Question

What role do you think the concept of Manifest destiny had in shaping the Dawes Act

Answer 1

Today we continue our discussion of Manifest Destiny by focusing on the ways that the policies and beliefs of Manifest Destiny dramatically influenced the cultural, spiritual, political and economic lives of the many American Indian Nations living on the North American continent. We will begin by discussing various Federal Indian Policies that were passed during the era of Manifest Destiny, continue with an analysis of how the state of California during this era dealt with California Indians, and conclude with a local case study of what happened to the California Indians in Humboldt County.

But first, a word about this map. Aaron Capella, a self-taught mapmaker from Warner, Oklahoma, has pinpointed the locations and original names of hundreds of American Indian nations before their first contact with Europeans.