Natives, Africans, and Mexicans in the United States

1. Manifest Destiny- The idea of extending boundaries of freedom to expand democratic institutions. Reaching new lands was a destiny for the Americas to obtain more economic wealth and freedom. However, this excluded the Native Americans because they were seen as being unable to govern… They were left behind in the old America, and the new settlers began benefitting from their land, and turning rural areas into urban environments. This painting represents an idea of American "Progress" the artist noted depicts the Angel carrying books (signifying academia) and telegraph wires (signifying advancing technology) These were themes of a New America, and an America the Europeans envisioned would create a prosperous, enlightened future.

2. 1776-1861- The beginning of Indian removal through a systematic government.

2.1. 1814 Marked the beginning of the Indian Removal Act. This Act illustrates the theme of Race as a social construct., because European settlers saw the Natives as "primitive" in comparison to themselves. They attempted to eliminate them to construct a new nation by clearing them out entirely for white occupancy.

2.2. Between 1814- and 1824, the Native Americans negotiated eleven treaties in attempts to help keep and preserve some of their original land. They voluntarily abandoned their homes in attempts to compromise with the government. The Natives were considered a subordinate group adhering to the white men who were the dominant. In 1823 the Supreme court began discriminating against Native Americans, and made laws that they could not own their own land.

2.3. In 1827, the Cherokees created a written constitution to make themselves a sovereign state. This was an attempt to protect their personal and civil rights as Native to America. They were granted this right in 1831.

2.4. However, In 1830, President Jackson implemented the Indian removal Act to push the Native Americans out of their land. This removal was a struggle that lasted 28 years. By 1837, 46,000 Native Americans had been forced to relocate from their original land.

3. President Jackson and his Vision of Indian Removal

3.1. Jackson had a misconstrued idea that the Native Americans were uncivilized, and would never assimilated to Westernized culture. His attempts to remove them entirely were based on racial discrimination, and embodied ethnocentrism.

3.2. Jackson genuinely believed that the Removal would result in a "moral improvement" for the Native Americans, which is pure ignorance from a race that has lack of understanding of intercultural diversity.

3.3. Jackson's lack of understanding of the Native culture made him fear them. He had a patronizing idea that they were barbaric, and that the only way to protect the new civilization was to remove them from society.

4. Mexican American War

4.1. Many historians suggest that the U.S. Mexican. War was overshadowed by the Civil War. Textbooks often display information that is not entirely accurate, or highlight areas of history that put America in a positive light.

4.2. The War's main theme was Territory and Violence. The United States was interested in obtaining new land, selfishly, to acquire the resources from the new environment. This required displacing many families, and separating them through artificial boarders. These intentions were driven on greed, and the White men considered themselves worthy of benefitting from the new found land.

4.3. When the Mexican Americans lost their homeland, they had not where to go. Theri identity and culture was conflicted because they had been stripped of their original home, they had been erased from society.

4.4. The U.S. used violence to violate the Mexican people. This racial subjugation should not be forgotten, because it illustrates the foundation on which this nation was built on. The slave mentality that the white man possessed was a malicious mindset used to justify mistreating a culture to acquire new land.

5. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo

5.1. The Mexican American War was ended when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in February of 1814.

5.2. Not only did this end the war but it also forced many Mexicans to abandon their culture when relocating to the United States.

5.3. Upon relocation in the United States, 90% of the Mexicans who relocated became American citizens, with American rights.

5.4. This illustrates the racial theme of assimilation, through force of having to relocate. The Mexicans became a second class culture who were forced to quickly adopt New America ways of living without the same political and social rights.

6. Black Slavery in the Americas

6.1. Slavery has always had a devastating history in America. Slave trades and sales of the first African slaves were barbaric, resulting in horrific abuse of a racial culture.

6.2. Despite the hardships the Africans had to endure, they found a way to develop a new culture through songs, hyms, and a strong spirituality. This idea reflects on the point that culture is often a product of environment. The extreme circumstances the African slaves had to live through, resulted in a rich culture that could only be understood by a slave. Slavery was most prevalent in the South at this time throughout the centuries, and can be described as a never-ending, painful struggle for freedom.

6.3. By the 18th century, many blacks had acquired freedom. However, during the great migration North, many slaves moved to work factory jobs and help stimulate the economy. Through harsh working conditions, the undoubtedly improved the lives of Northern cities. This illustrates the Racial theme of industrialization through the oppression of a minority race.

6.4. The Industrial Civil War took place between the North and the South, until the Surrender of the Confederates. Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation proclamation, and later Congress the fifteen Amendment was instated to protect the civil rights of black people.