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Thomas McKenney, the current Superintendent of Indian Affairs, wrote this letter to James Barbour, Secretary of War, explaining the perceived success of the government's attempts to "civilize" Indian tribes. As part of this process of "civilization," the government believed that it was necessary for native groups to become assimilated into white American society by adopting white agricultural methods, Christianity, and other elements of European American culture. Thomas McKenney was a passionate proponent of this system, and so he included a transcription of a letter written by a Cherokee man named David Brown who describes how his people had adopted Christianity, a republican form of government, and other elements of white culture. According to McKenney, as well as many other white Americans during this time period, the "civilization" process had a positive effect on Native Americans. McKenney also advocated Indian removal, writing that "should they retain their present location [within the United States] they will, in the course of a few years, be lost as a race."
Creator: McKenney, Thomas Loraine, 1785-1859
Date: December 13, 1825
This letter is most useful as an explanation of the government's reasons for removal. It also explains the "civilization" process and why there were so many mission schools in Kansas. For classroom purposes use the first three paragraphs of scanned page 1 (page 15 of the original) and the long paragraph on pages 5 to 6 (page 20 of the original).
KS:7th:1.4:Indian Removal (2005)
Item Number: 210394
Call Number: U.S. Congress. House of Representatives. The Executive Documents. 19th Cong., 1st sess., 1824-1825. House Doc. 102. Serial 135.
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 210394
Agriculture - Agricultural methods and practices
Business and Industry - Occupations/Professions - Religion - Missionaries
Collections - Library
Community Life - Religion - Christianity - Baptist
Community Life - Religion - Christianity - Methodist
Community Life - Religion - Christianity - Moravian
Community Life - Religion - Christianity - Presbyterian
Community Life - Religion - Missionaries
Curriculum - 7th Grade Standards - Kansas History Standards - Prehistory to 1854 (Benchmark 1) - Indian Removal Act (Indicator 4) - Assimilation
Curriculum - 7th Grade Standards - Kansas History Standards - Prehistory to 1854 (Benchmark 1) - Indian Removal Act (Indicator 4) - Government policies
Date - 1800-1819
Education - Primary - Teachers
Government and Politics - Federal Government - Congress - House of Representatives
Government and Politics - Federal Government - Federal agencies and programs - Agencies - Indian affairs
Government and Politics - Federal Government - Federal agencies and programs - Policies and programs - Land - Indian Removal Act
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Record, Government
People - African Americans - Slavery
People - American Indians - Indian lands
People - American Indians - Indian removal
People - American Indians - Missions
People - American Indians - Tribes - Cherokee
Thematic Time Period - Indian Territory, 1820 - 1854
Type of Material - Printed materials - Government publications
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/210394