Imperialism: International Economic Organizations
Imperialism
In
North America
Background Conceptual Terms
• Human Rights – natural justice recognizes that all
people are equal and have equal rights
• Nationhood – comprises sophisticated political,
economic, social, educational, and cultural
institutions
• Sovereignty – is the supreme, absolute and
inherent power by which any independent
state is governed
• Constitutionality – laws which make it
mandatory that the rights of life, liberty, and
property of all peoples be respected
The Cherokee Nation
Geographic Location of the Cherokee in 1830
• The traditional Cherokee homeland was in the
American southeast encompassing parts of the
Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama
• The so-called ‘Five Civilized Tribes’ who occupied
this area were the Choctaw, Chickasaw,
Seminole, Creek, and Cherokee Nations
The Cherokee Nation
Geographic Location of the Cherokee in 1830
The Cherokee Nation
Five Civilized Tribes Jigsaw
• Each member of your group of five students will
have 15 minutes to research one of the following
nations; Choctaw, Chickasaw, Seminole, Creek,
and Cherokee. (wikipedia is acceptable)
• Locate 5 important facts for your nation
--------------------------------------------------------• Your group will then be given 20 minutes to
share and copy the notes from the other
members
The Cherokee Nation
• These five nations were comprised of people
who had sophisticated political, economic, social,
educational, and cultural institutions.
• The rights which were outlined in the American
Bill of Rights should apply as much to these
Indigenous Peoples as they would to people of
European extraction.
The Cherokee Nation
Aboriginal Sovereignty
• Traditional Aboriginal perspectives on
sovereignty:
• Sovereignty originates from The Creator
• It flows through to the land of North America, then
• Flows from the land to the Indian peoples, cultures,
and Nations
The Cherokee Nation
• The British Royal Proclamation in 1763 confirmed
Aboriginal sovereignty.
• British recognition of the land rights angered
American colonists.
• Following its independence from Britain, the
American government repudiated British policies
including the Royal Proclamation of 1763.
• There was a growing movement by the
southeastern states to forcibly remove the Indian
Nations to frontier areas.
The Cherokee Nation
Issue #1
Sovereignty
• When a group of people come together and
work out a social contract and actively maintain
that contract, then they have a de facto legal
right to claim the sovereignty of nationhood.
•
The Cherokee people actively created and maintained a
system of roads, schools, and churches within their
homeland
The Cherokee Nation
Issue #2
Constitutionality
• The United Kingdom with its common law and
the United States with its constitution made it
mandatory that the rights of life, liberty, and
property of all peoples be respected.
•
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the fundamental political
and legal rights of the Cherokee Nation
The Cherokee Nation
Issue #3
Power
• The U.S. Federal Government refused to honour
the treaties with Indian Nations it had duly
affirmed and recognized.
•
•
•
Laws were passed by the Georgia Legislature in 1829 to
effectively deprive Indian citizens of their rights
President Jackson refused to enforce the Supreme Court
decision
The U.S. Federal Government created the right for itself
to quarantine Indian people to ‘civilize’ them
The Cherokee Nation
The Trail of Tears (1830 – 1840)
• Watch the following video clip making notes on
key events and the following people.
• President of the Cherokee National Committee, John
Ross (Kooweskoowe)
• United States Supreme Court Chief Justice, John
Marshall
• President, Andrew Jackson
• Trail of Tears video (part 1)
• Trail of Tears video (part 2)
The Cherokee Nation
The Trail of Tears (1830 – 1840)
Consequences of Imperialism
• In order to protect their sovereignty, nations
endeavoured to develop sources of power such
as the industrial capacity to produce arms, selfsufficiency in food supplies, a large loyal
population to supply the military, and the
necessary territory to support these needs.
• Many European economies were unable because
of tradition or lack of economic growth to
provide the opportunities which people were
demanding.
Consequences of Imperialism
• Many Europeans looked to other parts of the
world to find opportunities to build a better life.
• The demands of European immigration almost
always resulted in a loss of rights for indigenous
peoples.
• The rivalry for colonies was both fuelled by and
in turn accentuated the growing mistrust which
characterized the international politics of the late
nineteenth century industrialized world.