How "Manifest Destiny" Removed Native Americans from their Land
Summary
TLDRThe video script explores the irony of America's founding principles versus the historical treatment of Native Americans. It discusses the distortion of divine right into 'manifest destiny,' leading to the forced displacement and cultural erasure of indigenous tribes. The script highlights the delayed recognition of Native American rights, such as voting and gun ownership, and the ongoing struggle for sovereignty. It concludes with a call to understand and learn from this history to address ongoing issues of greed and racism.
Takeaways
- 📜 The Declaration of Independence proclaims equality and inalienable rights such as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- 🌎 The concept of 'Manifest Destiny' was used to justify the expansion of the U.S. westward, often at the expense of native tribes.
- 🔫 Native Americans faced the loss of their lands and the eradication of their way of life by aggressive U.S. forces.
- 🏰 Chiefs like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse fought to defend their people against the U.S. Army and militias.
- 🏡 The American ideals of liberty and justice were not extended to Native Americans for much of the nation's history.
- 🔒 Native Americans were often denied basic rights such as owning firearms, practicing their religion freely, and voting.
- 📊 It wasn't until the 20th century that many rights were granted to Native Americans, including the right to bear arms and freedom of religion.
- 🏛️ The recognition of Native American tribes as separate sovereign nations has been a complex issue, affecting their citizenship and legal status.
- 🌟 The Narragansett tribe of Rhode Island has reclaimed some of its ancestral lands, demonstrating a resurgence of native rights and recognition.
- 📚 Understanding the historical treatment of Native Americans is crucial for learning, inspiring change, and addressing ongoing issues of greed and racism.
Q & A
What does the term 'manifest destiny' refer to in the context of the script?
-In the script, 'manifest destiny' refers to the notion that the United States had a divine right to expand and rule the entire continent from sea to shining sea, which was used as a justification for the aggressive expansion westward at the expense of the native tribes.
How did the concept of 'manifest destiny' distort the idea of divine right?
-The concept of 'manifest destiny' distorted the idea of divine right by applying it to justify the United States' expansionist policies, which were in contrast to the original rejection of divine right by Americans.
Who were Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, as mentioned in the script?
-Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse were prominent Native American chiefs who are remembered for their resistance against the U.S. government and military, defending their people and their way of life.
What does the script imply about the concept of liberty and justice for Native Americans?
-The script suggests that the American ideals of liberty and justice were not extended equally to Native Americans, as they faced significant restrictions and injustices, including the loss of land, culture, and rights.
When were Native Americans granted the right to vote in the United States?
-According to the script, Native Americans were granted the right to vote in the 1920s.
What was the significance of Richard Nixon's actions regarding Native American tribes?
-Richard Nixon played a significant role in ensuring that Native American tribes delisted by the federal government could be re-recognized, which was a step towards affirming their rights and sovereignty.
How are recognized Native American tribes legally considered in the United States?
-Recognized Native American tribes are legally considered as domestic dependent nations, a status that originated from a court ruling in 1831, although the ruling was later reversed and not enforced.
What percentage of the U.S. population identifies as Native American today?
-Today, roughly one percent of the U.S. population identifies as Native American.
How many tribes does the federal government officially recognize?
-The federal government officially recognizes 573 Native American tribes.
What is an example of a tribe that has reclaimed some of its ancestral homelands?
-The Narragansetts of Rhode Island are an example of a tribe that has reclaimed some of its ancestral homelands, with special exemptions for hunting and fishing.
What is the purpose of the PBS series 'Reconnecting Roots' mentioned in the script?
-The PBS series 'Reconnecting Roots' aims to explore and understand the history, culture, and contemporary issues of Native American tribes, inspiring viewers to learn from the past and engage with present-day Native American communities.
Outlines
📜 The Declaration vs. Manifest Destiny
The paragraph discusses the contrast between the principles in the Declaration of Independence, which advocate equality and inalienable rights, and the later concept of Manifest Destiny. Manifest Destiny, a belief that the U.S. had a divine right to expand across the continent, distorted these ideals and justified the violent removal and eradication of Native American tribes. The irony is highlighted in how this expansion disregarded the principles of equality and rights that the nation was founded on.
🦅 The Forgotten Braves
Here, the focus shifts to the hypocrisy in American values of liberty and justice, which were not extended to Native Americans. While the U.S. celebrated freedom, Native peoples were displaced from their lands, and their lifestyles were destroyed. Though some tribes adapted, many suffered irrevocable losses. The paragraph draws attention to the contrast between American ideals and the treatment of Native Americans, who were denied the rights the country claimed to uphold.
⚖️ Denied Rights and Delayed Freedoms
This paragraph outlines the various civil rights that Native Americans were historically denied, such as the right to bear arms, freedom of religion, and the right to vote. Many of these rights were only extended to Native Americans in the 20th century, long after other Americans had enjoyed them. It also mentions President Richard Nixon’s role in allowing tribes to regain federal recognition, showing the long struggle for Native Americans to secure basic rights.
