Many Americans see the United States as the greatest country on Earth. Under our constitution, every citizen is guaranteed justice, security, and complete freedom. Lots of Americans would be willing to give up their freedoms or even their life to protect these liberties for all. There are many other Americans[,] however[,] who have not been served justice or have not been treated equally, but no one seems to stand up for them.

The Native Americans are a perfect example of American injustice. Most people are quick to defend America as a force for good, but we can all learn that America also has a troubled past. When Columbus arrived in America, it is estimated that between 75 and 145 million Native Americans lived in North America. By 1890 however, that number had been reduced to a mere 250,000 Native Americans.

Obviously populations do not disappear that fast on their own. There had to be some external source for this downfall. That source was the European settlers. These European settlers not only accidentally brought diseases with them, but they did so intentionally as well. They offered blankets infected with smallpox to the natives, as a sign of friendship. Little did these trusting natives know that they were sleeping in blankets contaminated with a disease that is 98% fatal. These diseases diminished the population of Native Americans by over half between the years of 1607 and 1617.

As if this annihilation of the Native American people wasn’t enough, the American government decided to step in and take further action in the year 1830. This was the year the “Indian Removal Act” was passed. This bill forced tribes from north Georgia, where it was rumored gold had been discovered, to march over 300 miles to their new homes in Oklahoma. Not only was the march deadly, but also the tribes marched past areas known to have outbreaks of cholera, smallpox, tuberculosis, and many other deadly diseases. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the native refugees were malnourished and offered spoiled food. They ate rancid meat, spoiled flour, and drank tainted water. All together, it is estimated that over 8,000 of the original 17,000 died in this march. It is rightfully called “The Trail of Tears”.
America has done great things in the world, and I understand that. However, many people do not realize the horrible things that America has done as well. The deliberate slaughter of the Native Americans can only be compared to the systematic elimination of the Jews in Nazi German during World War 2. Both targeted a certain group of people, forced them from their homes, and ultimately led many to their death. We can only hope that the people of America have learned from their mistakes, and that America will continue to do great things.

[This paper is well written, but the organization is a bit of a mess. You should start your essay by talking about the rapid decline in native american population first and then explain how this was caused by the colonists. Otherwise, it looks you are just using the example of the native americans to rebute the common tropes of American propaganda (which is fine, but not the assignment). That said, the argument (despite being faulty) is well-supported.]


Works Cited

“The Annihilation of Native Americans.” 3/19/98.
<http://www.wealth4freedom.com/truth/1/indian1.htm∞ > 10/19/05

“The Trail of Tears.” < http://ngeorgia.com/history/nghisttt.html∞ > 10/19/05