Why were the native Americans moved to smaller and smaller reservations in the 1850s?

Answer 1

white settlers discovered gold and silver on land already set aside for native Americans

Answer 2

While Americans like to think of themselves as tolerant, the truth is that during certain periods of time, there was a great amount of prejudice that dominated the country. At some times, it was directed at immigrants (whether Italian or Chinese or Jewish); at some times, it was directed at blacks (then called "Negroes"). And at some times, it was directed towards Native Americans (then called "Indians").

For many Americans, Indians were savages who needed to be converted to Christianity; Indians were expected to give up their language and their culture and act more like the missionaries wanted them to. Some, the so-called "Praying Indians," accepted the teachings of the missionaries, but others were not so accommodating, which further contributed to the common belief that Indians were not civilized and needed to be conquered.

Another aspect of the common wisdom back then was that Indians were an impediment to America's westward expansion. As the United States got larger, the Native people were seen as an obstacle, and it was believed that they should be moved. Whether they liked it or not (understandably most did not, and some fought back), large numbers of Indians were in fact relocated from the territories where they had lived and placed on reservations, most of which were located on undesirable land that white Americans did not want. And the more land that American explorers and expansionists believed they needed, the policy was to continue taking it from the Indians, thus relegating them to smaller and smaller reservations.

Many Indians died as a result of these policies, and unfortunately, there were some Americans who had little sympathy for them, since the stereotype was that all Indians were war-like. While a few journalists and clergy did speak out about mistreatment of the Native people, the general attitude was that Americans needed the land, and the Indians should relinquish it. Some historians, including some with Native ancestry, believe that the problems that are endemic to the reservation even today can be traced back to that period of time.

A few of the primary reasons that settlers pushed to gain more land included better farming lands, gold strikes, and railroad expansion. All of which required impeding on Native lands as declared in the original, second, etc. treaties.

Answer 3

Because it is easier for the Army to fight a small group of Indians rather than a large group.