Examples Of Racism, Prejudice And Inequality In American History
Racism, prejudice, and inequality were always present in American history. Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Pacific Americans all faced discrimination because of their skin color, racial background and culture. All of these ethnicities contributed into making America the country of freedom and equality by fighting for their rights and social justice. During the fight for racial equality, the dominant Anglo-Saxon white American community saw these “colored people” as a threat to their culture and economy so they treated them as inferior and tried to either exterminate them or separate them from the white American society. These actions led to racial segregation which led to the formation of ethnic enclaves. An ethnic
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enclave is “a distinct territorial, cultural, or social unit enclosed within or as if within foreign territory” (Meriam-Webster). Native Americans had reservations, African Americans had ghettos, Chicano’s had barrios, and Chinese Americans had China towns. However, Native Americans and African Americans were forced to form these enclaves because policies were created against them. Where Chicano’s and Chinese Americans formed their enclaves for cultural preservation and protection from white Anglo- Saxon prejudice.
Since the formation of the ‘New Republic’ and constitution, Indians were denied citizenship and considered foreigners.
White Anglo Saxons believed that Indians are savages and that their existence is preventing American expansion because they are taking land and natural resources. "The only good Indian is a dead Indian" (Heinrich et al., 1990). This shows that white American intentions were to exterminate the Indian Population. By the end of the eighteenth century, the once plentiful population of Native Indians had been reduced, through warfare and diseases contracted from the invaders, to 10% of its original size (Oswalt, 1988). The election of Andrew Jackson for presidency in 1828 was the reason behind the push towards Indian Removal and the formation of Indian Reservations. 1830, congress passed the Indian Removal Act which is an “Act to provide for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for their removal west of the river Mississippi” (United States Statutes at Large, 21st Cong., Sess. I, Chp. 148, p. 411-412). This act gave Jackson permission to offer tribes land west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their tribal lands east of the Mississippi. (McGill 2009) white politicians believed that it was a reasonable offer, but Native Americans refused to give up easily. In that case, the federal government used devious tactics in order to get many tribes to accept the agreement. US authorities appointed Indian leaders to represent tribes in treaty negotiations in order to get them to agree to the policy terms. Many tribes fought for their land for many years but then were eventually forced to
leave.
One of the most famous examples of Indian removal in American history was in the 1830s known as the "Trail of Tears". Tribes such as the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and others were forcibly removed to Oklahoma. “Many died on the trail, from hunger and from cholera and other diseases.”(Peterson, p19). This shows that Native Americans were treated and fed poorly during the march which led to thousands of them dying. The long suffering of the trail took the lives of an estimated 4,000 Cherokees (Peterson, 1993). After the arrival of Native American tribes to their new land, they were placed in reservations away from white interest. Furthermore, Indians were expected to surrender their language, culture, and religion in order to assimilate in white society. "Kill the Indian, but save the man,"(Heinrich et al., 1990). The federal government were planning on civilizing Indians, and the churches wanted to Christianize them.
enclave is “a distinct territorial, cultural, or social unit enclosed within or as if within foreign territory” (Meriam-Webster). Native Americans had reservations, African Americans had ghettos, Chicano’s had barrios, and Chinese Americans had China towns. However, Native Americans and African Americans were forced to form these enclaves because policies were created against them. Where Chicano’s and Chinese Americans formed their enclaves for cultural preservation and protection from white Anglo- Saxon prejudice.
Since the formation of the ‘New Republic’ and constitution, Indians were denied citizenship and considered foreigners.
White Anglo Saxons believed that Indians are savages and that their existence is preventing American expansion because they are taking land and natural resources. "The only good Indian is a dead Indian" (Heinrich et al., 1990). This shows that white American intentions were to exterminate the Indian Population. By the end of the eighteenth century, the once plentiful population of Native Indians had been reduced, through warfare and diseases contracted from the invaders, to 10% of its original size (Oswalt, 1988). The election of Andrew Jackson for presidency in 1828 was the reason behind the push towards Indian Removal and the formation of Indian Reservations. 1830, congress passed the Indian Removal Act which is an “Act to provide for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for their removal west of the river Mississippi” (United States Statutes at Large, 21st Cong., Sess. I, Chp. 148, p. 411-412). This act gave Jackson permission to offer tribes land west of the Mississippi River in exchange for their tribal lands east of the Mississippi. (McGill 2009) white politicians believed that it was a reasonable offer, but Native Americans refused to give up easily. In that case, the federal government used devious tactics in order to get many tribes to accept the agreement. US authorities appointed Indian leaders to represent tribes in treaty negotiations in order to get them to agree to the policy terms. Many tribes fought for their land for many years but then were eventually forced to
leave.
One of the most famous examples of Indian removal in American history was in the 1830s known as the "Trail of Tears". Tribes such as the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and others were forcibly removed to Oklahoma. “Many died on the trail, from hunger and from cholera and other diseases.”(Peterson, p19). This shows that Native Americans were treated and fed poorly during the march which led to thousands of them dying. The long suffering of the trail took the lives of an estimated 4,000 Cherokees (Peterson, 1993). After the arrival of Native American tribes to their new land, they were placed in reservations away from white interest. Furthermore, Indians were expected to surrender their language, culture, and religion in order to assimilate in white society. "Kill the Indian, but save the man,"(Heinrich et al., 1990). The federal government were planning on civilizing Indians, and the churches wanted to Christianize them.