Briefly discuss the relationship of white American settlers and American Indians in the context of Westward expansion of white ’ Americans.
Till the 1780s, white American settlements were confined to a small narrow strip of coastal land in the East. There were various native American groups, several of them were Nomadic, some were settled. They lived by hunting, gathering, fishing and cultivating corn, beans, tobacco and pumpkin.
By the early 20th century, white Americans had moved Westward and establsihed control up to the West coast, displacing the local tribes. The American Indians were first driven beyond the River Mississippi and then further West. Numerous wars were waged in which Indians were massacred and many of their villages burnt.
The Indians resisted, won many wars but ultimately were forced to sign up treaties, give up their land and move Westward. As the Indians retreated, the white Americans powered in.