Response to Microlecture 3

    I thought this microlecture was fascinating and I had never heard of internal imperialism before. The US has a history of settler colonialism, starting with the first pilgrims even before America became a country. Even outside of the 48 contiguous states, the US has lasting influence in places like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines. This was the result of Manifest Destiny, or the idea that Americans were destined to spread their reach from "sea to shining sea" and beyond. Combine this with religious, economic, and military prerogatives, and the US has frequently colonized other places and cultures.    

    The Dawes Act, Indian Termination Act and Indian Removal Act were a reminder of how active the US government has been in this abuse of indigenous people, as both pieces of legislation sought to strip Native Americans of their land and identity. The Dawes Act and Relocation Act not only took native lands, but really looked to assimilate indigenous personas into American culture. I think what is more disturbing is that most of these were probably passed off as beneficial to Native people. While Americans have been incredibly violent and cruel, they also lied and connived their way into the overwhelming majority of indigenous lands. I feel like one of the main takeaways from this last text and the microlectures is that we as a country have some large problems have gone mostly unaddressed. With increased recognition of the problems Native Americans have faced, I hope that we can learn from our mistakes and actually acknowledge the problems while working on solutions.