The Revolutionary War: A Turning Point For Native Americans

The Revolutionary War became a turning point for Native Americans who were struggling to stop white settlers from invading their land. The war was fought for many different reasons, but among those, because the British were supporting Native Americans in their fight against American expansion. Because of this, most Native Americans who joined the fight, fought against the United States. The British had promised the Indians that if they won, the settlers invading their land would be stopped. As stated in the film "Appalachians," most American Indians, including the Cherokee, became divided. Most favored the British because in 1763, "the King had issued a proclamation that prohibited westward expansion." But because of this, the American Indians
became the real losers of the war. When the colonists won, it was official that the Indians lost vast territories and would have to share land extensions with the colonists. The Native Americans were being taken away from their lands and it wasn't until after the War of 1812 when the United States began to negotiate more than 200 treaties with Indian nations.