🏞️ The Legal Status of Native Tribes
This section explains the complex legal status of Native American tribes as 'domestic dependent nations' under U.S. law. While this status grants tribes some level of sovereignty, it also kept them from the protections of U.S. citizenship for a long time. The paragraph traces this legal framework back to an 1831 court ruling, noting how the Jackson administration refused to enforce a reversal of the ruling. Today, the federal government recognizes 573 tribes, while some eastern tribes have regained portions of their ancestral lands.
⏳ Revisiting the Past to Learn and Heal
This paragraph emphasizes the importance of understanding the history of Native American tribes—both the atrocities they faced and the resilience they showed. It stresses that learning from these stories, with all their complexities, is crucial for addressing issues like greed and racism. The video encourages viewers to reflect on this history to better inform the present and future.
🎬 Closing and Call to Action
In the closing paragraph, the video script invites viewers to explore more content through the 'Reconnecting Roots' PBS series. It calls for viewers to subscribe, watch more episodes, and engage with the content to continue learning about these historical and cultural topics. The tone is one of appreciation for the audience’s support.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Declaration of Independence
💡Manifest Destiny
💡Divine Right
💡Native American Tribes
💡Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse
💡Liberty and Justice
💡Treaty Process
💡Domestic Dependent Nations
💡Civil Rights for Native Americans
💡Reclaiming Ancestral Lands
Highlights
The Declaration of Independence asserts that all are created equal with inalienable rights.
Manifest destiny was a distortion of divine right, used as an excuse for force against western tribes.
Manifest destiny led to the eradication of the west and the last stands of chiefs like Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.
In the land of the free, there was no home for the braves, as liberty and justice were not extended to natives.
Natives were displaced from their hunting grounds, culture, and way of life.
Natives' rights were not afforded to them until the 20th century, including the right to bear arms.
Freedom of religion was not guaranteed for natives until the 1970s.
Voting rights for natives were not established until the 1920s.
Richard Nixon ensured that delisted tribes could be re-recognized.
Native Americans were kept from citizenship protections by being considered separate self-sovereign nations.
Historically, recognized tribes were considered domestic dependent nations since a court ruling in 1831.
Today, about one percent of the US population identifies as Native American.
The federal government officially recognizes 573 tribes.
Some eastern tribes have reclaimed some of their ancestral homelands.
The Narragansetts of Rhode Island have tribal lands again with special exemptions for hunting and fishing.
Understanding the past atrocities is crucial for learning and preventing future injustices.
This video is inspired by the PBS series 'Reconnecting Roots'.
Transcripts
our nation's founding document the
declaration of independence
asserts that all are created equal and
endowed with
three inalienable rights life
liberty and the pursuit of happiness but
over time
politicians promoted the notion of
manifest destiny
a claim that the us had a god-given
right
to rule the continent from sea to
shining sea
ironically manifest destiny was a simple
distortion of divine right
an idea americans rejected then and now
but it became an excuse for using force
against the western tribes
not to control but to eradicate the west
was lost in the swan songs of chiefs
like sitting bull
and crazy horse who made their last
stands defending their people and their
way of life
against aggressive militias in the
united states army
[Music]
so in the land of the free
why wasn't there a home for the braves
americans
cherish our liberties and revere our
founding principles of
truth and justice yet when it came to
the natives
the american way only showed liberty and
justice
to some
[Music]
whether taking them from their hunting
grounds from their cultured fields or
from their herbs and medicines
displacing the people put an end to
their lives by ending their lifestyles
while some adjusted these nations would
never
flourish as before
most of our rights were not afforded to
them until the 20th century
which seems too hard to believe such as
the right to bear arms
instead many were not allowed to own
guns even for hunting which was
how most natives ate freedom of religion
wasn't a guarantee either until the
1970s and who could give them a voice
since voting didn't become a right until
the 1920s
even their right to be recognized as
tribes was imperiled until richard nixon
of all people ensured that the ones
delisted by the federal government
could be re-recognized understandably
this was another drawback of the treaty
process
keeping native americans from the
protections of citizenship
by keeping each tribe a separate
self-sovereign nation
historically a two-edged sword
legally the recognized tribes have been
considered domestic dependent nations
since a court ruling in 1831 and
although that ruling was reversed
the jackson administration made sure it
was never enforced
today roughly one percent of our
population identifies as native american
and the federal government
officially recognizes 573
tribes while most remaining tribes were
pushed further west
in the past few decades some eastern
tribes whose lands were taken
bought or bargained away have reclaimed
some of their ancestral homelands
such as the narragansen's of rhode
island today the narragansetts own
tribal lands again
in an arrangement that yields authority
to the laws of rhode island
with special exemptions for hunting and
fishing their land
what happened hundreds of years ago and
the atrocities
that took place even five or six
generations back
is something we need to understand the
good the bad
and the gray to inspire us
and to grieve over we need to learn from
these stories for as long as greed and
racism are present among
all of our tribes this video is inspired
by our pbs series reconnecting roots
visit reconnectingroots.com to watch the
full episodes or to check out our music
and podcast give us a thumbs up and
subscribe so we can keep making more
thanks for watching
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