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9 December 2016
Manifest Destiny and Native Americans
Introduction
America was uncharted territory when European explorers discovered it. The fact that no one back then wanted to think about, is the American Natives already lived here. These settlers displaced the indigenous people off their lands, in a succession of land grabs. When they refused, they were murdered. This occurred in multiple ways. It was murder, enslavement, starvation, and pestilence (US History, 29). The unexpected problem was that the Europeans brought diseases with them. The natives had no immunity to protect them from the diseases. Many died as a result. These next paragraphs will disseminate Manifest Destiny as it relates to Native Americans.
In the mid-1800s, Manifest Destiny was an extensively known belief in the United States, that its settlers were destined to grow the country in size by moving West in America, at great cost to the Native Americans. It appeared not to matter that the native peoples occupied the land. The migration was on, and it turned out to be violent and bloody, with the Indians on the losing end. The trip is fraught with all the perils of uncharted lands. The Natives were not so happy to see them and attacked the settlers regularly. Many did not survive the trip. The Indians sent many raiding parties to disrupt the migration route. In John L. O’Sullivan’s case, he settled in the Texas/Mexico area. The Natives were an inconvenience, to the great expansion.

It was not their destiny, but the settlers’ destiny. Sullivan was the first to use the words Manifest Destiny. Typical of most settlers’ true mission was to take over the land from the natives. This, they called progress in search of freedom and economics (O’Sullivan, 426).
The westward expansion was also a cultural war, where the Manifest Destiny affected morality, race, religion, money, slavery, and patriotism. In all cases, the Indians lost out. This caused them to wage war and the settlers. Everyone knows how that turned out. The Indians are still actively protesting. Manifest Destiny continues today. The South Dakota Indian tribes are blocking an oil pipeline set to pass through their lands (MacPherson, 1). The Indians do not protest the United States Government, nor are the oil companies not taking the views of these Indians seriously. Not only are the Indians taking part in the protest, but also an environmentalist is joining the protest. Tribe representative Steve Sitting Bear said, “Protesters reported that six people had been bitten by security dogs, including a young child, and at least 30 people were pepper-sprayed,” (MacPherson, 1). The Indians are right; the government and the oil companies are still taking advantage.
Conclusion
Practically everywhere on the planet, humans attempt to take over their neighbor’s lands. The natives occupying the land fight back, it ends in violence, and many lose their lives in the process. In America, it was the indigenous people, these settlers forced off their lands in past centuries. They have the right to protest and receive concessions for it. As their numbers continue to dwindle, they may become extinct. In the case of the South Dakota Indians, believe the oil pipeline will affect the environment, on their sacred lands. Manifest Destiny did on treat the natives kindly. Everyone on the planet deserves clean water, air, and land on which to live out his or her lives in peace. America must move away from this form of treatment, and teach other countries to follow suit. It is still a work in progress.
Works Cited
MacPherson, James Oil Pipeline Protest Turns Violent in Southern North Dakota Associated
Press/CBS Web 2016
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/oil-pipeline-protest-turns-violent-in-southern-north-dakota/
O’Sullivan, John O., Manifest Destiny the Great Nation of Futurity,” The United States
Democratic Review, Volume 6, Issue 23, pp. 426-430 American periodicals –New York –New York. 1845 Web
https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/osulliva.htm
US History Pre-Columbian to the New Millennium Manifest Destiny 2016 Web
http://www.ushistory.org/us/29.asp