The Legitimacy of the Indian Wars

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes the conflicts between native Americans and colonists in terms of the moral legitimacy of warfare. The paper states that the end result of these conflicts are clear; it led to the deaths of thousands of native Americans and the eventual disappearance of the majority of the native American tribes within North America. The paper argues that the results were disastrous for the native Americans, however on further examination, it becomes evident that the Indian wars qualify as a just war.

From the Paper:

"In order to determine the legitimacy of the Indian Wars, a context for understanding the agents of action within the war must be developed. The Indian Civil War occurred in parallel to the American Civil War. The conflict began in the wake of the French and Indian War. The British, after acquiring the significant amount of territory ceded by the French dictated that settlements were forbidden west of the Appalachian Mountains. This policy was made to ensure that conflicts between the Native Americans and colonists would not continue to persist. However, due to pressure from the colonists, the British negotiated a treaty with the Iroquois in 1768 to allow for colonial expansion beyond the Ohio River."

Sample of Sources Used:

• A. Britt, Great Indian Chiefs (1938, repr. 1969)
• M. F. Schmitt and D. A. Brown, Fighting Indians of the West (1948, repr. 1966)
• R. H. Lowie, Indians of the Plains (1954, repr. 1963)
• A. M. Josephy, The Patriot Chiefs (1961)
• J. Tebbel and K. W. Jennison, The American Indian Wars (1961)

More papers on The Legitimacy of the Indian Wars:

• Analytical Essay # 59380 : "The Legitimacy of the ICC"
• Book Review # 109484 : "Gender Roles in "The Taming of the Shrew"
• Argumentative Essay # 6528 : "Theories and Constants - A New Dawning in the Politics of the World"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: