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Originally posted by Tamaroa In fact, that is the tact that the movie Buffalo soldiers takes. Glover's character witnesses the injustice done to the Indian and becomes somewhat sympathetic to them. Now how true that is, is another question.
Ask yourself something else. Of course its 20/20 hindsight but nevertheless, here goes! Why did the US enter a war that killed 625,000 people to free the slave then go out west and begin exterminating Indians? What made the Indian who was here before either the Whites or Blacks so much less than the Black man? Personally, I think it was simply economics. The Indian resided on lands that the white man wanted because of the minerals, precious metals and fertility of the Indian's land. Land was not an issue regarding the freeing of the Slaves.
Sometimes I wonder what our 19th century brethern were thinking. Morally speaking these positions regarding the two races makes no sense. That's what makes history interesting though, the search to find out why!
Bill
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A couple of thoughts on this...the US fought "the Late Unpleasantness"
primarily to preserve the Union & only to "free the slaves" as somewhat of an afterthought. Don't even get me started about the Emancipation Proclamation!
Now, about the extirmination of the Indians, this was being done by White settlers at least as far back as the French & Indian War (c. 1760). The Civil War just slowed it down for 4 years. The English/American pioneers mostly
hated the Indians, believing all the tales of the atrocities commited by these "savages," while ignoring all the atrocities committed by the settlers and the army. What's that old saw about God being on the side of largest battalions?