Final answer:
Peaceful Coexistence significantly impacted Native Americans by altering traditional ways of life, leading to loss of land, and diminishing cultural practices through U.S. government policies. The push for Americanization resulted in attempts to assimilate Native Americans into white American society, which often eroded their cultural identities and economic standings. Despite severe impacts, some tribes adapted to European influences, using them to strengthen their positions temporarily.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of Peaceful Coexistence had a profound impact on Native Americans, although it may not be described using that term during the historical periods referenced. As European settlers, and later Americans, moved westward, they encroached on Native American lands, leading to conflicts and the implementation of various policies by the U.S. government. Plains Wars, the spread of diseases like smallpox and influenza, and the shift towards Americanization policies significantly affected Native tribes.
The U.S. government's desire to confine Plains Indians to reservations disrupted their traditional way of life significantly. As settlements and railroads changed the landscape, buffalo migration patterns were altered, making hunting, a mainstay of Native culture and survival, very difficult. The establishment of forts and the ensuing Plains Wars led to the decimation of some tribes and the forceful relocation of others to reservations.
Adaptation and conflict resolution varied among tribes. Some leaders sought to adapt to American ways and signed treaties in the hopes of peaceful coexistence. However, this often resulted in the ceding of lands and subsequent loss of traditional territories. Native Americans struggled with the introduction of European goods like guns, which altered their warfare tactics and had broader social implications. The death of key leaders who opposed American expansion, like Buckongahelas, paved the way for new leadership and sometimes increased resistance, as seen with Tenskwatawa and Tecumseh of the Shawnee.
The Americanization policies, championed by east coast reformers, aimed to assimilate Native Americans into white American society, promoting individual land ownership, Christian worship, and education. While these policies were intended to resolve the 'Indian problem' peacefully, they resulted in the erosion of Native cultures, languages, and identities and fomented economic hardship. Native American boarding schools, part of this policy, are now recognized for their traumatic impact on Native students.
Despite the manifold challenges, not all responses to the expansion were violent. Some tribes, such as the Comanche, successfully adapted by incorporating European materials, such as horses, into their society, which allowed them to thrive and negotiate from a position of strength with European powers for a time. However, the overall impact of expansion and policies of Peaceful Coexistence contributed substantially to the profound transformation, and in many cases, the suffering of Native American societies.