In the United States’ early years, the country’s leaders often seemed to support the idea of “civilizing” American Indians. They believed that tribes should give up their old culture in exchange for settlers’ culture and be encouraged to mix with white society. This meant that tribes should be encouraged to wear Western clothing, learn English, and adopt Western foods and economic activities. Later, many leaders like Andrew Jackson began to pursue a policy of removal. They believed that, rather than encouraging tribes to assimilate, the government should simply take tribes off land that settlers desired. Tribes should be moved to the West, where they could be kept away from new settlements and towns.
