First Americans

flyingfysh

(1,990 posts) Sat Mar 10, 2012, 08:10 PM Mar 2012

Tambora vs Indians?

I had a curious thought, and was wondering what others might think of it.

In 1815, Mount Tambora (in Indonesia) erupted, killing many thousands of people instantly. In addition, it so polluted the atmostphere that weather worldwide was disrupted. In 1816, there was snow in the US and Europe even during what are usually the summer months. Crops failed completely, and food prices went very high. Many called it "the year without a summer".

One effect was that man in the US (especially New England) got fed up with trying to farm in such conditions, and tried moving west in hopes of finding better farming conditions. My question: did this contribute to pushing Native Americans out of their lands? The notorious Indian Removal Act was in 1830, only 14 years later. If Tambora had not erupted, would Native Americans have had a better chance of staying right where they were?

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Tambora vs Indians? (Original Post) flyingfysh Mar 2012 OP

Only for maybe a bit longer than they did. The push west 1monster Mar 2012 #1

1monster

(11,026 posts)

1. Only for maybe a bit longer than they did. The push west

Reply to flyingfysh (Original post)

Sat Mar 10, 2012, 08:38 PM

Mar 2012

would have happened eventually.

The Europeans settlers had no respect for Native Americans. They thought them savages, less than their farm animals. Ergo, if the N.A. had what the European descendant Americans wanted, The E.A. had no moral scrupals about taking it.

After all, they had already taken all the land from the coast in as far as Ohio by the French and Indian War and they were pressing further west even then.

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