing the Natives • Christianity • Missionaries tried to convert Native Americans • School • All children required to attend school • Clothing • Not permitted to wear traditional clothing to school • Language • Native American Languages disregarded • Forced to learn English • Names • Given “American” names
Reservations Today • Faced with problems: • Alcoholism • Poverty • Poor academics • Dropout rates HIGH • Gambling • Distance from jobs
Resources • Indian Removal Act/Trail of Tears: http://www.history.com/topics/trail-of-tears#a1 • Long Walk of the Navajo: http://www.npr.org/2005/06/15/4703136/the-navajo-nation-s-own-trail-of-tears • Dawes Act/Americanizing: http://www.ushistory.org/us/40d.asp • Reservation Info: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoppisch/2011/12/13/why-are-indian-reservations-so-poor-a-look-at-the-bottom-1/