The United States was a new nation in the 18th century, when most of the world was divided between European imperialist governments. Seeking religion, technology, and military might, the people of these nations began to claim their lands and claim new worlds of natural resources to meet their needs. This is why some have decided to immigrate to the United States in search of freedom and economic opportunity. improvements; but this search for improvement, among other things, only brought suffering and death to Native American tribes. In the United States, Indian groups were willing to live with the new arrivals until relations were strained by continued immigration into their territory, loss of resources, disease and other issues. Certainly, there were cultural differences between the Indians and the newcomers, but at first; diplomacy, communication and consideration made relations between them more bearable, but after a while the natives found themselves confronted with people invading their lands; which was gifted to immigrants by the U.S. government, but was not owned; and apply the laws decreed by their traditions and cultural practices. In the late 1800s, the U.S. Army declared war on the tribes and began eliminating those who resisted and attempted to subdue absolutely all survivors. Federal policies enacted between 1787 and 1900 were responsible for the elimination of the vast majority of Indians. These policies, taken together, indicate that the extermination of certain ethnic groups was neither accidental nor inevitable. Rather, they were the result of intentional decisions made by federal legislators to eliminate the so-called “Indian problem.” These policies were also responsible for the loss...... middle of paper ......t Wounded Knee Creek. However, Indians continued to practice their traditions and adapt to the demands of the evolving nation. While the armed conflict was presumably over, the tribes continued to carry on their traditions, sing their treaties, and ultimately defend their rights as members of American society. Works Citedhttp://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/utley-mackintosh/interior3.htmhttp://www.nwcouncil.org/history/IndianTribes.asphttp://www.umatilla.nsn.us/hist2 .htmlhttp://www.vcdh.virginia.edu/solguide/VUS08/essay08a.htmlhttp://www.fallriverschools.org/Westward_Expansion_Impact_on_American_Indians.pdfhttp://www.canyoncountryzephyr.com/oldzephyr/dec2005-jan2006/westward.htmlhttp http://www.isu.edu/~trinmich/Native.htmlhttp://www.americanindiantah.com/history/nar_entire_content.htmlhttp://railroads.unl.edu/blog/?p=125