Answer:
During President Washington's administration and into the 1790s, U.S. policy toward Native Americans followed a mixed approach:
• The US government initially pursued a policy of peaceful coexistence and negotiations with Native tribes. Secretary of War Henry Knox favored a conciliatory approach and respect for Native sovereignty.
• However, expansionist sentiments and the desire for more Native lands pushed the US government to pursue a more aggressive policy. Treaties were made that ceded large amounts of Native territory, often through questionable or unfair means.
• The US government began implementing policies of cultural assimilation, encouraging Native tribes to adopt European-American lifestyle and agriculture. This was seen as a way to reduce conflicts over lands.
• Military force was occasionally used against Native tribes who resisted US expansion or refused to cede their lands. The Northwest Indian War broke out in the 1790s between the US and a confederation of Native tribes in the Midwest.
• The 1790 Indian Trade and Intercourse Act placed tribes under federal protection but also restricted Native sovereignty by requiring government approval for land sales. This laid the groundwork for future federal control over Native affairs.
In summary, while the Washington administration pursued a moderately conciliatory approach at first, expansionist pressures and conflicts led to a mixture of negotiation, coercion, assimilation policies and occasional military force that undermined Native sovereignty. It set a pattern that would continue in the following decades.