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Immigration Native American
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Destroying the Native American Cultures

When European settlers arrived on the North American continent at the end of the fifteenth century, they encountered diverse Native American cultures—as many as 900,000 inhabitants with over 300 different languages. These people, whose ancestors crossed the land bridge from Asia in what may be considered the first North American immigration, were virtually destroyed by the subsequent immigration that created the United States. This tragedy is the direct result of treaties, written and broken by foreign governments, of warfare, and of forced assimilation.

Indian Tribes, Cultures and Languages
Indian tribes, Cultures & Languages
Map Collections 1500-2004
Today, people see the policies of the past with 21st century eyes. One might wonder how the nation's indigenous population became "inferior" cultures in their own land, or how a nation could have committed such atrocities in the name of "progress". One might question whether it is acceptable to make national decisions without involving in the decision making process those who will be most drastically affected.
Ohio Map
Ohio land cessions
Map Collections 1500-2004

In 1786, the United States established its first Native American reservation and approached each tribe as an independent nation. This policy remained intact for more than one hundred years. But as President James Monroe noted in his second inaugural address in 1821, treating Native Americans this way “flattered their pride, retarded their improvement, and in many instances paved the way to their destruction.”

In addition, Monroe observed that America’s westward growth “has constantly driven them back, with almost the total sacrifice of the lands which they have been compelled to abandon. They have claims on the magnanimity and . . . on the justice of this nation which we must all feel.” Despite Monroe’s concern for the plight of Native Americans, his administration successfully removed them from states north of the Ohio River.




 
Destroying the Native American Cultures | Removing Native Americans from their Land | Civil War Years | 19th Century Perceptions | Custer's Last Stand ... Aftermath | Losses | Disaster at Wounded Knee | United States Citizenship for the Native American | The Future for Native Americans? | Vocabulary
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  last updated 04/08/03 view basic version
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1786 The United States establishes its first Native American reservation and the policy of dealing with each tribe as an independent nation.
1864 Thousands of Navajo Indians endure “Long Walk,” three-hundred mile forced march from a Southwest Indian territory to Fort Sumner, New Mexico.
 
1830 Congress passes the Removal Act, forcing Native Americans to leave the United States and settle in the Indian Territory west of the Mississippi River.
   
1868   A clause in the 14th Amendment, “excluding Indians not taxed”, prevents Native-American men from receiving the right to vote.
1838 Federal soldiers and Georgia volunteers force Cherokee Indians on a thousand-mile march to the established Indian Territory. Approximately 4,000 Cherokees died on this “Trail of Tears.”
1887   The Dawes Act dissolves many Indian reservations.
1924   President Calvin Coolidge signs bill granting Native Americans full citizenship.
1929   Congress makes annual immigration quotas permanent.
1948   The United States admits persons fleeing persecution in their native lands; allowing 205,000 refugees to enter within two years
1950   Bureau of Indian Affairs terminates federal services for Native Americans in lieu of state supervision.
1952 Immigration and Nationality Act: individuals of all races eligible for naturalization; reaffirms national origins quota system, limits immigration from Eastern Hemisphere; establishes preferences for skilled workers and relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent resident aliens; and tightens security and screening standards and procedures
1953 Congress amends 1948 refugee policy to allow for the admission of 200,000 more refugees
1980   The Refugee Act redefines criteria and procedures for admitting refugees
1986   Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) legalizes illegal aliens residing in the US unlawfully since 1982.
1876 General Custer with 264 soldiers died during the Battle of the Little Big Horn in Black Hills, Montana.
 
1889   Unoccupied lands in Oklahoma made available to white settlers.
1890   More than 300 Lakota Indians died at Wounded Knee.
1970   American Indian Movement members symbolically buried Plymouth Rock.