In the 1800s the newly created United States of America was seized by what was labeled “Manifest Destiny”–a deep-seated drive to expand from coast to coast. This drive encountered several obstacles, ranging from the challenges presented by geography and travel to the fact that large segments of land were already claimed by America’s indigenous people. The impulse toward a unified continent was also derailed by the Civil War and the division between the states. The military played a significant role in conquering the West and, obviously, in the Civil War. This course will explore how the actions of four nineteenth-century generals–Grenville Dodge, Joseph K. Barnes, Richard Henry Pratt, and Ely Parker–would help shape the face of modern Native America.
