Essay on American Identity - 956 Words

American Identity Works Cited Not Included American identity has been created by many events throughout the course of history. This country was founded on the clashing and mixing of many different cultures and lifestyles. One of the most important periods of time for this country was during the period of conflict between Americans and Native Americans over land rights. Americans had an idea of manifest destiny and that this land was theirs for the taking. The Americans were going to walk through anyone who opposed them in this quest for land. The treatment of the Indians during this time period was harsh, cruel, and violent to say the least. It is in this treatment that Americans came to view the Indians as a ?racialized other? and†¦show more content†¦(Takaki, 36). This thinking lead to the belief that the Indians were worthless and simply impeding the spreading of a civilized culture. Indians from this point began to be dehumanized even further. Due to the color of their skin they were associated with the Devil. Th e settlers believed that Indians must be removed in order to progress in the settling of our land. ?God was making room for the colonists and hath hereby cleared our title to this place? (Takaki, 40). The early Puritans believed that they were meant to spread their religion and beliefs across the entire land. The killing of Indians for this purpose could then be justified by they were doing what God had wanted them to do. They saw themselves as messengers of God and they needed to get rid of theses ?Devilish creatures to do so.? The English created these negative and unholy images of Indians to lower their own moral standards. In their minds they weren?t killing another human being, they were killing a demonic unholy beast. ?As the settlers made their way westward, they developed an ideology of ?savagery? (Takaki, 44). The natives were then considered to be an unimprovable race. They were incapable of being changed, their traits were inherent and their descent caused them to be this way. The thinking of the Americans was that the Indians had to removed off their lands. One of the leaders in this movement was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was a man who pushed for the advancement of hisShow MoreRelatedNative American Identity Essay1363 Words   |  6 Pages Cornell University Professor Clinton Rossiter explains identity as, â€Å"an intangible feeling. It is something that is felt†¦ An identity is not static. Feelings change with time and therefore, so can identity.†(http://ushistorythemes.weebly.com/american-identity.html). When colonists first arrived to North America, some people wanted to establish an identity unique to themselves and their new colonies. 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