Question

chapter 17 discussion westward expansion and native americans a) why were native americans unable to secure their way of life? (think about manifest destiny, the gold rush, and the railroad) b) in what ways were some native tribes able to resist expansion? (consider treaties and battles) c) what, typically, was the end result of native resistance? (discuss wounded knee) answers

Answer 1

Native American’s suffered from westward expansion due to government corruption. Even though Native Americans were promised land in the west, settlers and the military often broke treaties. White settlers wanted Native American lands because of the availability of gold, silver, or rich farmland. This caused conflicts between settlers and Native Americans that later led to a series of Indian wars. Some Native American tribes resisted expansion by refusing to move out of their territories. However this resistance almost always led to warfare with the white colonists and Native American tribes.