The US Government's Complicity in Indian Decline

Key Insight

The policy toward Indian tribes was characterized by a contrast between the federal government's nominal concern and the states' active tyranny. Washington's 'noble and virtuous policy' of treating Indians with kindness and generosity was not adhered to. Instead, the 'greed of the colonists' was compounded by governmental tyranny, particularly from southern states.

States like Alabama and Mississippi unilaterally divided Indian territories into counties, subjecting native populations to European magistrates and laws, and even punishing Indian chiefs. These measures were driven by the desire for Indian lands, aiming to reduce them to despair and force their withdrawal before they could fully settle and claim the land through civilization. Georgians, for instance, coveted Indian lands despite their own sparsely populated territory.

When tribes like the Creeks and Cherokees appealed to the central government for protection, it was sympathetic and wished to ensure their guaranteed land titles. However, facing 'formidable resistance' from the particular states, the federal government chose to sacrifice the 'already half-destroyed savage tribes' rather than 'endanger the American Union.' While powerless to protect, it offered to pay for their transport to new, ostensibly permanent asylums in the West, knowing these promises could not be guaranteed, thus facilitating their flight and ultimate demise.