Page 9 - Were Native Americans the Victims of Genocide?

domestic comforts.” He then encouraged Congress “to multiply
trading houses among them [the Native Americans], and place
within their reach those things which will contribute more to their
domestic comfort, than the possession of extensive, but unculti-
vated wilds.” The goal, in Jefferson’s view, was to get the Indians
to recognize the wisdom “in bringing together their and our settle-
ments, and in preparing them ultimately to
participate in the benefi ts of our govern-
ments, I trust and believe we are acting for “We wish to see you
their greatest good.” [Native Americans]
43
Jefferson’s optimism was evident in possessed of
some of his personal and public letters. property, & protecting
it by regular laws.
For example, in 1809 when he invited rep- In time you will be
resentatives of the Great Lakes tribes (the as we are; you will
Ottawa, Shawnee, Chippewa, and others) become one people
to Washington for a discussion of peace with us; your blood
and goodwill, he wrote of his vision in his will mix with ours;
welcome letter: “We wish you to live in & will spread, with
peace, to increase in numbers, to learn ours, over this great
to labor, as we do, and furnish food for Island.” 44
your increasing numbers, when the game —President Thomas Jefferson
shall have left you. We wish to see you
possessed of property, & protecting it by
regular laws. In time you will be as we are; you will become one
people with us; your blood will mix with ours; & will spread, with
ours, over this great Island.”
44
Yet such optimism was tempered by the reality that many tribes
stood in the way of westward expansion and were reluctant to
move. In his letter to those Great Lakes chiefs, Jefferson warned,
“The tribe which shall begin an unprovoked war against us, we will
extirpate from the Earth, or drive to such a distance, as that they
shall never again be able to strike us.” Stannard believes extir-
45
pating, or eradicating, the Native Americans was Jefferson’s real
plan all along. He argues, “Had these same words been enunci-
ated by a German leader in 1939, and directed at European Jews,
they would be engraved in modern memory.” Still, in other letters
46
Jefferson wrote concerning the Indian tribes, he always spoke re-
luctantly about having to destroy Native tribes as the last act of a
provoked nation. He frequently restated his desire to bring the Na-
tive Americans peacefully into his vision of a nation united.

39