Native American Genocide Essay Example for Free

autochthonic American Genocide EssayWhen people think of genocide, there are many different examples that may control through their heads. An important example of genocide that came about during World War II was Adolf Hitlers tackle to eliminate people of the Jewish faith. This example may be the most prominent in history, further it may not have been the earliest. Many think that genocides scarce occur in foreign countries, unless in fact, one of the first genocides known to man took place in the soil we are presently standing on. When colonists first came to America, they thought they were disc everyplaceing new land.Contrary to their belief, they were actually attempting to take over land that was already inhabited by people with their own way of life. What happened after that is described as an American final solution (Lewy). It is evident that a myriad of death and terminal came to congenital American tribes when the colonist explorers and settlers arrived. The ma ss obliteration of the domestic American population from an estimated 12 million in 1500 to barely 237,000 in 1900 represents a tragic genocide.The definition of genocide, according to The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy Third Edition, is the deliberate and dogmatic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group. According to this definition, what happened to the infixed Americans is genocide because it was deliberate and premeditated. Sir Jeffrey Amherst, commander-in-chief of Colonists forces in North America, wrote the following to Colonel Henry Bouquet at Fort Pitt You will do well to test to inoculate the Indians with smallpox by means of blankets, as well as to try every separate method, that can serve to extirpate this execrable race. Between 75 to 90 percent of all Native American deaths resulted from smallpox (Halverson). on that pointfore, the Colonists were not oblivious to the spread of smallpox throughout the Native Americ an population. In fact, they were the ones who deliberately planned to exterminate the Native American race by the use of biological warfare, an perspicuous act of genocide. In addition, The Indian Removal Act of 1830 also led to a great drop-off in the Native American population.The treaty began the incredible but deadly move of over 70,000 Native Americans within the span of ten years which resulted in over 3,000 tribes alone dying during the move (Lewy). This indicates that the Colonists were attempting to annihilate the Native American race, proving that what has happened is a form of genocide. In opposition to this, some may argue that the colonists were very oblivious to the spread of smallpox and that as soon as they came to know about it they assay to drive away it. When President Thomas Jefferson heard about the disease, he started a vaccination program.This program vaccinated over 200,000 Native Americans (Coodey). They were not trying to use biological warfare and k ill the Natives moreover, the colonist really cared that the Native Americans became sick and did all they could do to try to help them. Also, when The Indian Removal Act was enacted, President Andrew capital of Mississippi promised the protection of tribes from all outside forces while they were going to the newly designated land. The act also guaranteed aid for those who were paltry and needed help in doing so. Also it said that the Colonists army will help the Native Americans in any way possible (Coodey).This shows that the Colonists were really concerned about the Native Americans well-being throughout the trip. Since the colonists tried to help the Native Americans and it wasnt deliberate or administrationatic, what happened to the Native Americans does not represent as a form of genocide. Refuting the opposition made above, contrary to popular belief, President Andrew Jackson had all the Native Americans fooled. There was something in the treaty that the Native Americans mi ght have overlooked. It stated in the treaty that if the Indians become extinct, or abandon, the same lands shall revert to the United States (Delema).This proves that President Jackson somehow knew that the Native Americans will get killed during the journey, as if he had planned something to happen. Also, the Trail of Tears isnt the only way that they tried to kill the Native Americans the colonists were greedy for land and grew less tolerant of the Natives standing in their way. When Texas entered the union, the colonists really cute the land and wanted the Native Americans to emigrate out of Texas. Colonists continually went onto their lands and continually killed many people.In 1859, after a system of reservations failed, Native Americans were finally forced out of Texas (Delema). I would say that the Colonists went to large extremities to annihilate the Native Americans which represents as a form of genocide. Another example is on a Tribal level, rather than state, which occu rred in 1877 with the Nez Perce Tribe. nearly 750 members of the Nez Perce tribe were forced to move to designated reservations under orders of General Howard. The Nez Perce fled to Montana where they thought that they would be safe from Howard. erstwhile they were settled, Colonel John Gibbon took orders from Howard to carry on an attack on the tribe with the intention of wiping them out, not mediocre relocating them. Gibbon issued a surprise attack which left numerous dead (Highberger). This is a form of genocide because it was systematic, since he was ordered and the attack was carried out by a commander, and it was deliberate, since they had planned to intentionally kill them. In conclusion what happened to the Native Americans is a form of genocide because it was a deliberate and systematic death and destruction of the Native Americanswhich does fall under the definition of genocide.The history of Native Americans tells us that it can be obstinate as a form of genocide cause by the Colonists settlers since what they did was premeditated. While we cannot go back in time, we can learn from the mistakes and learn tolerance from history. This can help us realize that not only does this go on in other nations, it may also occur on Americas homeland. Works Cited Coodey, Shorey The Trail of Tears and the Forced Relocation of the Cherokee Nation Trail of Tears The Rise and make out of the Cherokee Nation (2006) 351. Proquest. Web. May 22, 2012.genocide. The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. 21 May. 2012. . Halverson, genus Melissa Native American during the Smallpox Epidemics an Evolution. ABO Blood Group Frequencies in Pre-European Contact America An superannuated DNA Analysis(2007). NCWiseOwl. Web. May 22, 2012. Highberger, Mark Nez Perce War. American History (2006). NCWiseOwl. Web. May 22, 2012 Lewy, Guenter Were American Indians the Victims of Genocide? A blow of Dishonor (2007). Pr oQuest. Web. May 22, 2012.