Frontier, Colonization, and American Imagination

Frontier Definition and American Imagination

• The frontier symbolizes the dividing line between civilization (European colonists) and perceived savagery (Indigenous peoples).
• The American West is romanticized as a land of opportunity and hope, overshadowing the exploitation and conquest of Indigenous people.
• The idea of the frontier is used to distinguish and elevate one group of people from another, which can lead to weaponization.

Early Colonization and Conflict

• Initial British colonies were established along the Eastern Seaboard due to resistance from powerful and numerous Native American tribes.
• The British government introduced the Proclamation Line of 1763, restricting colonists' westward expansion to prevent conflict with Native Americans
• Fur trappers and traders formed trade routes and, in some cases, alliances with local tribes.
• Beaver pelts were in high demand in Europe and Asia, driving the fur trade and leading to cutthroat competition among trappers and the depletion of beaver populations.
• Colonists rebelled against British rule partly because they wanted to access indigenous land
• One of the primary causes of the American Revolution was the American desire for land owned by indigenous peoples.
• Native Americans allied with the British during the American Revolution.

Formation of the United States and Western Expansion

• The newly formed United States saw the American West as a target for expansion but aimed to create new, equal states rather than colonies.
• The leadership was interested in expansion, with George Washington being a significant Western land speculator
• The United States wanted to distance itself from colonial precedents and create co-equal states in the West.
• Indigenous populations still occupied much of the territory, challenging the notion of newly claimed land

Indigenous People and The Frontier

• Before European arrival, North America was culturally and linguistically diverse, with advanced environmental manipulation techniques.
• The horse transformed some indigenous communities, enabling population growth and more effective buffalo hunting.
• Natives traded goods and knowledge for iron tools introduced by colonists.
• Indigenous populations were not static; they were also undergoing significant changes and adopting new technologies.
• Initial interactions between Native Americans and white people happened at the hand of scruffy traders trading guns
• The show down started between the American settlers and the Native people who had long lived there.

Louisiana Purchase

• Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to the United States for $15 million after abandoning his vision of a New World Empire
• Thomas Jefferson had a vision of an agrarian America of independent farmers and favored teritorial expansion
• Jefferson believed that the expansion will allow more men farms for their families
• Jefferson was suspicious of cities, citing them as sores on the political body
• The Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States and unlocked money-making opportunities through the sale of federal lands.
• The Louisiana Purchase's borders were vague, and much of the territory was inhabited by Native people.
• Jefferson hoped white American settlers would spread across the West, but it became an empire of slavery

Slavery and Manifest Destiny

• The forced migration of enslaved Africans in the 19th century overshadowed voluntary European migration.
• Slaveholding was not limited to the South but pervaded all of American society.
• There was a perception that land was wasted if it was not exploited for resources.
• The expansion was driven by ambitions to claim resources, trade, and prevent rival imperial powers from taking control.

Lewis and Clark Expedition

• Jefferson sent the Lewis and Clark expedition out to survey the new land to see it's potential
• Jefferson wanted to find a waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean
• Jefferson had one eye on trade with China and the potential it had for the United States
• The Lewis and Clark Expedition aimed to explore and map the Louisiana Territory, looking for a waterway to the Pacific.
• The expedition started with 51 members and included a slave owned by William Clark named York.
• York was thought to be of higher importance to the natives because he was black and it was smeared all over his body
• Sacagawea, a Native American woman, played a crucial role as an interpreter and guide, saving important items from destruction.
• The men panicked because there was exhaustion and sickness starting

Legacy and Future Conflict

• Clark did not free York after the expeidition but kept him as a slave for years after
• Lewis and Clark's expedition fueled American interest in the West and a belief that the Pacific coast would be claimed by the United States.
• Native people would face disease, war, and a genocidal plan to remove tribes from their land.
• The thirst for control drove white settlers west, bringing slavery, violence , and the concept of manifest destiny.
• The battle for the American frontier was entering new deadly phase that would create change.