Final answer:
False, The idea that Native Americans uniformly resisted American expansion is false. Their responses to encroachment were complex, with examples of both resistance and strategic alliances, and they faced significant obstacles such as government policies leading to forced relocations.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Native Americans uniformly resisted the expansion of American settlers into their territories is false. While there certainly was resistance from many tribes, there were also instances of tribes aligning with Europeans or Americans due to strategic interests or in an attempt to protect their lands through treaties and negotiations. For example, during the Revolutionary War, not all of the tribes in the Iroquois Confederacy maintained neutrality; some supported the British while others supported the Americans, hence the statement about their uniform resistance is inaccurate.
Additionally, the U.S. government's policies, such as the Indian Removal Act of 1830, led to the forced relocation of thousands of Native Americans in events like the Trail of Tears. This suggests that while Native Americans did resist, they also faced overwhelming obstacles, including military force and legal actions aimed at their removal and assimilation. Despite some notable victories like that of the Lakotas over Custer's troops, Native American resistance did not stop American expansion in the West.
It is essential to recognize that the interactions between American settlers and Native Americans were complex and varied, involving a blend of resistance, accommodation, strategic alliances, and tragic instances of forced removal and war.