The United State’s long relationship with the Native Americans has its intricacies to say the least. With the arrival of English settlers at Jamestown in 1607, there were undoubtedly uncertainties amongst the Native people as to whether or not these settlers would resemble the Spanish settlers who had enslaved and “converted” many people in their quest for colonization. Yet, the Natives soon began to offer food and hospitality to the newcomers, hoping to create unity between the two groups, led by Powhatan and John Smith. The English, knowing nothing of the land, knowing not how to yield its gifts, and blinded by their passion for riches, relied greatly upon the aid of Powhatan. The colonists’ luck dwindled, suffering catastrophic losses to …show more content…
In 1869, the United States appointed celebrated Civil War veteran, Ulysses S. Grant as president. Some of the most horrific injustices and grotesque battles accosted Native Americans during Grant’s presidency, his slogan ironically being “Let Us Have Peace”. In his inaugural address, the president pledged to drastically reform Indian policy and resolve many problems intertwined in the corrupt Indian Bureau (EST. 1824). During his eight years in office, Grant approved the Timber Culture Act (granting homesteaders additional acreage if they agreed to plant trees), the General Mining Act (authorizing prospecting and mining for minerals on public lands) and the Desert Lands Act (issuing arid Western lands to individuals who agreed to reclaim and irrigate). Nonetheless, Grant came to the realization that his expansionist vision required the removal of Native tribes who occupied desired land. The 18th president’s “Indian Peace Policy” not only called for the removal of Natives from their lands, but the education, civilization, and baptism of the Native people. Grant viewed his policy as an alternative to violence, said Brooks Simpson, a history professor at Arizona State University. Whilst Natives clashed with settlers over the desecration of land, Grant’s scheme to assimilate the Natives into white culture appeared as the “moral” solution to the centuries-old conflict. It would make sense that, under these circumstances, the War for the Black hills would transpire under Grant’s