American Expansion Policy Further Reading American Expansion Policy: A First Nations Perspective The Battle of Tippecanoe: A First Nations Perspective

An American Perspective America was growing by leaps and bounds in the late 18th century. The burgeoning white population was pushing westward in a frantic search for farmland. By 1810, there were more than 230,000 people living in Ohio, about 400,000 people living in Kentucky, and more and more settlers were pushing into Indiana and Illinois. The U.S. government promoted settlement in order to extend the boundaries of the "new" country. Some parcels of land were given away to reward Revolutionary War veterans, others were sold at very reasonable prices to encourage Americans to set up homesteads in new territories. Once a territory had at least 60,000 inhabitants, it was eligible for statehood. But there were questions regarding the First Nations who lived on the desired land. President Thomas Jefferson and his administration earnestly believed that these nations should be "civilized" and taught how to set up their own homesteads on plots of cleared land granted to them by the U.S. government. Jefferson reasoned that white people had a responsibility to assist the native peoples by teaching them how to survive in mainstream society. Several religious groups supported the American government's philanthropic efforts. On a less altruistic note, Jefferson hoped that declining returns from the hunt would persuade First Nations to sell their land and migrate further westward. He also hoped to accelerate this process by encouraging Natives to run up debts with traders. These debts could then be settled by ceding land to the U.S. Many First Nations people continued to put up a fierce resistance to the incursion of white settlers. The Americans replied with a series of punitive expeditions. In 1811, tensions between America and northwestern First Nations culminated in the Battle of Tippecanoe. Ironically, Americans believed that it was British agents who were responsible for inciting the First Nations to resist. They failed to recognize that their own selfishness in denying them rights to their land and culture was the cause of provocation.