Indians Quote by Dee Brown
““Before these laws could be put into effect, a new wave of white settlers swept westward and formed the territories of Wisconsin and Iowa. This made it necessary for the policy makers in Washington to shift the “permanent Indian frontier” from the Mississippi River to the 95th meridian. (This line ran from Lake of the Woods on what is now the Minnesota-Canada border, slicing southward through what are now the states of Minnesota and Iowa, and then along the western borders of Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana, to Galveston Bay, Texas.) To keep the Indians beyond the 95th meridian and to prevent unauthorized white men from crossing it, soldiers were garrisoned in a series of military posts that ran southward from Fort Snelling on the Mississippi River to forts Atkinson and Leavenworth on the Missouri, forts Gibson and Smith on the Arkansas, Fort Towson on the Red, and Fort Jesup in Louisiana.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown, 1970
The U.S. moved the Indian frontier westward to accommodate expanding white settlement, establishing a line of forts to keep Native Americans beyond it and control unauthorized crossing.
In simple terms: U.S. shifted the frontier west, building forts to block Native Americans and control settlers.
Key Takeaway
Recognize how policy and military force reshaped borders and peoples.
Themes
expansion
policy
military
settlement
frontier
Mood
reflective
critical
Type
historical
political
When to use this quote
- government planning
- military deployment
- settler migration
- border enforcement
Key Concepts
colonialism
territorial control
racial displacement
Questions to Reflect On
- How did the forts affect Native communities?
- What alternatives could have been pursued?
A Different Perspective
The policy ignored Native rights and caused further conflict and displacement.
