The Westward Movement--Two Points of View
We can learn a lot about our history by looking at the past from different points of view. We can also learn about how history applies to our lives today by looking at events from the perspective of people who lived long ago.
From a modern perspective, the government’s treatment of Native Americans was reprehensible. But in the 18th and 19th centuries, most early settlers felt it was their Manifest Destiny to claim land and settle the country from sea to sea. Many felt that the Native Americans were inferior because they did not hold the same religious beliefs.
Overcrowding on the East Coast and the prospect of cheap, fertile farmland in other areas drove the settlers farther and farther westward. Stories of gold on Native American lands spurred the government to remove the tribes from their homes.
But most importantly, and perhaps tragically, it was hard for settlers to see the similarities and differences between the Native Americans and themselves.
The same types of problems exist around the world today when two different groups want the same land or when different races clash because of the actions of a few. It is important to look at the big picture from all vantage points. More often than not, we can find many similarities between the groups.
Research the different points of view between the settlers and the Native Americans using the Venn diagram.
As a class we will then discuss the two groups, settlers and Native Americans, to hear your views and opinions.
We can learn a lot about our history by looking at the past from different points of view. We can also learn about how history applies to our lives today by looking at events from the perspective of people who lived long ago.
From a modern perspective, the government’s treatment of Native Americans was reprehensible. But in the 18th and 19th centuries, most early settlers felt it was their Manifest Destiny to claim land and settle the country from sea to sea. Many felt that the Native Americans were inferior because they did not hold the same religious beliefs.
Overcrowding on the East Coast and the prospect of cheap, fertile farmland in other areas drove the settlers farther and farther westward. Stories of gold on Native American lands spurred the government to remove the tribes from their homes.
But most importantly, and perhaps tragically, it was hard for settlers to see the similarities and differences between the Native Americans and themselves.
The same types of problems exist around the world today when two different groups want the same land or when different races clash because of the actions of a few. It is important to look at the big picture from all vantage points. More often than not, we can find many similarities between the groups.
Research the different points of view between the settlers and the Native Americans using the Venn diagram.
As a class we will then discuss the two groups, settlers and Native Americans, to hear your views and opinions.