Thomas Jefferson Quotes
We make to the Indians this solemn declaration of our unalterable determination, that we wish them to live in peace with all nations as well as with us, and we have no intention ever to strike them or to do them an injury of any sort, unless first attacked or threatened
Thomas Jefferson, 1743-1826, 3rd President of the United States (Democratic Republican, VA), Letter to Henry Dearborn, 1807
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
In a tragic irony, the two chiefs were killed by a year later at the Sand Creek Massacre.
This is one of the first Policy Statements of the new Republic about the Indians. Essentially, although the government policy was reasonable and fair, public opinion was totally different and the leadership could not persuade the people on this point. One complicating factor was the fact that most of the Indian tribes had overtly or covertly sided with the British in the Civil War. Many Indians were exiled to Canada. Even the Indians who were American allies, had their lands encroached upon however.
While Jefferson was clear on this point, there were other forces and points of view that did not recognize Indian rights and were prepared to use force to obtain Indian lands. These, together with some Indians who made bad and sometimes corrupt bargains and treaties ceding land, produced the loss of most of the Indian land in America.
Many of the French Revolutionists viewed the French Revolution as only the first step in a European revolution where all monarchies in Europe would be overthrown and popular rule installed throughout the continent. See Warville {585774} for an example. This obviously made the crowned heads of Europe and their governments very nervous. Other French Revolutionaries like Robespierre, however, wanted to assure the rest of Europe that the revolution was only a French affair so that they should not send troops to overthrow the French Revolution.
When whites first came to America, the Iroquois, were the most sophisticated Native Americans. They were actually a confederation of 5 different tribes each of which was composed if many clans. Although fierce warriors, they had agreed not to fight each other and to assist if any were attacked. They developed a strong agricultural base, to go with the fishing and hunting, and their confederation were very aggressive and sophisticated traders taking them far from their upstate New York “capitol.” Their governmental structure was quite sophisticated with an elaborate, formal, system of checks and balances, multi-cameral legislatures that recognized numbers of citizens, power and wealth, and even cultural traditions. They were literate, capitalistic and globalistic in that they wanted to trade with all. They had written laws, and women had a role that was unique in world history in that only women owned property in a matrilineal society. Further, it was only the Clan Mothers who voted for the 50 Sachems (~Senators)—but their selections had to be accepted by the people they represented. Ironically the descendants of the Iroquois who remained in New York became a very successful Native American group. In the 2000 census, the average Indian in New York State earned the same income as the average White with no Indian gambling money.
There were a few members of Congress who were distressed at the deception that was very often used in negotiations with Indians. They never were a sufficient majority to pass serious, meaningful legislation.
This was passed in 1787 before the Constitution had become operative, but was then ratified by Congress in 1789. It was one of the first acts of our new nation, and one of the most frequently violated throughout our history.
This law governed the territories outside of the original 13 colonies. The intentions of the founding fathers and the first Congress to the Indians was fair and honorable. However, there was no practical way that the new Federal Government could enforce this principle in the territories. A single greedy land speculator or trader could abuse a group of Indians and start a small war. The vast cultural differences between Indians and whites tended to polarize all violent conflicts regardless of who was at fault. The different perceptions of cruelty and atrocities further pushed the government to defend whites violating national policy and there was sufficient corruption and money to be made on Indian land and trading and things went downhill fast.
Thomas Jefferson was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He had previously served as the second vice president of the United States under John Adams between 1797 and 1801. The principal author of the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson was a proponent of democracy, republicanism, and individual rights, motivating American colonists to break from the Kingdom of Great Britain and form a new nation; he produced formative documents and decisions at both the state and national levels.
