Kenny-
"The opposite of love is not hate; it's indifference. The opposites of art is not ugliness; it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy; it's indifference. The opposite of life is not death; it's indifference. Because of indifference, one dies before one actually dies"- Elie Wiesel. When people think of genocide, there are many different examples that comes to their minds. For example, there was a genocidal issue in Rwanda. Another genocide which occurred during World War II , was when Adolph Hitler wanted to kill everyone who was Jewish. Many think that genocide only occurs in foreign countries, but it in fact first occurred here within the United States.
Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas (North and South) on October 12,1942. He brought with him the hope of wealth and the excitement of a new world. But he did not know that there was already a "world" which existed in America. That sense of hope and discovery led to the death and destruction of another. Many Native Americans believed that when Columbus first landed in America , it was the beginning of the American Holocaust. Columbus brought with him greedy men; he brought men who were looking for gold. They took the Native Americans, who were already living there and made them into slaves. Native Americans were murdered, tortured and deprived of their land and wealth.
When the English started to come to America from Europe, they didn't care who was already living in America and they certainly didn't care for the Native Americans. Europeans looked at the new land as a way of starting over and they felt that the land was entirely theirs for the keeping. The English wanted the land and they would take it from the Native Americans without thinking it twice. When Europeans first settled in North America, one of the biggest problems for Native Americans were the diseases which they brought with them. Since they were never exposed to these diseases their immune system could not handle the change. A great amount of Native Americans fell to diseases such as influenza and smallpox.
As United States was expanding , Native Americans were constantly pushed west and were being mistreated. They were looked as as "Savages" and were wanted dead , mostly because they were different from the "White" men . They were attacked numerous of times and left to starve after their crops were destroyed. On May 28, 1830 Andrew Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act as a mean to trade land with the Natives. The Indians were to travel west of the Mississippi River and leave their land to the English for the taking. Jackson promised that they would be protected from outside dangers and they would be aided with their journey westward. With this promise began the deadly move of over 70,000 Native Americans now know as the " Trail of Tears".The move from east to west proved to be more destructive to the tribes than helpful. Native Americans died from exhaustion and starvation from the long journey. Over 3,000 Natives of the Cherokee tribe alone died on the Trail of Tears.
The peace did not last long. In 1858 the discovery of gold in what is now Colorado brought thousands of miners to the West. Who clashed with the Native Americans. In 1861 the United States government negotiated new treaties that created reservations. Reservations were areas of federal land set aside for Native Americans. By the 1870s, many Native Americans lived on reservations, where land was usually not useful for farming or buffalo hunting. Many indians " walked the white man's road" and started a new life.
Christopher Columbus landed in the Americas (North and South) on October 12,1942. He brought with him the hope of wealth and the excitement of a new world. But he did not know that there was already a "world" which existed in America. That sense of hope and discovery led to the death and destruction of another. Many Native Americans believed that when Columbus first landed in America , it was the beginning of the American Holocaust. Columbus brought with him greedy men; he brought men who were looking for gold. They took the Native Americans, who were already living there and made them into slaves. Native Americans were murdered, tortured and deprived of their land and wealth.
When the English started to come to America from Europe, they didn't care who was already living in America and they certainly didn't care for the Native Americans. Europeans looked at the new land as a way of starting over and they felt that the land was entirely theirs for the keeping. The English wanted the land and they would take it from the Native Americans without thinking it twice. When Europeans first settled in North America, one of the biggest problems for Native Americans were the diseases which they brought with them. Since they were never exposed to these diseases their immune system could not handle the change. A great amount of Native Americans fell to diseases such as influenza and smallpox.
As United States was expanding , Native Americans were constantly pushed west and were being mistreated. They were looked as as "Savages" and were wanted dead , mostly because they were different from the "White" men . They were attacked numerous of times and left to starve after their crops were destroyed. On May 28, 1830 Andrew Jackson passed the Indian Removal Act as a mean to trade land with the Natives. The Indians were to travel west of the Mississippi River and leave their land to the English for the taking. Jackson promised that they would be protected from outside dangers and they would be aided with their journey westward. With this promise began the deadly move of over 70,000 Native Americans now know as the " Trail of Tears".The move from east to west proved to be more destructive to the tribes than helpful. Native Americans died from exhaustion and starvation from the long journey. Over 3,000 Natives of the Cherokee tribe alone died on the Trail of Tears.
The peace did not last long. In 1858 the discovery of gold in what is now Colorado brought thousands of miners to the West. Who clashed with the Native Americans. In 1861 the United States government negotiated new treaties that created reservations. Reservations were areas of federal land set aside for Native Americans. By the 1870s, many Native Americans lived on reservations, where land was usually not useful for farming or buffalo hunting. Many indians " walked the white man's road" and started a new life.