Native Americans' rights

Definition

Throughout the period of western expansion (1844-1877), Native Americans' rights were consistently disregarded and violated by the United States government. They faced forced removal from their ancestral lands, broken treaties, and limited access to resources.

Related terms

Indian Removal Act: This act signed into law in 1830 allowed the U.S. government to forcibly relocate Native American tribes living in the Southeastern United States to lands west of the Mississippi River.

Trail of Tears: Refers to the forced relocation of Cherokee Nation in 1838-1839, resulting in thousands of deaths due to harsh conditions and mistreatment during their journey from Georgia to present-day Oklahoma.

Dawes Act: Passed in 1887, this act aimed at assimilating Native Americans into mainstream American society by dividing tribal lands into individual allotments, often leading to loss of communal land ownership and cultural identity.