Westward Expansion Dbq

During the mid 1800s the United States had one main goal, that goal is commonly referred to as Manifest Destiny. This means that the United states wanted to stretch from ocean to ocean. With this goal came to inventions like the telegraph and the railroad, and with these inventions came the Westward Expansion. Although Manifest Destiny benefited the United States, it harmed the Native Americans. Due to Manifest Destiny and the Westward expansion, the Native Americans were stripped of their land and culture.
One of the main things Native Americans didn’t like about the westward expansion was the fact that they had to move. This didn’t only anger the Native Americans but it had a large impact on their culture. In the book, “American History:
On the website “American Expansion | Indians of the Midwest”, it states that the act was originally passed to encourage Native Americans to farm with the settlers. Due to being separated from the buffalo, the natives no longer had to tools or equipment, and if they did it wasn’t the right kind that the settlers used. Not only did the U.S. government pass the Dawes act, but they also made the Native American children go to boarding school, dress in European style clothing, and learn English. In document six, the change is clearly showed through the pictures. Going to school changed their culture because the new generation of Native Americans were learning new traditions, languages, and wore new clothes. This was very different compared to how the original Native Americans dressed, talked, and
In document two, it discusses the Sand Creek Massacre. During the late 1800s, people were coming to Colorado for gold and silver. Even though the Native Americans wanted peace and no trouble, the western settlers wanted their land to get more gold and silver. On November 27, 1864 Colorado Militia attacked. The website “Sand Creek Massacre | Historynet”, it states that many of the men had gone out hunting. This means that out of the two hundred Cheyenne killed, the majority was women and children. This impacts the land and culture of the Native Americans because by losing women and children the tribes won't be able to repopulate. In the article “The Horrific Sand Creek Massacre Will Be Forgotten No More”, it states that not only did the Colorado militia kill the Cheyenne women and children, but they also burnt down the village where they were staying, leaving the remaining Cheyenne homeless. With nowhere to stay and small amounts of women to repopulate, the Native americans culture and land were taken over by the Colorado