Resistance from Native Americans

Definition

This refers to the various forms of opposition and conflict initiated by Native American tribes against European settlers, colonial governments, and later, the United States government.

Analogy

Think of this like a game of tug-of-war. On one side you have the Native Americans trying to hold onto their land and way of life. On the other side are European settlers or U.S. government officials pulling for control over resources and territory.

Related terms

Manifest Destiny: The 19th-century doctrine that justified the expansion of the United States throughout the American continents as inevitable and divinely ordained.

Indian Removal Act: A law passed in 1830 that forced many Native American nations to move west of the Mississippi River.

Battle of Little Bighorn: An armed engagement between combined forces of Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army in 1876; a significant event in Native American resistance.