Amerindians

U.S. Policies and Their Impact

"(It is) …our manifest destiny to over spread and to possess the whole of the continent which Providence has given us for the development of the great experiment of liberty"

-John O'Sullivan, editor of the New York newspaper The Morning Post, 1845

Manifest Destiny, by John Gast 1872

INTRODUCTION

While Lewis and Clark were the first Americans to see much of what would become the western United States, those same lands had long been occupied by native peoples. Over the course of the expedition, the Corps of Discovery would come into contact with nearly 50 Native American tribes (source). Since the settlement of North America by Europeans, the indigenous population was traditionally viewed as problematic. This view-point resulted in discrimination against Amerindians across the land, as well as the enactment of many U.S. policies that resulted in destruction of their culture, extermination of their people, and intentionally fostered isolation. What were these policies? What impact did they have on Amerindians? Were they just? Did they offer real “solutions” to the “Indian problem”?

TASKS

• Research the relationship between Amerindians and Americans, particularly investigating the policies set forth by the U.S. government concerning Amerindians
• Write an essay that introduces the reader to both viewpoints (Amerindians and “Americans”), include evidence that supports your argument, and state your Position (whether or not you feel as though these policies were necessary and just). The requirement is that you have at least two pages—following standard paper guidelines as set forth by your teacher.

PROCESS

In your essay, you will need to address the points below:

• Provide brief historical background of both groups: Amerindians and Americans

• Identify and describe the policies that were set for by the U.S. Government (Indian Removal Act, Dawes Act, etc.)
• Select TWO of the policies: explain their purpose, evaluate their impact, and explain whether or not you feel that the policy was effective and justified.

Below are the links that explain to you the AHPPA process you must follow to fulfill the task of this webquest:

• Step 1 of AHPPA: identify the problem
• Step 2 of AHPPA : gather the evidence
• Step 3 of AHPPA : determine the causes
• Step 4 of AHPPA : Evaluate the policy

RESOURCES

Native American Quotes	Manifest Destiny	U.S. Policies
Turner Thesis	President Arthur’s Message	Map of tribes (1600)
On Chief Joseph	Worcester v. Georgia	Primary Sources: Amerindian
Natives’ Cultural Profile	Amerindian Chiefs	National Congress of American Indians
	Tips for Writing a Persuasive Essay

EVALUATION

Rubric for Persuasive Essay (CommonCore)

STANDARDS

The following standard and key ideas were met under the guidelines of NYSED’s core curriculum:

Standard 1: History of the United States and New York

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

Key Idea 1: The study of New York State and United States history requires an analysis of the development of American culture, its diversity and multicultural context, and the ways people are unified by many values, practices, and traditions.

Key Idea 2: Important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions from New York State and United States history illustrate the connections and interactions of people and events across time and from a variety of perspectives.

Key Idea 2: Important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions from New York State and United States history illustrate the connections and interactions of people and events across time and from a variety of perspectives.

Key Idea 4: The skills of historical analysis include the ability to: explain the significance of historical evidence; weigh the importance, reliability, and validity of evidence; understand the concept of multiple causation; understand the importance of changing and competing interpretations of different historical developments.

The above information was obtained from NYSED C & I

Created by:

Ms. J. Tinker

History Teacher

Email address: Ms.JTinker@gmail.com

Oriskany Jr. Sr. High School

Oriskany, New York

Affiliated with Adapting Project History

Created on:

10 May 2013