In the Nineteenth Century, Andrew Jackson claimed that his soldiers were “advancing civilization” and that “their violence was an instrument of progress.” He insisted that he wanted to be “just” and “humane”; however, he justified Indian removal by explaining that because “efforts to civilize Indians had failed” he had to protect them from the “mercenary influence of white men.” He also stated that if “these children” refused to accept his advice, they would be responsible for the consequences.
For this question, consider the following: How have American Indians been imagined in the master narrative? What does this master narrative ignore? What does the master narrative justify in the treatment of the American Indians, past and present?
