FREE ESSAY ON DISCRIMINATION

DISCRIMINATION

The crossing of the Mississippi was a depressing experience for Indians and Women, the
minorities, in the 1800's. The long and harsh journey over scourging desserts,
rock-strewn mountains, and icy rivers caused sadness and despair to both groups of
people.
The first group of people that moved west was forced to leave their homeland, Georgia.
These Indians had developed an admirable culture and were civil humans. They adopted the
white man's ways by wearing their type of clothing, learning to read and write, and even
practicing the white man's religion (295). Major William M. Davis even said, "The
Cherokees are a peaceable, harmless, people...(298). The man behind all of this turmoil
for Indians to move west was President Andrew Jackson. He even said as an election
slogan, that if you vote for me, I'd make sure all those Indians are removed.
Unfortunately he is elected and carries out his promise of the elimination. This treaty
was known as the "Indian Removal Act." By force the Indians were hauled out of their
homeland to a foreign land with just the clothes on their back. After many loads of
Indians were forcefully removed, the Indians wanted to move on their own peacefully. They
started the Trail of Tears. During this long exhausting trip, there was little food and
the water was contaminated (299). By the end of this journey over 4,000 lives were over
due to the grueling passage to the west (302). 
The women back in the 1800's were treated with a little more respect than the Indians,
but clearly not equal to the male. After the faith of Manifest Destiny, a belief that
Americans have the right to expand and explore across the entire continent, people
started to head west. The funny thing about this was, the Americans had just pushed away
the Indians, and now their following them out to the west, right after Jackson said they
would not be disturbed ever again. What the Americans now were looking for was wealth,
due to gold deposits found. Women had the choice of leaving the husbands and saying their
not going, which then they lose the family, or they must go on the long trip to the west
coast. Most women went along for the ride, which became a long and bumpy road. "For
women, the system of sexual spheres represented a decline in social status and isolation
from political and economical power (307)." This meaning they really had no other choice
but to go. The trip was exhausting, grueling, and toilsome to all the family members
(306). Women's values were decreased even more. What they were told to do during the
journey was to stay out of the way and keep the children safe and of coarse care for the
males needs. They cooked; they cleaned, and had no time for their social life or for
themselves (310). It was a tiresome job to the women and it was very unfair.
These two groups of people were undoubtedly treated differently than the white male. They
were discriminated and never were able to do what they wanted. These treatments were
inhumane, especially to the Indians, and unjust to their personal lives. Today there is
only a small portion of Indians still living in the eastern part of the US. Women's
rights have gained some steam but there are still some measures that are unfair and
should be equal to the male. 
Bibliography
Oates, Stephen B., Potrait of America: Vol 1. 7 ed., 1999.