Final answer:
The United States went to war with Plains tribes using justifications like conquering new lands and spreading American culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
Justification of the United States Going to War with Plains Tribes
The question of whether the United States was justified in its decision to go to war with Plains tribes is complex and centers on historical perspectives and moral viewpoints. Plains warfare itself was traditionally engaged for reasons such as prestige, goods acquisition, and vengeance, with a unique emphasis on demonstrating bravery through counting coup. However, the United States' expansionist policies in the 19th century, often justified by the doctrine of Manifest Destiny, were rooted in the belief of spreading a 'superior' American culture and assimilating tribes into an American way of life, which included land ownership, Christianity, and Western education.
The United States faced various justifications for going to war which included the need to conquer new lands, improve the lives of others, defeat a potential enemy, and defend territory. When considering the historical context and interactions with Plains tribes, the United States' decision to go to war was influenced by a mixture of these justifications. The desire to expand and control territories, coupled with the belief that the civilization of the Plains tribes was a moral imperative, led to a series of conflicts that transformed the cultural and physical landscapes of the Native American peoples.
Wars traditionally had to be 'justified,' often invoking divine right or the ostensibly benevolent spread of empire. In the case of Westward Expansion, justifications included economic, philosophical, and religious motives, with marked effects on Native populations through physical conflict, cultural disruption, and legal imposition of American laws that eroded traditional ways of life. Thus, while warfare on the Plains among Natives had its own culturally significant purposes, the wars instigated by the United States were seen through the lens of imperialistic expansion and cultural imposition, challenging the moral justification of such actions.