Genocide of Indigenous peoples in the context of "Enslavement of indigenous peoples in North America"

⭐ In the context of enslavement of Indigenous peoples in North America, the large-scale population decline experienced by many Indigenous societies during the colonial period is most directly linked to…

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⭐ Core Definition: Genocide of Indigenous peoples

The genocide of indigenous peoples, colonial genocide, or settler genocide is the elimination of indigenous peoples as a part of the process of colonialism.

According to certain genocide experts, including Raphael Lemkin – who coined the term – colonialism is intimately connected with genocide. Lemkin saw genocide as a two-stage process: (1) the destruction of the targeted group's way of life, followed by (2) the perpetrators' imposition of their own national pattern. Other scholars view genocide as associated with but distinct from settler colonialism. The expansion of various Western European colonial powers such as the British and Spanish empires and the subsequent establishment of colonies on indigenous territories frequently involved acts of genocidal violence against indigenous groups in Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

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👉 Genocide of Indigenous peoples in the context of Enslavement of indigenous peoples in North America

During and after the European colonization of the Americas, European settlers practiced widespread enslavement of Indigenous peoples. In the 15th century, the Spanish introduced chattel slavery through warfare and the cooption of existing systems. A number of other European powers followed suit, and from the 15th through the 19th centuries, between two and five million Indigenous people were enslaved, which had a devastating impact on many Indigenous societies, contributing to the overwhelming population decline of Indigenous peoples in the Americas.

After the decolonization of the Americas, the enslavement of Indigenous peoples continued into the 19th century in frontier regions of some countries, notably parts of Brazil, Peru Northern Mexico, and the Southwestern United States. Some Indigenous groups adopted European-style chattel slavery during the colonial period, most notably the "Five Civilized Tribes" in the United States, however far more Indigenous groups were involved in the selling of Indigenous slaves to Europeans.

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Genocide of Indigenous peoples in the context of Racial discrimination in the United States

Racism has been reflected in discriminatory laws, practices, and actions (including violence) against racial or ethnic groups throughout the history of the United States. Since the early colonial era, White Americans have generally enjoyed legally or socially-sanctioned privileges and rights that have been denied to members of various ethnic or minority groups. European Americans have enjoyed advantages in matters of citizenship, criminal procedure, education, immigration, land acquisition, and voting rights.

Before 1865, most African Americans were enslaved; since the abolition of slavery, they have faced severe restrictions on their political, social, and economic freedoms. Native Americans have suffered genocide, forced removals, and massacres, and they continue to face discrimination. Hispanics, Middle Easterns, Asians, and Pacific Islanders have also been the victims of discrimination.

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Genocide of Indigenous peoples in the context of Indian Removal Act

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 was signed into law on May 28, 1830, by United States president Andrew Jackson. The law, as described by Congress, provided "for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for their removal west of the river Mississippi". During the presidency of Jackson (1829‍–‍1837) and his successor Martin Van Buren (1837‍–‍1841), more than 60,000 American Indians from at least 18 tribes were forced to move west of the Mississippi River where they were allocated new lands. The southern Indian tribes were resettled mostly into Indian Territory (Oklahoma). The northern Indian tribes were resettled initially in Kansas. With a few exceptions, the United States east of the Mississippi and south of the Great Lakes was emptied of its American Indian population. The movement westward of Indian tribes was characterized by a large number of deaths due to the hardships of the journey.

The U.S. Congress approved the Act by a narrow majority in the United States House of Representatives. The Indian Removal Act was supported by President Jackson and the Democratic Party, southern politicians and white settlers, and several state governments, especially that of Georgia. Indian tribes and the Whig Party opposed the bill, as did other groups within society (e.g., some Christian missionaries and clergy). Legal efforts to allow Indian tribes to remain on their land in the eastern U.S. failed. Most famously, the Cherokee (excluding the Treaty Party) challenged their relocation, but were unsuccessful in the courts; they were forcibly removed by the United States government in a march to the west which later became known as the Trail of Tears. Since the 21st century, scholars have cited the act and subsequent removals as an early example of state-sanctioned ethnic cleansing or genocide or settler colonialism; some view it as all three.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Enslavement of indigenous peoples in North America ← Racial discrimination in the United States ← Indian Removal Act ← Indian Removal Act of 1830 ← Racism in the United States
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Genocide → Indigenous peoples → Colonialism → Raphael Lemkin → Settler colonialism → British Empire → Spanish Empire → Colonies → Ethnic groups in Europe → Indigenous peoples of the Americas → Indigenous peoples of Africa → Indigenous peoples of Asia → Indigenous peoples of Oceania →