In several well developed paragraphs compare the treaties that were made with the United States government by the Seminole Choctaw Chickasaw creek and Cherokee after the Civil war ended discuss how these reconstruction treaties affected the land the tribes owned before the war

Answer 1

After the Civil War ended, the United States government sought to establish peace and stability with the tribes such as the Seminole, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Cherokee through a series of reconstruction treaties. These treaties had significant implications for the land owned by these tribes before the war.

One of the most prominent reconstruction treaties was the Treaty of Fort Laramie, signed in 1868, which affected the Sioux, Arapaho, and Cheyenne tribes. However, it should be noted that this treaty was not signed by the tribes mentioned in the prompt. The Seminole Nation, for example, entered into a series of treaties with the United States government in the post-war period. The 1866 Treaty with the Seminole reduced their reservation lands in Florida from more than 11 million acres to a mere 500,000 acres. This drastic reduction in land had long-lasting consequences for the Seminole Tribe's sovereignty and ability to sustain themselves economically.

The Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes also experienced significant land loss due to reconstruction treaties. The Treaty of 1866 with the Choctaw Tribe resulted in the cession of over 4 million acres of land, reducing their reservation from nearly 12 million acres to 2.3 million acres. Similarly, the Chickasaw Nation signed the Treaty of 1866, which reduced their reservation from a substantial amount of land to a mere fraction of its former size. These treaties effectively fragmented the territories of these tribes, leading to dispossession and displacement of Native populations.

The Creek Nation endured a similar fate. The Treaty of 1866 with the Creek Tribe severely reduced their landholdings, from over 3.5 million acres to less than 2 million acres. This loss of land not only impacted the tribe's ability to sustain its economy but also infringed upon their cultural practices and sovereignty.

Lastly, the Cherokee Nation faced significant challenges through the Treaty of 1866. The treaty mandated the abolition of slavery within the tribe, which the Cherokees reluctantly accepted. However, the treaty also resulted in the loss of substantial land grants for individuals and led to the forced migration of thousands of Cherokee people.

Overall, the reconstruction treaties following the Civil War resulted in substantial land loss for the Seminole, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Cherokee tribes. These tribes experienced severe reductions in their territories, leading to economic instability, cultural disruption, and the dispossession of their ancestral lands. These treaties further contributed to the larger pattern of land theft and Native American displacement that has characterized much of American history.