Native American History

What Prompted Andrew Jackson to Push Through the Indian Removal Act?

What Prompted Andrew Jackson to Push Through the Indian Removal Act?

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 forced countless Indians from their homes to reservations and government lands on the western side of the Mississippi River. It was this legislation that led to the tragic Trail of Tears. That’s not how it played out, though; because Andrew Jackson was determined to remove the Indians from their…

Indian Reservations: A Look Back at the Relocation of Native Americans

Indian Reservations: A Look Back at the Relocation of Native Americans

In the early 19th century, a dark chapter unfolded in America’s history – the forced relocation of Native American tribes living east of the Mississippi River to lands westward. This massive displacement, justified by ideals of progress and civilization, would come to be known as Indian Removal. For the native peoples torn from their ancestral…

Understanding the American Indian Movement: Past, Present & What’s Ahead

Understanding the American Indian Movement: Past, Present & What’s Ahead

In our nation’s narrative, the year of 1968 brought forth a powerful surge of unity and defiance among the indigenous tribes – a chapter that marked the birth of the American Indian Movement, known as AIM. Echoing with the resonant voices of tribal leaders, AIM rose as a beacon championing their unique cause – a…

Looking Back: Little Big Horn Dooms Custer

Looking Back: Little Big Horn Dooms Custer

From 1854 to 1890, the Northern Plains Indians fought with the US government in what was called the Sioux Wars. The American Indians were being forced into smaller and smaller reservations, out of the lands they once roamed freely. While many acquiesced and retreated to the reservations, a number of American Indians resisted, fighting the…

Manifest Destiny: Westward Expansion in 19th Century America

Manifest Destiny: Westward Expansion in 19th Century America

The title “Manifest Destiny” is a term created by newspaper editor to John O’Sullivan to describe a modus operandi of at least one significant segment of the U.S. Government and the American people during the 19th century. It describes the belief that the United States and its people had the God-given mandate to pursue westward…