U.S encroachment

Definition

U.S. encroachment refers to the expansion and gradual intrusion of the United States onto Native American territories during the late nineteenth century. This involved taking over their lands for settlement, mining, farming, and other economic activities.

Related terms

Manifest Destiny: The belief held by many Americans during this time period that it was their destiny to expand westward across the continent.

Homestead Act: A law passed in 1862 that encouraged settlement in the West by offering cheap or free land to individuals who would improve it through cultivation.

Dawes Act: A law passed in 1887 that aimed to assimilate Native Americans into mainstream American society by dividing tribal lands into individual allotments for tribal members.