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Agree somewhat in that it was a fait accompli...it's the way of the human race, like it or not.

It WAS, however, naked aggression by today's standards. The Trail of Tears in particular was nothing more than a land grab at gunpoint, in defiance of a Supreme Court ruling, no less. And the Southern tribes were far from stone age or barbaric. They were on a technological level not much different than the whites, and many worshiped the Christian God.

It's to be remembered as well that Custer's campaign, the article on which started this thread, was a direct result of a broken treaty over the Black Hills.

It's part of our history....and it's how this country got to where it is today. But there are a lot of things that weren't very noble about how it all happened. Some people on FR apparently have a hard time admitting even that.

There may be a bit too much revisionism and political correctness going on WRT the way the Indians lived. I think that's a shame, because they're much more interesting as real people than as cardboard cutouts. BUT, there's also a fair amount of political correctness coming from the other side...an unwillingness to face up to some of the sordidness which the whites perpetrated. We've seen a bit of that on this thread tonight...along with some some just plain mean spirited ignorance.

The Trail of Tears was another travesty but the by defying the Supreme Court Jackson was cutting against the grain of our civilization. There will always be exceptions and regressions.

In the West we have our own various versions of the Trail of Tears, Chief Joseph, the Navajo's Long Walk, forcing the Apaches onto San Carlos. The overarching policy was to stop the depredations but to be fair to the Indians.

In acquireing these vast areas from the French or the Mexicans we acquired JURISDICTION over them. No one could accept maurauding and murder under their jurisdiction.

You are right the real cultures are far more complex and fascinating than what has been painted by even the most knowlegable pundits.