General Information The Native American Genocide began when Christopher Columbus invaded the land to the left of the Atlantic Ocean in 1492 and took over, his men slaughtering them upon arrival. At that time, almost ten million Native Americans populated the land, but since then the population has greatly decreased because of this genocide. When Americans settled in the North and took over Native land is what many people know as the Native American Genocide. This genocide rooted from the settler's desire to expand their land and continued for hundreds of years. Americans were the foreigners of the country, but they believed that, because they were more advanced, they should have the right to the land. Soon after this time, in the South, Native's tribes were raided and there were long standing rivalries which killed and enslaved millions, but that is not where it ends. Colonists also gave Natives diseases, limited their resources, forced them to evacuate their land. They took kids away from their families to be brought up like the colonist's children which jeopardized their culture, religion, and language, and there was involuntary sterilization. One of our very own presidents, Andrew Jackson, was a main contributor to this genocide. He was avidly opposed to the Natives and was the cause of many events from the genocide that we know of today.
The Native American Genocide occurred over a span of hundreds of years. However, there were some specific events in the 19th century that majorly decimated these people.
Trail of Tears In the beginning of 1830, Native Americans occupied large amounts of land in the southern states. To the southerners, the natives were considered alien people because they had a different look, culture, and way of life. The white settlers believed that they had a right to the Native's land and that it belonged to them. President Andrew Jackson supported this idea, so in May of 1830, he signed the Indian Removal Act which would relocate Native American land in the south to land in the west. This new land was labelled, "Indian Territory," and was located in present-day Oklahoma. The first to make the journey were the Choctaw people. They were taken from their homes and forced to walk almost 1000 miles on foot during winter and thousands died. After this, many other Native American Nations, including the Creeks, Cherokees, Chickasaw, and Seminoles, were forced to make the horrible walk to the new land. During this long trek, there was not nearly enough food available, so many died of starvation, and their only sources of water were lakes or ponds that they came across, so others died of dehydration. They only had the clothes on their backs to wear, so the cold killed many, and several diseases, including whooping cough, typhus, dysentery, and cholera, spread like wildfire. Those who did not die of these causes were taken by pure fatigue. In addition to the horrible conditions, American guards were assigned to the route to keep order, and they often harassed the natives. If a family member fell or could not go on, the guards would force the natives to keep moving. Tens of thousands of Native Americans were forced to make the journey to the new land, and thousands of them died. This path is known as the Trail of Tears because its devistating effects decimated the lives and families of thousands of Natives, and it is said that the tears of their sorrows will forever be soaked into the ground.
Natives being forced out of homes by American Soldiers
Natives traveling the trail of tears with all of their belongings
Natives traveling in the cold winter
Sand Creek Massacre In 1864, John Evans was the governor of the Colorado territory. He wanted to isolate Native Americans who would not accept the terms of the Treaty of Fortwise, which was an agreement about land between the Natives and Americans. He met with Native Chiefs to create a new agreement, and it seemed that everyone was satisfied and that peace was on the horizon. One chief, named Black Kettle, moved his tribe to Fort Lyon, Colorado where he was told to hunt at Sand Creek. His people settled there and began to establish themselves. In an act of betrayal, a US commander, named Chivington, moved his troops to Sand Creek where they hunted down and attacked many natives. 148 natives were slaughtered in the blood bath, over half being women and children, and only 9 US soidiers died. Later, other soldiers went back to Sand Creek to kill the wounded and proceeded to mutilate the bodies. This massacre is known to be one of the most gruesome against the Native Americans.
Teepees at Sand Creek
Sand Creek people being attacked
American troops preparing to attack Sand Creek
California Slaughter Americans were continuing to colonize new land throughout the 19th century, and in 1846, they gained control of California. A large number of Natives occupied this land at the time, and the Americans wanted them gone. Between 1846 and 1873, an estimated 9,000-16,000 Natives were brutally killed. It is said to have been a "systematic slaughter" perpetrated through slavery, massacres, and the deportation of masses of people. Benjamin Madley, author of An American Genocide emphasizes that "what happened to California Native Americans in the mid-19th century was not all that different from what happened to Jews, Armenians or Rwandans." The peak of the violence occured in 1850 during the gold rush. The desire to get rid of the Natives was widely known throughout the Americans at that time, and people would go to extremes to get the job done. The Americans were ruthless. They slaughtered men, women, and children and destroyed homes, families, and lives without a second thought. Historians Ribert Hine and John Frahager call it "the clearest case of genocide in the history of the American Frontier."
Californian Native American Soldiers during the Modoc War in 1873 (Between Natives and Americans)
Americans working during the Gold Rush
Slaughtered Native Americans in California
Bear River Massacre In 1860, white settlers began to move into land that belonged to the Shoshoni Tribe, located in present-day Idaho. Just 3 years later, they had taken all the land and water in the Cache Valley. The tribe was distraught over the loss and tried to strike back. This sparked anger in the Americans, and Colonel Patrick Edward Connor's troops, made up of 200 men, were ordered to punish the tribe. On January 29, 1863 at 6:00 a.m., Conner's Troops advanced towards the Shoshoni village, located next to Bear River. When the Americans began to attack, the native warriors fought back the best that they could, but by 8:00 a.m., they had run out of ammo. Connor's men began to massacre the people, shooting as many natives as possible. 250 Shoshoni were slaughtered, 90 being women and children, and only 23 Americans died. After the massacre, some soldiers went through the village and raped women. They also bashed in the heads of wounded women and children with axes. The troops then burned the village, took the crops and horses, and the bodies of the Shashonis were left on the ground. This was one of the most brutal Native American massacres in history.
Site of the Bear River Massacre
Mural in Preston, Idaho Post Office named "The Battle of Bear River"
Sign at the site of the Bear River Massacre
"General Information" by Kate St. Pierre "Specific Events" by Katie Southard